Pubdate: Mon, 14 Nov 2005
Source: Daily Mississippian (U of MS Edu)
Copyright: 2005 The Daily Mississippian
Contact:  http://www.thedmonline.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1345

JUST SAY, " NO! "

Our View -Education may be the best way to prevent in cocaine abuse 
in our area.

The bubble of Oxford may not be as impenetrable as we all once thought it was.

The sharp increase of cocaine seizures in Lafayette County (from 
177.1 grams in 2004 to 590.6 in 2005) suggests that the use and abuse 
of hard drugs is no longer reserved for the harsh life of the 
impoverished in the inner sectors of large cities. Even the more 
well-off parts of small-town Mississippi cannot escape the clutches 
of hard-drug abuse such as that of cocaine.

Compared to alcohol and marijuana, the physiological effects of 
cocaine are more serious and can result in death from cardiac arrest 
or seizures followed by respiratory arrest.

Mixing cocaine and alcohol, probably a more common practice among 
college students, is even more dangerous and increases the risk of 
sudden death.

This increase in cocaine use is unacceptable, but how to deal with it 
is a little more fuzzy. Especially since Lafayette County is so 
spread out, with many rural areas beyond the city limits of Oxford, 
it would be difficult for the government to implement any type of 
efficient enforcement of anti-drug laws.

Perhaps the best method of prevention is education. If people are 
sufficiently educated from a young age about the dangers of cocaine, 
it is arguable that the amount of use would drop.

If users knew that cocaine abuse can lead to disturbances in heart 
rhythm and heart attacks, respiratory failure, stroke, seizures, 
abdominal pain and nausea they would think twice about snorting or shooting up.

Or maybe it would take the knowledge that one might inadvertently 
experience muscle spasms, convulsions and blurred vision after use. 
On rare occasions, a person can die suddenly upon first use of the 
drug. Nosebleeds and problems swallowing are not uncommon among those 
who snort cocaine, and more drug-related deaths result from the 
combination of cocaine and alcohol than any other drug combo 
(www.whitehousedrugpolicy.org).

The more people know about this drug, the more they can use their 
knowledge to combat against its use in our area. Just say, " NO! "
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman