Drugs – what every parent should know
Cocaine is the fastest growing abused drug in South Africa, with crippling effects.
Following yesterday’s police raid on a local high school and the confiscating of cocaine, many parents have come forward to express their concern over the ease of availability of hard drugs in the Dundee area.
Dundee High School said in a statement that random searches are often carried out at the school which the school welcomed. “The incident was an isolated one which horrified us,” they said,
Police have said before that Dundee is becoming a central location for ‘drug drop-offs’ because of it’s geographical area in Northern KZN.
But how would you know if your child, relative or friend is using drugs?
Here are a few long-term effects and symptoms of drug abuse to look out for:
Dagga
Many misconceptions make this drug seem harmless because it is a‘natural product from the earth’. In reality people (especially the youth) who smoke marijuana find the effects
minimalised over time and feel the urge to move onto stronger, more ‘effective’ drugs
Long-term effects include:
* Brain damage.
* Amnesia.
* Sterility.
* Emphysema/lung diseases.
* Overall deterioration in health.
Symptoms:
* Bloodshot/’sleepy’ eyes.
* Unnatural thirst or hunger.
* Uncontrollable mood swings.
* Talkative or ‘giggly’.
* Bad decision-making processes.
* Stains on hands.
Packaging and usage:
* Broken bottles or bottle necks.
* Rolling papers, such as Rizla.
*Drugs can also be consumed in the form of space muffins which are muffins that contain weed. These lethal delicacies are just as bad if not worse as compared to smoking or inhaling the substance.
Mandrax
Mandrax is usually mixed with dagga and smoked. This drug has much stronger effects than dagga, and should not be thought of interchangeably.
Long-term effects:
* Depression.
* Drastic weight loss.
* Stomach cramps.
* Insomnia.
* Epilepsy.
* Aggression.
* Toxic psychosis.
Symptoms:
* Yellow stained hands.
* Bloodshot eyes.
* Gaunt appearance.
* Rotten teeth.
* Drowsiness.
* Unnatural sleeping patterns.
* Loss of appetite.
Packaging and usage:
* Lotto and Tab tickets in which tablets are crushed.
* Broken bottles and bottle necks.
* Homemade fi lters – known as a ‘diamond’.
* Brown stained tissues.
Cocaine
Cocaine is the fastest growing abused drug in South Africa, with crippling effects.
Long-term effects:
As soon as cocaine is snorted through the nose and absorbed into the soft mucous tissue and blood vessels,
* Energy levels rise drastically.
* Psychological state changes.
* Feeling of satisfaction and no inhibitions.
* Drastic increase in blood pressure.
* Possibility serious heart attack or stroke.
Symptoms:
* Bleeding nose.
* Sniffing and wiping nose continuously.
* Weight loss.
* Hyperactivity.
* Paranoia.
* Anxiety attacks and hallucinations.
Packaging and usage:
* Mirrors with cocaine residue.
* Rolled-up banknotes.
* Straws.
* Rectangular pieces of plastic from shopping bags.
* Folded envelopes.
* Small test tubes.
* Small steel pipes.
Whoonga
This new and deadly drug is a concoction of various ingredients,namely rat poison, soap powder and anti-retroviral medication (ARVs).
This mixture is smoked, resulting in detrimental effects.
Long-term effects and symptoms:
* Anxiousness.
* Aggression.
* Crippling stomach cramps and
acute pain.
* Fatal heart and lung reduction
function.
* Highly addictive.
Means of acquiring this drug:
* Crime.
* Robbing HIV/Aids patients.
* Patients willingly selling ARVs.
* Intentionally getting infected to get a steady supply of ARVs.
(Since all the ingredients are legal substances they cannot be banned, therefore making this drug very difficult to eradicate.)
Sniffing glue and benzene:
Sniffing depends mainly on dosage,but still has harmful effects which can lead to death.
Long-term effects:
* Damage to liver, kidneys, brain an nervous system.
* Rapid heart rate.
* Dizziness.
* Feeling sleepy.
* Unconsciousness.
* Suffocation
