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Heroin Kills: The High Is A Lie!

August 16, 2011 By

Heroin Kills: The High Is A Lie! 

Tuesday, August 30

6:30-7:00 p.m. and 8:30-9:00 p.m. Resource Fair

7:00-8:30 p.m. Panelist Presentation and Q&A

Santa Clarita Activities Center

 

In recent months, Santa Clarita has experienced a dramatic increase in heroin use, arrests, and fatal overdoses. Many are unaware of the prevalence of heroin in Santa Clarita schools and among teenagers in our valley.  The Heroin symposium will feature valuable information and a diverse group of speakers to help parents protect their children. This event is for parents and teens and the symposium will also include a resource fair.

Spanish translation will be provided

For more information call the Community Service Division at (661) 250-3708 or go to heroinkills.org.

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Free Webinar Slated to Help Parents Become More Drug Aware

July 14, 2011 By

The Hart School District has scheduled an online free webinar for Thursday, July 14, 2011 from 6 – 7 pm, to educate parents and students about contemporary drugs that are being used by students in local neighborhoods.

The District’s drug awareness and education program, called CADRE (Comprehensive Alcohol and Drug Reduction and Education), in coordination with Medtox Laboratories have developed a program to help parents and students understand these issues, encourage prevention and provide support.

 

Many of the drugs used are 100% legal and are being sold in the Santa Clarita Valley. Through the use of social media, students are informed about what is out there almost as soon as it becomes available.

 

The webinar will discuss many aspects of these drugs and the serious health consequences for using and abusing them. If you are a parent and words like “Spice, K2, Salvia, Ivory Wave, Robo-Tripping,” don’t sound familiar, this Webinar is for you. These are all legal drugs available in local neighborhoods and parents and community members need to be as informed as possible to better protect their children.

 

“The District is committed to helping our community, parents and students to become drug free and drug aware,” Kathy Hunter, Coordinator of Student Services said. “We will have additional webinars this year and added information on the District’s website to better inform and educate parents.”

 

The CADRE program empowers students by giving them a reason to say NO to illegal drug and alcohol use and also provides parents with assurances that their sons or daughters are not using drugs or alcohol. CADRE offers voluntary random drug testing which gives students a reason to say NO to drug use, while promoting a safe and drug-free school environment and encouraging responsible decision making.

 

Additionally, CADRE offers seminars to educate students and parents about the types of drugs used and abused in the school community and how to detect signs of drug or alcohol use. CADRE also offers counseling support by an approved licensed drug counselor when drug use has been detected.

 

CADRE is a voluntary program of the Hart School District. More information is available on the District’s website: http://hartdistrict.org/index.php/students/cadre

 

The Hart School District works closely with the SCV Sheriff’s Department and the City of Santa Clarita in a pro-active approach to keep students safe and drug free, through education and school and citywide programs.

Visit: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/123139150 weblink_button to register.

Filed Under: Drugs and Alcohol, Issues

Teen Drug Use Number One Health Problem

June 29, 2011 By

 

Researchers from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, or CASA, found that nine out of 10 American addicts started smoking, drinking or using drugs before the age of 18 and one in four of those people become addicted to some sort of drug.

“We now have enough science to show that adolescent substance use is America’s no. 1 public health problem,” said Susan Foster, senior investigator of the study. “By recognizing this as a health problem and responding to it, we can actually make the difference by improving the life prospects of teens and saving costs in society.”

Adolescence is a critical period of brain development and experts say the teen years put people at increased danger of addiction because their brains are more sensitive to substances and they’re more likely to experiment and take risks.

 

For the complete story

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Power Talk21 Day

April 21, 2011 By

Today Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is holding the first ever PowerTalk21 Day.

PowerTalk21 will become an annual event on April 21st — a day for parents to start talking with their kids about alcohol.

PRESS RELEASE:

Washington, D.C. – Last week, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved Senate Resolution 157 declaring April 21st Power Talk 21 day, the national day for parents to start talking with their kids about alcohol. Research has shown that parents are the number one influence in their child’s decisions about alcohol. So, in an effort to curb underage drinking among America’s youth, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) created the Power of Parents, It’s Your Influence™ program to help parents have the sometimes difficult, but potentially life-saving, conversation about alcohol with their kids on April 21st and throughout the year.

