Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 5, 1981)
Caviar or placebo: Is it worth it? By CAROLINE PETRICH Of Vw Cwratd Sometimes I think cocaine is bad for me — Then I stop thinking Cocaine t» Dave var Ron* Whiff toot blow snort coke — every cocaine sniffer has a name for the caviar of drugdom Jerry Beck, information specialist at the University s Drug Information Center calls co caine an active placebo "Unless you're doing a fairly large amount a good part of the high is the social setting Beck says At the doses commonly employed (by sniffers) the high tends to be fairly mild A lot of the high can De attributed to the user s expecta tions Beck says Cocaine a derivative alkaloid that comes from the coca plant indigenous to the South American Andes mountains stimulates the central nervous system This stimulation causes various physical effects — notably euphoria numbed nose and mouth and dilated pupils Methods to get high on cocaine vary Most users snort cocaine through their noses after it is cut into a fine powder with a razor according to Beck Others inject the drug into their veins One relatively new method of injection is called "free-basing Free-base is the part of the cocaine compund that is extracted with spe cialized krts bought from head shops It is then smoked However it gets there once the drug enters the bloodstream it stimulates the peripheral ner vous system that controls the major body organs responsible for arousal says Beck The drug s major interaction occurs in the brain Scientists hypothesize that cocaine inhibits the reabsorption of the hormone norepinephrine which the nerve endings release when stimulated — and which causes blood pressure to rise once it's back in the nerves The cocaine high lasts from 20 to 30 minutes if snorted If the coke is injected or mainlined the high may be more intense but won't last as long According to one user who has tried injection, You get high faster and you come down hard There are side effects to consider however Injecting anything intravenously — especially an illegal drug — is risky at best Given the state of the art and the random sampling of cuts available to every dealer through whose hands street-coke passes shooting up is a sucker move writes Robert Sabbag in Snowblmd a book chronicling the experiences of a cocaine dealer Even at S100 a gram cocaine consumers usually risk buying less than pure cocaine Beck estimates that most of the coke that comes to Eugene is "less than 50-percent pure ‘There is no way of knowing for sure he adds But we often find (when analyzing coke) that it contains four or five different chemicals The farther the coke travels the more impure it will be Beck says Dealers dilute or cut, " cocaine with various chemicals such as speed or mannite (an Italian laxative), or lactose (a milk sugar) and other additives Beck says Cocaine use in Eugene has become rampant in the past year according to Mike Wright of the Federal Drug Enforcement Center in Eugene ■ Cocaine is readily available to anyone who wants to buy it," Wright says Hospitals also are increasing their use of cocaine as a therapeutic drug Hospitals use cocaine as a topical anesthetic in nose throat and lamyx surgery according to Mark Miller of the Drug Information Center Cocaine causes veins to constrict and thereby decreases the amount of blood lost during an operation If one is arrested tor illegal possesion of the drug there is a good chance of going to jati for a Class B felony, Wright says For a first offense the violator can receive a five-year prison sentence and a $15 000 fine A second offense earns a 10-year prison term and a $30 000 fine Wright adds such heavy punish ments could do severe damage to a college •career Beck is more encouraging than Wright when he discusses courtroom diplomacy in cocaine related cases A violation involving any amount can be plea-bargained down to a misdemeanor he says But even that has its costs Simply put. If you get caught you spend many thousands of dollars in lawyers fees Beck says Beck also offered final advice to students interested in coke "I would tell students basically to educate themselves to know what they re doing and to evaluate the cost " he says I think a lot of students get into financial trouble because of coke " Photo by Erich Boekelheide ‘Lookalike ’ drugs pose dangers By RACHEL BELLAMY 04 (iMraM University students who buy street drugs to increase study time may not be getting the drugs they re paying for. warns Drug Information Center director Mark Miller Lookalikes, also known as pea shooters. are 100-percent legal drugs containing combinations of caffeine ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine — the same substances found in over-the counter stimulants decongestants and antihistamines - and are a growing problem in Lane County Miller says Miller says he will personally guarantee that today you can't find real amphetamines on the street — only lookalikes The nationwide lookalike boom began in the late 1970s in response to declining amphetamine production and has recently expanded to include phony coc aine and downers ” The most prevalent lookalikes in the Eugene area are black capsules known as black beauties yellow "704" capsules, cross-top capsules, pink hearts and speckled blue egg tablets. Miller says Lookalikes are almost identical to their real pharmaceutical counterparts The logo or company markings may be slightly different, but on a tiny capsule it takes a sharp and knowledgeable eye to detect the difference. Miller says The price difference is more evident. Miller says The over-the-counter price for the drug compostitions is 5 to 18 cents Miller says the street buyer may pay from 25 cents to $1 Most people are understandably a little upset" to learn they've purchased legal combinations of caffeine and phen ylpropanolamine, he says Just because the drugs are legal doesn t mean they're safe Miller warns Drugs are not classified as safe or dangerous." he says Miller says he’s more concerned about the drugs effects on the user's heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and the added risks for users with existing health problems Many people think if they've exper imented with drugs, they know the safety rules," but misrepresented drugs pose new problems, he says The lookalikes have an additive effect, and because people take drugs "until they feel it. they may be unaware of the exces sive amount of stimulants they're taking." he says Coffee, tea, chocolate, and even carbonated sodas contain caffeine that can intensify the reaction and side effects of the ingested drug, he adds Miller says reported reactions to the phony speed include strong headaches, nausea and vomiting What can be done legally about fradualent drug sales? Not much,'' says deputy district attorney Jim Hunt, supervisor of the Lane Interagency Narcotics Team The initial sale is not illegal, and "so long as the seller is properly represented" there is no violation It's after the drugs are broken down into street bags and sold as the real thing that misrepresentation oc curs If a person knew they were selling phony drugs, how do you prove that?" Hunt asks From a consumer's point of view, Hunt says there's no legal recourse The purchaser enters into a contract for contraband substances and there is "no way to enforce that as a legal contract " Until purchasers are better educated about drugs, the old adage of "buyer beware” applies, Hunt says I. DON’T SUP AWAY UNNOTICED... Place your Spring Fling at: 300 EMU, FMV Mam Desk, or l O Bookstore TURN YOUR BOOKS INTO CASH! BOOK BUYBACK STARTS MONDAY, JUNE 8 AND ENDS SATURDAY, JUNE 13. Cash for your textbooks: Our lists for both Summer and Fall terms are longer than ever before This means that students will be paid more for the textbooks they no longer need Have a good summer, and make it just a little better with the cash you can get by selling us those textbooks before leaving campus The best time to recycle them is during Finals Week when the friendly book buyers will again be here to help They will be on duty during our usual store hours Monday, June 8, through Saturday, June 13 UO BOOKSTORE 13th & Kincaid Mon-Fri 8:15-5:30 Sat 10:00-2:00 Textbooks 686-3520 • General Books 686-3510 • Supplies 686-4331 E.A. Mock & Sons Lincoln Mercury Announces A special Credit Program _for Graduating Seniors We want to make it easier for your to buy a new American-built fine car Ford Motor Credit Co , in cooperation with E A Mock, has designed a Credit plan to help you finance a new fuel efficient, low mamtenence Mercury Cougar, Capri. LN 7 Marquis, or Lincoln Continental Mark VI and Town Car You may qualify if • You have graduated in the last year or are four months from graduation and. • you have secured employment Before you make the move to your career, remember Oregon is one of the few states that has no sales tax and license and title are only $28 for two years a possible savings of hundreds of dollars Plus an APR of only 14 67% Stop by our showroom and talk to our representative for more information on low down payments and this special offer E.A. Mock & Sons MERCURY LINCOLN Conveniently located a few blocks west of campus at 17th and Willamette Since 1936 342-6161 r % Year End Calculator Close-out Sale! Whn% HEWLETT mLUM PACKARD HP-38E Financial Programmable Calculator reg. $114.95 NOW $97.88 HP-33E Scientific/ Statistical Calculator reg. $75.00 NOW $59.88 Sale ends Friday, June 12. 1 IfJ 13th & Kincaid Mon-Fri 8 15-5:30 BOOKSTORE Sat 10:00-2:00 Textbooks 686-3520 • General Books 686-3510 Supplies 686-4331
