Predatory Drug Alert | Recovering Students at UNCW | Spring Break | Ketamine | Salvia | The Truth About Steriods | Alcohol Poisoning
- Don't leave your drink unattended at the table or bar while you are dancing, talking with friends, or in the bathroom.
- Only drink from unopened bottles or cans, or drinks that you have watched being poured.
- Do not take any beverages from someone you do not know well and trust.
- Avoid "group drinks" such as punch bowls. Predatory drugs are easily slipped into large open containers such as these.
- Never attend or leave a party without a trusted friend. Never allow a friend to leave a party or bar with an unknown person.
- Have fun and always take care of your friends!
AA Meetings on campus:
- Friday night, 5:30 p.m., Warwick Center 138
AA Meetings within walking distance of campus:
- Sundays at 7am; Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays at 12 noon: Intergroup
(open/discussion)
5001 Wrightsville Ave. - Mondays at 8pm: Sobriety Unlimited (closed/Big Book/Beginner/Step
Study/Discussion)
Wesley Methodist Church, 1401 S College Rd - Tuesdays at 8pm: Welcome Group (closed/beginner/discussion, big
book)
St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, 612 S College Rd - Saturdays 8pm: Welcome Group (open/step, open/traditions, open/discussion)
St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, 612 S College Rd
NA Meetings within walking distance of campus:
- Mondays 8pm: Phoenix (closed/discussion/beginner), St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, 612 S College Rd
- Mondays and Wednesdays 8pm: Bring Your Own Book II (open/literature/day
care)
Church of the Servant, 4925 Oriole Dr - Fridays 8pm: Phoenix (closed/discussion/literature), St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, 612 S College Rd.
If you would like a referral to a local inpatient or outpatient treatment program, please check the local phone book or call Dee Casey in the Counseling Center at 962-3746. UNCW does NOT endorse any local treatment program over another.
Links for Recovering Students:
- Wilmington AA
- Alcoholics Anonymous
- Addiction Resource Guide
- Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
- Narcotics Anonymous
- Al-Anon/Al-Ateen
Top 10 Ways to Ensure a Safe Spring Break:
- Go out in groups and make sure no one is ever left alone or behind
- Don't ever leave your drink out of sight
- Wear sunscreen - you'll be glad later
- Always keep emergency money in a separate place other than your purse or wallet
- Do not accept drinks from strangers unless you watch them being poured
- Do NOT travel with illegal substances; a trip to jails ruins a vacation!
- Avoid casual sex with someone you just met or make sure you practice safe sex
- Never leave an intoxicated friend alone
- Be careful following people you don't know back to hotel rooms, parties, homes, etc
- Don't carry a lot of cash. Use credit/debit cards or traveler's checks. If a theft occurs, you can report your card stolen immediately and have it canceled.
When packing, remember the Six S's:
- Sunscreen: at least SPF 15, but the higher the SPF, the safer you will be
- Shades: with both UVA and UVB protection
- Sexual Health Protection: if you plan to hook up or even if you don't, plan ahead
- Spending Money: plan on how much money you intend to spend and use credit/debit cards or traveler's checks
- Social Support: watch out for each other!
- Safety: remember, alcohol and drugs can interfere with your ability to communicate effectively and deal with potentially dangerous situations.
Ketamine Hydrochloride was originally used as an anesthetic for humans but because of it's hallucinogenic properties has been replaced by safer anesthetics. However; Ketamine is still occasionally used today for general anesthesia for children, people in poor health and often in veterinary medicine.
Ketamine belongs to a class of drugs known as the dissociative anesthetics. Other drugs in this category include PCP, DXM and Nitrous Oxide. Dissociative anesthetics separate sensation from perception. Ketamine comes in liquid form, however; is often cooked into a powder for intranasal use.
Slang terms for Ketamine include: Special-K, Vitamin-K, Cat Valiums, K, Super-K, OK, KO, Kid Rock, Ket Kat, and "Make her Mine"
Ketamine powder is formed by evaporating the concentrated Ketamine liquid and grinding it into a fine powder.
Ketamine is usually taken orally or intranasally in the form of a powder, however, may also be injected intramuscularly as a liquid. Rarely, Ketamine is mixed with tobacco or marijuana and smoked.
There is no safe dose of Ketamine or any other illicit drug. If you have a friend who has taken it, remember these safety tips:
- If they are out and begin to feel sick, do not let them put themselves in a situation where they will be alone. If they lose consciousness, they could choke on their own vomit or worse.
- Excessive doses of Ketamine have killed people. It is nearly impossible to know how strong or pure the drug is or how you will react to it.
- Yes, Ketamine can by psychologically addictive. People are seduced by it's ability to dissociate them from their body.
- Regular us of it will quickly result in a tolerance to the effects of the drug causing the user to need more Ketamine to achieve the same effects.
- There are no physical withdrawal symptoms from Ketamine; however, it may be physically addictive.
- Ketamine became a Schedule III drug in 1999. This means that it's use is accepted medically; however, it has a high probability of being psychologically and physically addictive.
Primary Effects
Lower doses of Ketamine induce mild dream-like states. Users often report feeling numbness in their extremities and feeling "outside of their body"
Higher doses of Ketamine may cause hallucinogenic effects often described as "trippy". Some users may use Ketamine to simulate a near death experience by taking extremely high doses that cause the user to be unable to move or communicate.