“Senator Klobuchar and Senator Vitter are to be commended for their leadership in preventing underage drinking. MADD hopes that PowerTalk 21 day will inspire parents to talk with their teens about healthy lifestyles and smart choices — particularly in advance of prom and graduation season — and will ultimately save lives,” said MADD National President Laura Dean-Mooney.

Teen alcohol use kills 6,000 young people each year, more than all other illegal drugs combined.  Developed with Pennsylvania State University’s Dr. Robert Turrisi, MADD’s Power of Parents handbook is based on more than two decades of underage drinking research, and has been shown to significantly reduce underage drinking behaviors, even in households with below average communication.

For conversation starters, tips and to get the free Power of Parents handbook, visit www.madd.org/powertalk21.

 

 

 

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Alert: Designer Drug Targeting Teens

March 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
(CBS News)  – March 18, 2011A spring break party turned deadly yesterday in Blaine, Minn., because of a mass overdose.

Police say at least 11 party goers overdosed on a designer drug known as 2 C-E, one of those, 19-year-old Trevor Robinson died.

The 2 C-E was obtained legally, over the Internet.

CBS News Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton explains to “Early Show” co-anchor Erica Hill exactly what this drug is and what it does to the body.

Hill points out that it’s really hard to keep track of these designer drugs like 2 C-E, for both parents and the government. So what exactly does 2 C-E do?

According to Ashton, part of the reason it’s so dangerous is because it’s part of a class of drugs known as hallucinogens that have psychedelic effects very similar to LSD or ecstasy. Therefore, it works as a central nervous system stimulant.

“So it can increase body temperature. It can, as you said, cause hallucinations,” Ashton adds. “It is a synthetic designer drug. Part of this family, this 2 C-E family is designated by the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) as a controlled substance. Other parts are not. So it is accessible online and people can be lulled into a false sense of security by thinking look, ‘if I can get it on the Internet, it must be safe.’ Obviously, as we can see here, not so. It can be deadly.”

One of the problems of this designer drug, Hill noted, is that it can lull people into false sense of security — when people take the drug, they tend to keep taking more because they don’t think it’s working.

“Two important principles with this class of drug and this one in particular, it has a slow onset of action so you can take this drug, not feel any of its effects right away, and then stack it with other drugs, increasing the risk of overdose or take more of it,” Ashton says. “The other concerning principle with this drug is that it has a long half-life, as we say. So it can stay in your system for 12 hours. And then in the cases of overdose, or deaths, affects the heart, affects the kidneys, can increase your body temperature. Again, can be mixed with other drugs in a deadly combination.”

How widespread is this?

Ashton says that while it’s hard to get firm numbers on this, it’s “part of a concerning trend.”

“Ten years ago we saw these drugs used in raves,” Ashton points out. “The fact of the matter is, in medicine we say — this only has to happen once. One death because of this drug is one too many.”

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Filed Under: Drugs and Alcohol

Fake Bath Salts; The Newest Narcotic

January 29, 2011 By

Statesboro, Ga. — Some bath salts—with names like Ocean Burst and Ivory Wave—aren’t really for bathing. Rather, they are the latest high for naive teens and young adults as well as established drug abusers.

“Fake cocaine and fake meth are laced in bath salts and sold legally on the Internet and in convenience stores, gas stations, truck stops and head shops in most states. This newest boutique chemical substance is being used for a narcotic effect and often sends users to emergency rooms,” warns Greg L. Jones, MD, addiction medicine physician at Willingway Hospital, a privately owned 40-bed alcohol and drug abuse treatment center in Statesboro, Ga.

According to Jones, manufacturers are using engineered molecules similar to controlled substances in the fake bath salts, which are labeled “not for consumption,” to skirt the law. The molecules are derivatives of two controlled substances: MDPV (methylenedioxypyrovalerone, which is similar to Ritalin, but more potent) and mephedrone (an amphetamine-like drug). Also known as party salts and party powders, fake bath salts are snorted or ingested to create a stimulant, narcotic effect like that of cocaine.

