Background

HI! This is RAFA2008 signing in. I have been sent on a mission to find out various things about drugs and in specific LSD. It will be a long and dangerous mission, but if I come out successful, I will definitely be promoted to the best. I will be testing you in the end, so pay attention!

Good Luck, to both you and I!

What parts of your brain are affected by your drug?

The three main parts of the brain that are affected by LSD are:

• Medulla
  
• Pons
  
• Brain Stem

However other affected parts, depending on the amount of LSD taken are on the picture at the top. These are the parts of your brain that control your senses. Having LSD can make you HEAR COLORS or make you SEE SOUND etc.

Why do people abuse Drugs?

Drug Abuse is the repeated use of drugs used to abolish stress, produce pleasure or to alter reality (Oxford Dictionary).

People abuse drugs for many reasons. Some of the more common ones are: Peer pressure, they think they are immune to the effects of drugs or they are stressed about something and they take it.

Addiction - All you need to know

Addiction is the condition of doing the same thing repeatedly (Oxford Dictionary). This means that people take the drug over and over again, due to its addictive qualities. People become addicted when friends, peer pressure them into taking the drug and they like it, or if they want to 'experiment', and they like it. Addiction is almost like a disease, because anything in quantity is bad for your body and can lead to negative long term effects in the future.

Categories of Drugs

There are 7 categories of Drugs. They are:

• CNS Depressants
  
• Inhalents
  
• Phencyclidines (PCP)
  
• Cannabis
  
• CNS Stimulants
  
• Hallucinogens
  
• Narcotics

What Drug are you Researching?

I am researching Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, more commonly knows as LSD

Street Names

• Acid


• Blotter


• Cheers


• Dots


• Drop


• Flash


• Hawk


• L


• Lightening Flash


• Liquid Acid


• Lucy


• Micro Dot Paper


• Rainbows


• Smilies


• Tab


• Tripper


• Window

LSD can also be known by the pictures on them eg. Strawberry

How is the Drug Taken?

Due to the fact that it is a street drug, it is usually sold as tiny squares of paper with pictures on them. However it can also be found as a liquid or as tiny tablets.

Addictive?

There are no addictive qualities of LSD known.

Stimulant or Depressant

LSD is neither a stimulant nor a depressant. It is a hallucinogen.

Brief History of the Drug

LSD was created in 1938 by a scientist called Dr. Albert Hofmann. He was a scientist working in Switzerland. It was first developed as a circulatory and respiratory stimulant. In the 1940's scientists used this drug for studying mental illness. It went on the market in 1947. It was said to cure: criminal behavior, sexual perversions and alcoholism. In 1950 over 1000 new hallucinogen drugs were created. LSD was legal until the late 1960's when people reported of having 'bad trips', flashbacks and having LSD high. Scientists classified as a class A drug in the 1980's, and it is know known as one of the worst hallucinogens in the world.

For Further Information go to - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7OnwVr8pm8

Medical Use

LSD does have some medical properties. It is used to cure people who have HEROIN, OPIUM, ALCOHOL and SEDATIVE addiction. They are also using LSD, to relieve cancer patients of their pain. However the quantities used are very limited, and people who take LSD for recreational or abusive use are still harming their bodies and brain.

Effects and Price

• Short Term Effects - perception of objects are distorted, no sense time, hallucinations, senses become more aware (sight, small and sound), emotions change also known as mood swings. Also the physical effects are: dilated pupils, lowered body temperature, nausea, vomiting, profuse sweating, rapid heart rate.
  
  
• Long Term Effetcs - growing tolerance to the drug, but that goes away, if you keep using it, flashbacks and prolonged anxiety. The physical long term effects are not known. However, if used on a regular basis, can lead to death.
  


• Side Effetcs - changes ion mood, high risk of epileptic fits, increased sociability or decreased sociability (depending on the type of trip that you have)
  
  
• Withdrawal Effetcs - inability to sleep, anxiety, nausea, mental confusion and after high doses even fits.
  
  
• Price of the Drug - LSD blotter paper can cost from Rp 50,000 - Rp 100,000. For liquid or tablet form it is only slightly more expensive, ranging from Rp 70,000 - Rp 250,000. However this form is much harder to find.