Other effects of Ketamine include: confusion, euphoria, amplified sense of touch, and loss of sense of time, senses, and identity.
Side Effects
Ketamine use can lead to delirium, amnesia, and impaired motor function. It can also cause paranoia, rage, slurring, and panic.
Excessive doses of Ketamine can lead to unconsciousness, respiratory problems, and heart failure.
Ketamine causes people not to feel pain, so they could end up hurting themselves without even knowing it.
Eating or drinking before taking K can lead to vomiting and a risk of choking if the user becomes unconscious.
What is Salvia? Salvia divinorum is a soft-leaved green plant, native to Southern Mexico, which contains a powerful psychoactive chemical known as Salvinorin. Salvia divinorum is used as a sacred medicine by indigenous shamanic healers living in the mountainous Sierra Madre Oriental in the northeastern corner of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is not intended for recreational use. Salvia can be smoked, chewed, taken sublingually and vaporized.
Other names for Salvia: la pastora, the shepherdess, the leaves of the shepherdess, diviner's mint, diviner's sage, and salvia.
Effects of Salvia: Experiences vary with the individual and setting as well as with dose androute of administration. It produces a short-lived inebriation that is very different from that of alcohol. However, like alcohol, it interferes with the ability to drive, produces incoordination (ataxia) and may produce slurred speech. At low doses, relaxation and increased sensual appreciation may be noted. At higher levels, consciousness may be lost; or at least one is unable to later recall what one is experiencing. The individual may fall or remain immobile or thrash around. Injuries can be sustained.
What are steroidal supplements?
In the US, supplements such as dehydroepian-drosterone (DHEA) and androstendedione
(street name Andro) can be purchased legally without a prescription
through many commercial sources including health food stores. They are
referred to as dietary supplements, although they are not food products.
They are often taken because the user believes they have anabolic effects.
Human Growth Hormone
HGH is produced naturally in the pituitary gland; however, products
sold today are synthetic. HGH works by stimulating the intracellular
breakdown of body fat, allowiong more to be used for energy. Risks includ:
muscle and bone disfigurement, jutting forehead, elongated jaw, and
heart and metabolic problems.
Adverse effects of steroids: what you need to know if you are using
MALES:
- Decreased sperm production and suppressed libido
- Enlargement of breasts
- Shrinkage and discoloration of the testicles
FEMALES:
- General masculinization - voice deepening, increased body hair, loss of scalp
- hair, and breast shrinkage
- Menstrual irregularity
- Fluid retention
OTHER EFFECTS:
- Longer recovery time from injuries
- Insomnia
- Loss of elasticity in the tendons and ligaments which increases injury potential
SOME OF THESE EFFECTS ARE IRREVERSIBLE!!
Going Out? If You're Going Out to Drink...
- Know your limits; decide ahead of time on how many drinks is your limit
- Snack before and during drinking
- Stay with people you know and trust
- Pace yourself; the body processes less than one drink per hour
- Avoid drinking games
- Avoid chugging or gulping drinks
- Drink plenty of water
- Watch your drink-never leave it unattended
- Avoid mixing alcohol with other drugs, including over-the-counter and prescription medications
- Be wary - most rape, other sexual assault, and other unwanted sexual contact involves alcohol use
- Don't drink and drive (use a designated driver, stay with friends, call a cab)
Can You Tell If You're Too Intoxicated?
Generally, you can't tell. First of all, alcohol impairs judgment, making your ability to reason difficult, especially at high doses. Second, it takes a while for all the alcohol in the stomach to travel out of the gastrointestinal system and into the blood supply, where it then reaches the brain and other organs. Depending upon how much you drink, how quickly you drink, and what else is in your stomach, it may take anywhere from about 30-90 minutes after you stop drinking, before you reach your highest level of intoxication. Drinking "games" can be quickly fatal because large quantities of alcohol are often consumed over very short periods of time. Almost-straight alcohol drinks, such as EverClear, are especially dangerous.
What Happens to Your Body When You Get Alcohol Poisoning?
Alcohol depresses nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing and the gag reflex (which prevents choking). A fatal dose of alcohol will eventually stop these functions. It is common for someone who drank excessive alcohol to vomit since alcohol is an irritant to the stomach. There is then the danger of choking on vomit, which could cause death by asphyxiation in a person who is not conscious because of intoxication.
Remember that a person's blood alcohol concentration can continue to rise even while he or she is passed out. Even after a person stops drinking, alcohol in the stomach and intestine continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body. It is dangerous to assume the person will be fine by sleeping it off.e/possession n by persons 21 and older
What Can Happen to Someone With Alcohol Poisoning That Goes Untreated?
- Victim chokes on his or her own vomit.
- Breathing slows, becomes irregular, or stops.
- Heart beats irregularly or stops.
- Hypothermia (low body temperature).
- Hypoglycemia (too little blood sugar) leads to seizures.
- Untreated severe dehydration from vomiting can cause seizures, permanent brain damage, or death.
Even if the victim lives, an alcohol overdose can lead to irreversible brain damage. Don't be afraid to seek medical help for a friend who has had too much to drink. Don't worry that your friend may become angry or embarrassed - remember, you cared enough to help. Always be safe, not sorry.