“Users are snorting and ingesting the fake bath salts as a stimulant, to create a sense of euphoria and to stay up and party longer,” explained Jones. “However, it can increase pulse and blood pressure to dangerous levels and cause delirium and confusion.”

People using the bath salts as a narcotic have been treated for paranoia, hallucinations, agitation, hypertension, chest pain and headaches.

“Drug-naive teens and college students are showing up in ERs across the country because they purchased and used these products. They probably think that since they didn’t buy them from a drug-dealer that they aren’t as dangerous as the real thing, so they load up on them and reach a toxic state,” Jones said.

As attention is being drawn to this latest drug abuse fad, Jones predicts that, as Willingway Hospital is now doing, facilities will be adding questions about use of party powders and fake bath salts to their drug and alcohol history questionnaires. And, more prevalent use is leading to a ban of these products, such as in Louisiana where two weeks ago, Gov. Bobby Jindal announced that the so-called bath salts are now defined as illegal narcotics under State of Louisiana law.

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Message from Captain Paul Becker, SCV Sheriff

October 28, 2010 By

MESSAGE FROM THE CAPTAIN
PAUL BECKER
SANTA CLARITA VALLEY SHERIFF’S STATION

NOVEMBER 2010

Greetings,

It’s been a few months since my last message and substantial changes in our policing strategy have been implemented. After a measured assessment of the state of the station and the community we serve, I have outlined key components of a law enforcement strategy that is critical to maintaining the quality of life and relatively low crime rate we enjoy here in Santa Clarita – even during these challenging times.

I have identified several areas of concern that will require a great deal of our focus. Those areas are drugs, gangs, juvenile crime, property crimes, illegal secondhand dealers, troubled rental properties, traffic safety, and unlawful neighborhood parties. I will be seeking your continued input and involvement in every aspect of our new policing strategy, especially as it pertains to our youth.

We must work to keep heroin and other drugs out of our community and away from our schools and youth. Working with you we intend to do everything possible to accomplish this. With more than 60 schools, 50,000 youth in our community, and a challenging economy, it won’t be an easy task.

Our work has already begun! My staff and I have partnered with the city of Santa Clarita and the County of Los Angeles to implement the Santa Clarita Valley Station’s Juvenile Intervention Team, or “J-Team.”  This program was launched under my direction in July. It consists of a sergeant, two deputy team members, a lead investigator, a data analyst investigator, and the direct involvement of our School Resource Deputies.

This new team has implemented a comprehensive plan to address those crimes that are having the greatest impact on our community, and directly affecting our youth. An element of the program also includes a unique crime tip reporting and tracking system that will ensure continuity, anonymity and thoroughness for those who provide us with information they expect will result in immediate action being taken.

Research has shown that many of the long time drug users and abusers start at an early age with simple drug experimentation and low level drug use, only to progress to more serious and highly addictive and dangerous substances such as heroin or methamphetamine. With that in mind the focus of the J-Team involves immediate notification to the team each time youth in our community are arrested for drug related crimes. J-Team members will follow up with intelligence gathering, immediate warrant service at the offending parties known location(s) in many cases and the tracking of the drug source to its supplier.

Since its inception just three months ago, the J-Team has processed 90 crime tips, investigated and closed 50 cases, and is currently working another 40 active cases. They have made 62 arrests and served five search warrants, including one where they tracked a drug dealer to Los Angeles and recovered nearly 200 balloons of heroin earmarked for our community and its youth. The J-Team has consistently followed leads outside the community to stop major suppliers for the Santa Clarita Valley. They have also been very busy with operations locally, including a Castaic case where nearly 30 balloons of heroin and a handgun were recovered, and a Valencia case involving the seizure of more than 40 balloons of heroin. Each of these cases resulted in the arrest of major drug suppliers.

With the help of patrol deputies, special assignment deputies, Narcotics Headquarters Bureau detectives, and the J-Team, the station has initiated the reporting of more than a thousand drug related incidents and arrests in the Santa Clarita Valley since January.
We are currently seeking grant funding for another important component of the program that will include monitoring those teens who have been arrested, and providing them with sustainable intervention programs so they avoid relapse.

