THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC

By Trishna Buch
Opioid addiction is a disease. It changes the chemistry of
the brain causing the user to require increasingly larger
dosages to achieve the same effect. Misuse of prescription
opioids and heroin affects more than 2 million Americans
and an estimated 15 million people worldwide each
year. The prevalence of opioid misuse and addiction is
rapidly increasing.
In 2016, more than 20,000 deaths in the United States
were caused by an overdose of prescription opioids, and
another 13,000 deaths resulted from heroin overdose.
Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death in
U.S. adults under age 50, and opioids account for more
than half of all drug overdose deaths.
Marti Watts, Community Outreach Officer at the University
Of Houston-Clear Lake Police Department is an
expert in the area of alcohol and drug abuse and spends
much of her time at area schools presenting a program
entitled “Disturbing Trends in Alcohol and Drug Use.” The
presentation is specifically put together to discuss these
trends in high-school seniors, as there are a disturbing
number of high-school students being impacted by these
substances.
“The program is certified through TxDOT” Watts told
me. “I found it important to go out and speak to people
about these trends, because statistics of drug use in Texas
high-school seniors is very close to the national average.”
Watts further explained this point by telling me that
“the national average for alcohol use is 66 percent and
for Texas high-school
seniors is 64.3 percent.”
She also told me the national
average for marijuana
use is 44.7 percent,
while the average
for Texas high-school
seniors is 38.2 percent.
“There are so many
trends nowadays that
allows these teenagers
to get hold of these
substances,” Watts told
me. These trends were
all discussed in the presentation
and can be
researched online—for
anyone who is interested
in learning more
about how exactly these trends work.
The first trend Watts told me about was the one regarding
tampons soaked in vodka. “They will dip the tampon
in the vodka and insert it.” Watts told me. By using this
method, the vodka goes straight into the bloodstream
and “the effects show up much faster, as there is no interference
from other substances in the body—such as
food—which is a possibility when it is taken by mouth,”
Watts said.
The second trend is known as drunk bears
and drunk worms. Put in simplest terms, these
are gummi bears and gummi worms that are
soaked in vodka. The vodka is absorbed by
the candies and these young people can take
them to school and eat them, without anyone
being any the wiser. “Although they do
expand when soaked with the alcohol, they
look the same as normal gummi candies so
they can eat them without raising any suspicion,”
Watts told me. And this fact of not raising
suspicion is extremely dangerous, as one
gummi bear or gummi worm can soak up to
one ounce of liquor. “So eating one gummi
bear or gummi worm is the equivalent of taking
a shot.”
Other trends that Watts told me about are
very similar to the gummi bear and gummi
worm trend. She told me that the young people
will soak candies, like Skittles, in Vodka or they will
cut up fruit and dip those in vodka. Since the alcohol is
absorbed by the fruit and candy—like in the case of the
gummi candies—these foods can be taken to schools
and eaten without any issues on the part of the students.
The last trend Watts told me about is known as Palcohol.
Palcohol is powdered alcohol that, like the aforementioned
trends, can be utilized by individuals who want to
take these substances but don’t want others to know.
“The powder can be poured into water and mixed in, and
it’s just like having real alcohol,” Watts told me.
It is important to note that all of these trends are not
necessarily only used by high-school seniors. These are
well-known trends, which have been around for years,
and can be utilized by people of any age. However, Watts’
presentation was specifically to inform of these trends
in young people—high-school seniors particularly—because
of the sheer amount of young people getting hold
of and taking these substances.
When asked, Watts told me that most young people
take these substances as a result of peer pressure and
media exposure. “What these kids see on television, is
that taking these substances is cool,” Watts said. She
went on to advise all parents to keep an eye on their
children and look for any changes in behavior, personality
and actions. “Look at their internet history, as you
can learn a lot based on the things they are looking up.”
She also said that parents
shouldn’t shy away from occasionally
checking their
child’s backpack, just to
make sure they aren’t hiding
anything in there.
Watts has been working
at UHCL PD for the past two
years. Before this job, she
was a DARE deputy. In this
position, her job involved
talking to elementary, middle
and high-school students
about the dangers of drug
and alcohol use.
If you would like more information
about any of these
trends, please contact Officer
Watts at watts@uhcl.edu.