Experts Give Parents The Real Dope On Drugs

By Larissa Lytwyn

Newtown Police Detective Sergeant Robert Tvardzik and Youth Officer Dana Schubert presented information on the types of drugs being used in and around Newtown during Parent Connection’s second forum October 22.

Despite being held on the same evening as the fourth game of the World Series and a debate between first selectman candidates, about 150 parents, some bringing their children, came to support Parent Connection’s dedication to raising drug awareness in Newtown.

“Connecticut has the dubious distinction of having the highest rates of heroin use in New England,” said moderator John Hamilton, senior vice president of LMG Programs, a Connecticut substance abuse agency based in Bridgeport. Mr Hamilton said the sobering statistics on heroin use was discussed during the recent New England Governors’ Summit on Drugs in Boston.

“Heroin has been the top drug of choice that we’ve seen in our offices,” Mr Hamilton noted.

“Unlike the heroin of the 1970s, heroin now has a purity that is 90 percent pure,” Mr Schubert said, explaining its appeal. “Users can get high by sniffing or snorting it as quickly as through injection. And the cost has gone down considerably.”

Heroin can now be purchased for as little as $10 a bag, which contains about one gram of the substance. Marijuana, in contrast, costs between $75 and $100. Sinsemilla, derived from the unpollinated female cannabis plant, can cost as much as $600. Like heroin and virtually every other “classic” drug that has been out there a long time, said Mr Schubert, marijuana is considerably more potent today than it was 30 years ago.

Tracking the drug problem in Newtown can be considerably difficult, said Mr Schubert. “Kids are smart,” he said ruefully. “They don’t talk.”

GHB, a powerful depressant described as one of the leading “date rape” drugs, has been used in the area both recreationally and as a method to drug and rape women. “Even the savviest women who won’t leave their drink unattended can have GHB slipped to them,” said Mr Hamilton. “Now there is some talk that the bartenders themselves may put GHB into drinks.” GHB is colorless, odorless, and tasteless when dissolved into a beverage as pure as water. Mr Schubert mentioned one incident in which a student was taken to police after exhibiting drunklike behavior at a bus stop.

“It turns out the water in their water bottle tested positive for GHB,” said Mr Schubert.

While heroin, “club drugs” such as ecstasy, and GHB are around the area, Mr Schubert said his deepest concern lies in alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drug abuse.

While alcohol and tobacco use among regional eighth graders are lower than the national average, the degree of use increases substantially by the time students are high school seniors.

“Clean out your medicine cabinets tonight,” Mr Schubert advised parents. “Throw out any medications that are old, that you aren’t using anymore. It’s easier to track the use of these substances than it is [the harder drugs].”

Mr Hamilton warned parents about the increasing sophistication of teen substance abusers using the Internet to purchase or learn how to make drugs.

“Google has 250 sites on obtaining prescription drugs,” he said. “There are 92 sites, including chat rooms, that leads teens to purchase or grow marijuana. There are 20 sites on how to get opium poppies.”

One parent asked how the teens could purchase the drugs without being caught. “Do they use their parents’ credit card?” she asked. “How can they do this without being tracked?”

Mr Hamilton replied that many of these sites have links to financial outfits, including Western Union, that allows the purchaser to buy the substances anonymously. “Today’s kids are very sophisticated,” Mr Hamilton said.

One of the most notorious prescription drugs being abused is OxyContin, a powerful painkiller. “OxyContin has gotten a really bad rap [from the press],” said Mr Schubert.

Two representatives from Purdue Pharma, OxyContin’s manufacturer, were in attendance included neurologist Sherrie Siegel. “My background involves treating patients with chronic pain, such as chronic headaches,” she said. “OxyContin is a [time-released] drug in the Oxycodone family, which includes Percodan and Percoset. OxyContin is strictly prescribed for sufferers of ongoing, around-the-clock pain.”

Another frequently abused medication is Ritalin, prescribed for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). College students cramming for an exam often use it recreationally, said Mr Schubert. OxyContin and Ritalin have a street value of about $3 to $15 per tablet.

Open communication between family members and awareness about the types and costs of various substances are key to combating Newtown’s drug problems, advised Mr Schubert.

For more information about Parent Connection, contact Dorrie Carolan at 426-6424 or 426-8591. Visit LMG Programs at www.lmgprograms.org.