Residential and vehicle burglaries and the pawning or resale of stolen property through secondhand dealers, as drug users seek to support their habit, is almost always a by-product of illicit drug use. The J-Team is also focusing on this anticipated repercussion through system database automation, pawn transaction tracking, and aggressive enforcement efforts. In fact, as I write this message, the team is preparing for a search warrant operation on an individual who has been flagged as repeatedly selling stolen property to a local secondhand dealer. As required by law, many local secondhand dealers are working in direct cooperation with our station to combat this problem.

Three other programs in development are the Santa Clarita Valley Gang Strategic Plan, our Residential Traffic Enforcement Strategy and a partnership with the city of Santa Clarita in providing dedicated funding for a patrol car specifically assigned to address weekend noise and party complaints. The Sheriff’s Department and the city have partnered to put into operation an aggressive and comprehensive gang enforcement strategy. With this new strategy, gang enforcement deputies are better able to identify those individuals who are in the early stages of gang association and are intent on furthering their gang status. With this early identification and intervention, information provided to the District Attorney’s Office will aid them in bringing gang member enhancements to criminal charges and increase sentences. Through this strategy and community partnership programs, deputies hope to educate those heading toward a life in gangs to reconsider their future. Detectives will seek longer jail sentences for those who choose gangs in an effort to keep them off of our streets, out of our schools and away from our community.

Nearly finished is a newly updated Emergency Operations Center at the station. With the help of our community partners, the SCV Sheriff’s Foundation and our Search and Rescue team, we were able to equip and update our command center with the latest technology to assist deputies in effectively managing substantial incidents, emergencies, or natural disasters in our community.

Partnership in Crime Prevention – I want to thank each of you for your participation and support of local law enforcement. It is this true partnership in public safety that makes Santa Clarita such a great community.

Remember, keep those crime tips coming. This can be done anonymously through the Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers Web site at www.lacrimestoppers.org, by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or even via text by texting the letters TIPLA plus the crime tip to 274637 or CRIMES.

You can now receive news, events, information and alerts directly from the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station. Get detailed, up-to-date emails and text messages specific to our community directly from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department by registering for “Nixle” alerts at: www.nixle.com. Sign up for “LASD – Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.” The alerts and advisory text messages can also be received by simply texting SCVsheriff to 888777. (Standard text messaging rates may apply).

Best regards,

Captain Paul Becker
Chief of Police for the City of Santa Clarita

If you prefer to provide information ANONYMOUSLY, you can call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the web site http://lacrimestoppers.org.

Always verify the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station’s information and news releases by visiting our Web site at SCVSheriff, the city of Santa Clarita’s Web site at Santa-Clarita, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Web site at http://www.lasd.org/. Six other local news outlets are www.hometownstation.com/, http://www.the-signal.com/, www.scvtv.com/, www.scvtalk.com/, http://westranchbeacon.com/blog/ and www.santaclaritaguide.com/.

Receive emails and text messages direct from the LASD:
Get detailed, up-to-date emails and text messages specific to your community from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department by registering for “Nixle” alerts at: https://local.nixle.com/register/. Register for LASD – Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station. Or, for alerts and advisory text messages only, text SCVsheriff to 888777. (Standard text messaging rates may apply).

For full details, go to https://local.nixle.com/alert/3901133/?sub_id=320208.

Filed Under: Drugs and Alcohol, Parents Tagged With: , , , , ,

Vicodin

August 28, 2010 By

Among seniors in high school, Vicodin was the second drug with the most reported use, Marijuana being the first. Vicodin (AKA Vikes, Hydro, Lors, Norcs, and Watson-387, the imprint on the generic pill) is prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain, usually associated with cancer, surgery, or serious injury.

When this narcotic is used for a long time, your body may get used to them so that larger amounts are needed to relieve pain.  This is called tolerance to the medicine. Also, when narcotics are used for a long time or in large doses, they may become habit-forming (causing mental or physical dependence).  Physical dependence may lead to withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking the medicine.

What does it look like?

