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The Ins and Outs of Drugs
SPECIAL REPORT f
| ' |
IRACJCIS BACK!
■ OUR OPINION:
Reports that drug
abuse is
increasing among
college students
fail to show the
overall trends in
drug use for
young people
(Ccs/asyj'sin.)
It doesn’t take much to get
people worried about teenage
drug use. A new survey re
porting drug arrests on col
lege campuses are on the rise has
people once again fearful that to
day’s scholars will be tomorrow’s
junkies. While the increase in ar
rests doesn’t necessarily mean an
increase in drug use, the news fur
ther justified the idea that drug use
is reaching epidemic levels among
young people.
It’s hard to ignore the devastat
ing effects drugs can have on
young people, but in many ways,
the hysteria over drug use at col
lege campuses has been sensation
alized. Even though drugs are a
problem for many young people,
to see this as a new problem is to
misunderstand the problem itself.
Drug use at college campuses,
and elsewhere for that matter, is
cyclical. A drug hits the streets, be
comes popular, gets abused until
people see the problems it causes
firsthand and then fades out of
popularity. And much like fashion
trends, drugs that have gone out of
style often come back into popu
larity once people have forgotten
the dangers associated with them.
For instance, marijuana rose in
popularity in the ’60s only to all
but disappear in the ’70s. Now, in
the late '80s and ’90s, reports show
marijuana use is on the rise again.
Similarly, heroin, speed and ecsta
sy have all returned to popularity
at certain times after disappearing
from the public spotlight.
The problem isn’t that drug use
is increasing over time. In fact,
most numbers confirm that drug
use among the youth has remained
fairly constant over the years.
When statistics show heroin use is
increasing among a certain sector
of the population, they usually fail
to mention that before heroin use
was on the rise, it had declined for
CHRIS HUTCHINSON/Emerald
a number of years.
The real problem with drugs in
our culture is not increasing abuse
— it’s forgetfulness. The lessons
learned from abusing a drug are
too quickly forgotten as a new gen
eration of users must relearn the
painful lessons their elders already
discovered.
The media also often forget that
drug abuse among the young is
nothing new. By only focusing on
when use of a particular drug in
creases and failing to mention that
overall drug use hasn’t increased
significantly over the years, a false
picture of the drug problem is
painted.
Instead of focusing on what’s go
ing on with drug use now, we
should look at what has happened
with drug use throughout the past.
By looking at the big picture,
maybe we can finally learn from
our mistakes and move on to a
more sober future.
This editorial represents the opin
ion of the Emerald editorial board.
WINNERS
Duncan McDonald
The dean of the jour
nalism school will be
promoted to Vice
President of University
Public Affairs and De
velopment on May1.
University of Arizona
The Wildcats underdog
men’s basketball team
won the national title on
Monday night.
Dave Frohnmayer
The University presi
dent will most likely
enjoy a $40,000 raise,
thanks to Nike CEO
Phil Knight.
Portland Trailblazers
The team has won 14 of its last 16 games
as of Aprill
tuns
Cable companies
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that
cable operators must air all local station
broadcasts if so asked.
Navajos
Navajo families in Arizona face leases, reli
gious permits and other restrictions if they
stay on Hopi tribal land.
Cross supporters
A U.S. court ruled Monday that the Skinner
Butte cross must be removed by June 15,
possibly marking the last court decision on
the subject.
The Academy
The motion picture academy behind the Os
cars is hurting after a record-low television
viewer turnout at last week’s show.
Letters
pslicf
The Oregon Dai
ly Emerald will at
tempt to print all
letters containing
comments on top
ics of interest to
the University
community.
Letters to the
editor must be
typed, double
spaced and in
clude the author’s
name, signature,
and phone num
ber. The identifica
tion of the writer
must be verified
when the letter is
submitted.
Letters must be
limited to 250
words or less. The
Emerald reserves
the right to edit any
letter for length,
clarity, grammar
or style.
LETTERS
Drug denial
The state of arrogance complicated
with ignorance and fortified with
blind bias seems Mr. Joe Renaud’s
[ODE, March 4) mental crutch, as
well as “sixties denial.”
He states that “the LSD experience
can be quite pleasant and spiritually
beneficial.” What a bunch of “sixties
mentality” crap.
Renaud may use street drugs and
think he’s reaching Nirvana, but with
any mind altering chemical, percep
tion is drug-effected. So please call a
spade a spade.
Renaud also states that the police
officer “offers no evidence” that there
is a problem on campus. Well, guess
what happens when you mix
stressed out immature students with
any mind altering drug? There is a
problem.
One only has to read the Emerald
campus crime report. Three-quarters
of the complaints and/or arrests are
alcohol- and other drug-related.
A drug-induced mind believes it
has freedom of choice when it abuses
any drug. Like acid over meth; alco
hol over pot. Actually, that’s called
denial. Anyone who uses an illegal
drug is considered to be an abuser...
at least. If one is under the legal
drinking age, they are a drug abuser if
they are drinking.
Their denial dictates that the drug
they are using is okay because their
drug is not as bad as nicotine... or
whatever. Or even how a drug is in
gested (i.e. snorting is okay over in
jecting).
The next time Mr. Renaud decides
to use LSD, may I suggest administer
ing it as a suppository.
Colin Campbell
Counseling Services
Lend a hand
The National Student Campaign
Against Hunger and Homelessness
(NCAHH) is planning a state-wide
Hunger Cleanup on April 12. The
event is sponsored by OSPIRG and
endorsed by president Dave Frohn
mayer, several members of the city
council, our local State Representa
tives and many others.
We are working to build a strong
coalition to address the problem of
hunger and homelessness. In addi
tion, we encourage Emerald readers
to take a few hours this month to
make a difference by participating in
the Hunger Cleanup.
On April 12, we will go to sites
such as Food and Lane County, Lane
Shelter Care and Saint Vincent De
Paul to do community service. You
can care and share by making dona
tions or offering part of your time.
Donations are given to local, national
and international hunger relief agen
cies.
Just a little contribution from you
makes a great difference in someone’s
life. Don’t you want to lend a hand?
I’m sure you do.
Therefore, come by the OSPIRG of
fice in Suite 1 of the EMU or sign up
at our information booths, if avail
able, in Hamilton and Carson.
Laynah Tan
Psychology
Tax fairness in Oregon
I was born and raised in Oregon
and have lived here all my life. I have
never seen such an attack on the peo
ple. Public services are getting less
and less, and the tax structure is get
ting more and more unbalanced.
The people are paying more and
corporations are paying less. We have
heard lie after lie. They told us Mea
sure 5 would make rent go down, or
if you’re a home owner, taxes would
become smaller. Has that happened?
Indeed not!
The truth is big business is getting
all the benefits and we, as workers
and ordinary citizens, are losing
ground. Our schools are becoming a
very big problem. We are giving our
children the message that they are
not valued and are not important.
There are students in our school
system who do not have text books
because there are not enough to go
around and not enough money to get
more. Higher education is getting in
creasingly difficult to afford because
of budget cuts.
Public services are starting to slow
ly disappear. One child in five goes
to bed hungry. Measure 47 is said to
be good for Oregon. It is already start
ing to show its true colors. Another
big lie!
Sue Bettin
Eugene