Pubdate: Sun, 21 May 2006 Source: South End, The (MI Edu) Copyright: 2006 The South End Newspaper. Contact: http://www.southend.wayne.edu/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2932 Author: Meghana Keshavan Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) OVERDOSE DEATH STUNS CAMPUS WSU Offers Help, But Few Take It The recent increase in drug-related fatalities hits so close to home that one must wonder why they are occurring in the first place. And furthermore, what kind of an impact do they have on college students? A WSU janitor discovered early last Wednesday the body of a man who died from an apparent drug overdose, in a bathroom in the Life Sciences building. Though his identity has yet to be released, the man, in his twenties, was found with a stash of needles on his person. Within the next few days, 12 drug overdoses were reported in and around Detroit - caused by drugs like heroin, cocaine and fentanyl, a powerful anesthetic. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the highly potent drug is most commonly administered intravenously - that is, with a needle. The news of the on-campus overdose came as a shock to many WSU students - because it seems that, to many, hardcore drug use isn't a commonplace activity in a college environment. "You always hear about marijuana - but rarely anything harder than that," said Brittany Brown, a junior at WSU. "I was so shocked about the entire thing - how they got it, why they had it on campus. I figure, if you're going to do drugs, why do it at school? Why there, of all places?" According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, over half the population between the ages of 18-25 have participated in some form of illicit drug use. And a 2003 survey by the U.S. Department of Justice indicated that 5.4% of college-goers used cocaine within the past year - a number which has more than doubled since the previous decade. The Wayne State University Police Department doesn't have any accessible statistics on the frequency of drug use in the student body. There are, however, university-sponsored facilities provided for students who may need help. The most immediate resource is Wayne's State Counseling and Psychological Services N located on the fifth floor of the Student Center. CAPS is a confidential service that provides therapy and support for students who need it. "We do have students come in here with drug problems," said Dr. Jan Collins-Eaglin, director of CAPS. "However, it's a very small number, because we don't have a substance abuse program." CAPS instead refers students to external services, such as the University Psychiatric Center's Substance Abuse Program. However, Gary Rhodes, the program director, said "We don't treat any students now. The people we treat are suffering with severe opiate addictions - - such as heroin or cocaine." The lack of students in treatment may be positive news, but it doesn't include the occasional few that fall through the cracks. After all, quite often, those who are in treatment have already taken the initiative to help themselves. "When an individual goes into treatment, they may have begun to recognize that chemical use is interfering with certain aspects of their lives," said Rocco Marciano, director of clinical programs at UPC Jefferson. Reaching out to those who show suspicious behaviors is probably the best way in which to prevent the tragedies such as those that occurred in the last week. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman