CLARION
H
BC and Drugs
Several types of drugs can be found on campus...but
Brevard College, Brevard, N.C.
Thursday, March 31,1994
Volume 62 NumberS
so can help
by Casey Marshall
Clarion Co-Editor
Alcohol and other drugs seem to
have a large impact on most people’s
lives todny. They are in the news, on
television, in the classroom, and in the
work place.
A recent Gallup poll shows that in
the United States, college students are
the group with the greatest proportion
of drinkers. Substance abuse - the
misuse of illegal and legal drugs - is by
far the predominant cause of premature
and preventable illness, disability and
death in our society, especially among
college-age people.
Of course, Brevard College is not
exempt from these statistics. According
to Brevard College Vice-President for
Student Affairs Steve Martin, the use of
drugs and alcohol on campus has
increased in the last couple of years (of
course, much of the drug and alcohol
use is unreported, so it is difficult to
determine the exact extent of the
problem). The drugs on campus range
from illegal to legal drugs.
According to Martin, when a
student is found with a small amount of
any kind of drug, the drugs will be
confiscated, and the student will be
given a misdemeanor charge, be put on
social probation, receive 50 to 150
community hours to complete, a heavy
fine, and a letter will be sent to their
parents.
According to Martin and
anonymous students on campus, some
of the most common drugs, other than
alcohol, that are abused on campus
include amphetamines, marijuana,
hallucinogens, narcotics and Ritalin, a
type of prescription drug.
Drug abuse can affect a person’s
physical and emotional health and social
life. Specific hazards of drug abuse differ
from person to person, however.
Amphetamines, better known as
speed, have become the most commonly
used drug. They are an over-the-counter
drug and can be bought just about
anywhere.
and suffering harmful exhaustion, an
increase tolerance for the drug, and
physical and psychological dependence;
withdrawal from the drug can result in
suicidal depression. Continued high
doses can cause heart problems,
infections, malnutrition and even death.
Marijuana, another common drug
on campus, alters mood and perception.
/
photo illustration by Clarion Photography Editor Henry Stepp II
Some of the effects are increased heart
temperature,
lowered
Amphetamines speed up the action
of the central nervous system. The most
common types of speed are ephedrine,
white crosses, mini thins, and crystal
meth.
Some of the effects of any type of
speed are increased heart rate and blood
pressure, loss of appetite, increased
activity, feeling of alertness, self-
confidence sometimes followed by
depression, hallucinations, paranoia, and
temporary mental derangement as a
result of heavy doses.
The hazards of the abuse of speed
include going beyond physical limits
stimulated appetite, loss of
coordination, feeling of well-being,
confusion, distortion of reality and
sometimes depression. Large doses may
sometimes cause hallucinations.
The hazards of smoking marijuana
over the long term include an increase in
tolerance for the drug and psychological
dependence. Overdoses may cause
paranoia and a psychosis-like state.
Effects of long-term use are still being
studied. Long-term heavy use is
associated with chronic lung disease and
possibly lung cancer.
Marijuana is one of the few drugs
that is being used for medical resources.
Researchers experimenting with
marijuana found it reduces eye pressure
in glaucoma patients, and it is also used
to control the side effects of cancer,
chemotherapy, etc.
Hallucinogens, such as Lysergic
Acid Diethylamide (LSD) or
mushrooms, have been around since the
mid-60s, but in the most recent years
have made a comeback.
Increased heart rate, blood pressure,
and irregular breathing are some of the
effects of taking these hallucinogens.
The most common effects are euphoria,
loss of ability to separate fact from
fantasy, distortion of senses,
hallucinations, paranoia, panic and
violent moods.
The hazards using hallucinogens
include an increase in tolerance that
develops quickly and an increased risk of
birth defects in the user’s children.
Effects may recur days, week, may^
even years later (know as flashbacks ),
even without further use of LSD. Death
could result from overdose, or even
more commonly suicide or accident.
Narcotics, another type of drug that
can be found on campus, lower the
perception of pain. Codeine and any
other type of pain killer are also found
on campus. Shallow breathing, reduced
hunger, reduced thirst, reduced sex drive,
drowsiness, euphoria, lethargy,
heaviness of limbs, apathy, loss of
ability to concentrate, loss of judgment
and self-control are some of the effects
of these drugs.
The hazards of using narcotics
include an increased tolerance for the
(See Drugs on Page 12)
ui piCdV^lipUUIl UiUg.
The rewards for good study
habits are good grades
as volunteers also help. Here are a few
tips on keeping good study habits
by Darren Kaye
Clarion Staff Writer
Students at Brevard College have
many different ways of preparing for
their classes and tests. If a student has
good study habits, then a rewarding
college career is very possible.
Brevard students are lucky because
in addition to the library, math and
writing labs are open to tutor students
and refine their skills. The math lab has
a teacher on duty and students working
1. Study in groups. This helps
because it allows students to leam from
and teach each other. It also of ers a
different perspective on the subject
2. Don’t cram. Trying to pull an
“all nighter” just doesn’t work. By the
time the test comes around you are too
tired and your brain is fatigued from lack
3. Keep a set schedule. If a certain
time is set each night for studying, it
becomes routine and easy.
In This lssue.._.
#
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Students Inducted
Into PTK
•
page 7
Letters To The Editor
#
Money Manogement
pages 3 & 4
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For Students
Campus Life
•
pages
page 5
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international Focus
•
Otivierl Says
♦
•
•
page 9
Goodbye To dC
page 7
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♦
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