Statistics about LSD

• LSD leads to around 5000 emergencies every year
  
• 11% of all high school students in the US have and constantly use LSD
  
• The graph on the top shows the percentage of LSD users in Britain
  
• 2700 deaths per year occur due to LSD

Crime and Punishment

LSD is a class A drug, which means it, is illegal to use or sell. Having possession of it, can lead to 7 years in jail. Giving LSD to someone can lead to life imprisonment with an unlimited fine, or death. Also you can be refused to get a visa into some countries. (Crime in Singapore)

Drug Abuser, Drug Misuser and Recreational Drug User

Drug Abuser:

This person is a male. He works in a low class job (toilet cleaner). He cleans the public toilets in Pondok Indah Mall 1. He is Chinese who likes watching other peoples misery. He is not wealthy. At school, he would not be in any hut, he would be in the area behind the big gym, sitting by himself, taking the drug. He has a VERY low self esteem, and cannot concentrate in class. He also makes the classroom have a bad and depressing environment. He suffers from diaphoria. Long, grey hair. Ungroomed with very short nails, due to the constant biting. Bright red eyes, with dark circles under their eyes. His clothes are almost rags, and his manners are horrible. He is constantly looking at their drug, and keep talking and taking it. His skin is rough and they don't shower, so they smell.

Drug Misuser:

Looks normal, tall, blond hair with good dress sense. He has a healthy income from his job as the Vice President in HSBC. He is an American from Florida. He has a high self esteem and is loved by friends and family. He is euphoric, and has a high tolerance for people who do bad. However, he is a little on the quiet side and doesn't like to socialize with many people. He spends a lot of time in his room, and doesn't appreciate good things. When he was at school, he hung out in the 'popular' hut and had many girlfriends.

Recreational Drug User:

She is a female, who likes to party. She used to hang out in the 'semi-popular' hut. She is Indonesian/American. She has a good self-esteem. Her parents are wealthy, but she takes advantage of that, to go out and HAVE FUN. She doesn't work; she is a house wife, married to a man who has a wealthy background. She has two kids, but she constantly neglects them to go out and party. She likes fried and fast food. She experiences withdrawal symptoms all the time, due to the fact that she uses drugs on a regular basis, but only socially.

Physical or Psychological?

These people are psychologically addicted to the drug. This is because LSD has no addictive qualtities but their mind is constantly telling them they need more and more. Also they experience symptoms which are unhappy after the high, so they feel as though the only way they can feel better is by taking the drug.

What are the schools policy about drug abuse?

1. 4 days suspension, 6 counselling sessions from an outside counsellor and the Indonesian Authorities must be informed.
   
   


2. Recommended Expulsion

Students are caught + What are the Consequences

Students are usually caught selling or using drugs from drug tests, teachers seeing them take unusual substances, bad behaviour and lack of concentration in class and/or the student behaves wierdly around peers. The teacher is then recommended to take the student to the principle and futher consequences will follow, depending on the significance of the act reported.

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds - By The Beatles

Picture yourself in a boat on a river,

With tangerine trees and marmalade skies

Somebody calls you,

you answer quite slowly,

A girl with kaleidoscope eyes.

Cellophane flowers of yellow and green,

Towering over your head.

Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes,

And she's gone.

Lucy in the sky with diamonds

Lucy in the sky with diamonds

Lucy in the sky with diamonds

Ah... Ah...

Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain

Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies,

Everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers,

That grow so incredibly high.

Newspaper taxis appear on the shore,

Waiting to take you away.

Climb in the back with your head in the clouds,

And you're gone.

Picture yourself on a train in a station,

With plasticine porters with looking glass ties,

Suddenly someone is there at the turnstile,

The girl with kaleidoscope eyes.

To listen to the music video go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmjuNxoEPBM or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-yy2URAYqU

Ads about LSD

Here is an ad on LSD - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KhZBduJV28


Here is a picture of of the front cover of an LSD book:

















Here is an ad on LSD:

Stress Free Endorphins

The three of my own stress relief activities are:

• playing tennis and wacking the ball really hard
• strumming the guitar really hard
• scribbling on a piece of paper, till the paper rips.

These three ways stimulate my endorphins without the use of any drug.

The Family and the Community

What would happen to the family?