Most common: white, scored, oblong tablets, imprinted with “Vicodin,” “Vicodin ES,” or “Vicodin HP,” depending on dose. Other forms include capsules and a liquid sold under such trade names as Hycodan®, Lorcet®, Lortab®, Tussionex®, and Tylox®.

What side effects can this medication cause?

Side effects cannot be anticipated.  If any develop or change in intensity, inform your doctor as soon as possible. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking Vicodin.

Less Common:

  • Allergic reactions
  • Anxiety
  • Blood disorders
  • Constipation
  • Decreased mental and physical capability
  • Difficulty urinating
  • Drowsiness
  • Fear
  • Hearing loss
  • Itching
  • Mental clouding
  • Mood changes
  • Restlessness
  • Skin rash
  • Slowed breathing
  • Sluggishness

More Common:

  • Dizziness
  • Light-headedness
  • Nausea
  • Sedation
  • Vomiting

Symptoms of Overdose:

  • Blood disorders
  • Bluish tinge to skin
  • Cold and clammy skin
  • Extreme sleepiness progressing to a state of unresponsiveness or coma
  • General feeling of bodily discomfort
  • Heart problems
  • Heavy perspiration
  • Kidney problems
  • Limp muscles
  • Liver failure
  • Low blood pressure
  • Nausea
  • Slow heartbeat
  • Troubled or slowed breathing
  • Vomiting

Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine

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Soma

August 28, 2010 By

Soma is the brand name for a drug called Carisoprodol.  This drug is also known as DAN’s, D’s, Dance, and DAN5513. It is a muscle relaxant and is used with rest, physical therapy, and other measures to relax muscles and relieve pain and discomfort caused by strains, sprains, and other muscle injuries.

What does it look like?
Soma comes as a tablet to take by mouth.

What side effects can this medication cause?

  • drowsiness
  • dizziness
  • clumsiness
  • headache
  • fast heart rate
  • upset stomach
  • vomiting
  • skin rash

If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

  • difficulty breathing
  • fever
  • weakness
  • burning in the eyes

Symptoms of Soma overdose may include:

  • breathing difficulty
  • coma
  • shock
  • stupor

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Ritalin

August 28, 2010 By

Ritalin (AKA Kibles and bits, Pineapple), the trade name for methylphenidate, is a medication prescribed for children with an abnormally high level of activity or with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and is also occasionally prescribed for treating narcolepsy.   It stimulates the central nervous system, with effects similar to but less potent than amphetamines and more potent than caffeine.   Ritalin has a notably calming effect on hyperactive children and a “focusing” effect on those with ADHD.

When taken as prescribed, Ritalin is a valuable medicine. Further, research funded by the National Institute of Mental Health has shown that people with ADHD do not get addicted to their stimulant medications at treatment dosages. Because of its stimulant properties, however, in recent years there have been reports of its abuse by people for whom it is not a medication. These prescription tablets can create powerful stimulant effects and serious health risks when crushed and then snorted like cocaine, or injected like heroin.

What does it look like?
Ritalin is in pill or tablet form.

What are its short-term effects?

Ritalin (methylphenidate) is a central nervous system stimulant, similar to amphetamines in the nature and duration of its effects. It is believed that it works by activating the brain stem arousal system and cortex.   Pharmacologically, it works on the neurotransmitter dopamine, and in that respect resembles the stimulant characteristics of cocaine. Short-term effects can include nervousness and insomnia, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, palpitations, headaches, changes in heart rate and blood pressure (usually elevation of both, but occasionally depression), skin rashes and itching, abdominal pain, weight loss, and digestive problems, toxic psychosis, psychotic episodes, drug dependence syndrome, and severe depression upon withdrawal.

What are its long-term effects?

High doses of stimulants produce a predictable set of symptoms that include loss of appetite (may cause serious malnutrition), tremors and muscle twitching, fevers, convulsions, and headaches (may be severe), irregular heartbeat and respirations (may be profound and life threatening), anxiety, restlessness, paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions, excessive repetition of movements and meaningless tasks, and formicaton (sensation of bugs or worms crawling under the skin).

Source: Indiana Prevention Resource Center (IPRC)

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