The family might have internal problems and parents might file a divorce. There will be a shortage of money, because the person taking the drugs will constantly ask for money. Also they might be isolated from friends and other family members. Also the cost of medical care and the paper work is someone dies. These are the major consequences that would happen to a family is someone was taking drugs.

How would your family deal with the individual?

The family can deal with the individual in many ways. Firstly they can ignore them or consult a professional. They could also pay for them to go to a rehab center. They could confine them to the house, or in some extreme cases, they could even disown the child. However, this could cause a change in the perspective and emotions the family feels about that particular person. The individual however, must be willing to cooperate, otherwise confronting them might be hard, and the consequences severe.

How would this effect the community?

People won’t want to mix with the family and your friend’s perspective about you would change. Also friends can be influenced by your actions, so the cycle starts again.

Combat Drug Addiction - With a script

Person 1 – drug user
Person 2 – trying to help

Person 1: Hey can you please help me, I’m in a really sticky situation?

Person 2: Yeah! Sure, what is it?

Person 1: I have been taking crack and I want to stop, but I can’t! I really need help! What can I do?????

Person 2: Well, this is a tough one. I have read there are two ways to cure your drug addiction. 1 method is quite easy, but may not be 100% effective, the other, is expensive, but is aroud 99% effective.

Person 1: Ok cut to the chase! What are the two methods?

Person 2: Ok the easy method is:

Consult your parents, tell them your problems and hopefully they will understand.
Then they could seek the help of a counseller who will give you regular sessions.
However, the family and the counseller will have to trust you, not to be taking drugs over this time.

The second method is:

Get enrolled into a drug rehabilitation center. There, you will undergo, various tests, and experience some of your worst memories, but it is as I told you 99% effective.
Firstly you will undergo detoxification, where they will show you horrible and ugly pictures and various other things, which will hurt you.
Then you will undergo social education where they will teach you right from wrong, and tell you what to do if peer pressured into taking drugs.

Person 1: Gee Thanks! WOW, I hope I can get cured of this nasty habit. I owe you!

Some websites you can visit are:
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060213090600.htm

www.coe.int/T/dg3/pompidou/

Help a drug abuser who doesn't want to quit

To get the person to stop taking these illegal substances, the 1st thing and most important thing they have to do is to admit they have a problem. If they cannot do that, then they cannot stop their problem.

After you get them to admit they have a problem, you can follow the steps from the previous question.

Movie Central

Here are two very interesting movies about LSD:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSmu_JDtzVM – effects of LSD, in a comedy style

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSaPFJYOsnE – LSD in a drama/documentary style

Quitting Habits and What I Learnt

My favourite thing in life is probably playing on my laptop. If someone took my laptop away, I would probably be distraught for many days, but I would finally get over the pain and find other means of accessing the internet, but I know that my privacy and free space is all gone.

This project tells us that quitting drugs and trying to recover is not all that different than being deprived of your favourite items. It is a long and painful process, and the effects can be dangerous. I believe that everyone should have this experience and can relate to it.

Local Orgnaizations and Contact Numbers

There is an Indonesian Drug Rehabilitation center which can be reached at:
( 021 ) 7394762 / 7394769



The address for this place is:
Jl. Hang Lekir II No. 16 Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan.

For further information you should go to this website: http://id.88db.com/id/Services/Post_Detail.page/health_medical/Rehabilitation/?PostID=89610&lang=en-us

Here are some books which you can buy that will help you:

• LSD - Mary, Anne (Looks at the history of LSD and its effetcs and both physical and social)
  
• Mind Drugs - Hyde, Margret O. (Shows the authorities point of view on the Hallucinogens, and alternatives)
  
• Hallucinogens - Hurwitz, Ann (Talks about all the Hallucinogen Drugs and their dangers)
  
• Anna's Story - Donaghy, Bronwyn (This is a fiction book about a girl that takes LSD)

Quiz:

Here is a 10 question quiz to see whether you have been paying attention or not:

1. Name three of the short term effects of LSD?

2. What type of drug is LSD? Name the class as well

3. What year was LSD first created?

4. Selling LSD results in a fine and jail sentence?

5. Is LSD an addictive Drug?

6. What is the percentage of high school students that use LSD?

7. What ways can LSD be taken?

8. What is the price of LSD in blotter paper form?

9. Name 1 medical use for LSD?

10. Name 2 street names for LSD?