This material is supplied as a public service by the Topeka Police Department. Questions or comment can be sent to Lt. Ron Jeanneret in the Vice Narcotics unit. Pictures throughout are ones of typical seizures of material by Topeka's vice-narcotic officers.

A useful web site resource is this Drug Free Resource Net link. It contains a wealth of information for both parents and young people and is produced by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

Definitions and Information
A drug is a substance which, when introduced to the body, changes actions or reactions in body functions or structures.

Drugs may be taken medically to alter states of the body or assist the body in fighting disease. Drugs rarely impact on only one part of the body or one body function.

Aspirin, as an example, is a pain reliever. Aspirin also impacts on the body by thinning the blood. Drugs travel through the entire body, and impact on several parts of the body.

Drugs subject to abuse are those which impact on, among other things, the central nervous system (the brain). A drug abuser is not concerned with the impact the drug may have on the blood system, the immune system, or in its ability to relieve pain. The drug abuser is focused solely on the changes the substance creates to the brain.

There are three general ways to change the brain: depression; stimulation and hallucinations. Not surprisingly, then, are there three general types of drugs: depressants; stimulants and hallucinogens.

A depressant drug is one which depresses the central nervous system. A depressant drug will cause the activity in the brain to slow down. The rate of breathing, as well as the heart rate, will also slow down. A person under the influence of a depressant drug will be mentally slow.

There are two main categories of depressant drugs: narcotic and non narcotic. A narcotic depressant is a substance derived either naturally or synthetically, form opium. In opium are three substances: morphine, codeine and thebaine. Narcotic depressants are known for their relief of pain. Examples of these drugs include heroin, Dilaudid and Percodan.

Non narcotic depressants are known for their relief of stress and anxiety. Unlike the narcotic depressants, use of non narcotic depressants often result in impaired judgement, slurred speech and loss of motor coordination. Examples of non narcotic depressants include diazepam (Valium), barbiturates (phenobarbital, secobarbital and amobarbital) and alcohol.

The continued use of depressant drugs often leads to physical addiction. In this process the body becomes dependant upon the presence of the drug. Failure to supply the drug to the body results in definitive withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms include anxiety, agitation, nausea and vomiting, insomnia and muscle spasms.

Along with addiction, continued use of depressant drugs causes a tolerance to the substance to build up. Drug tolerance occurs when the body becomes so used to the presence of the drug (as a part of the addictive process), that it no longer reacts to the drug as intended. In order to achieve a desired effect, more of the drug must be taken. As an example, a doctor may prescribed 2 milligram of Valium to a patient exhibiting anxious tendencies. After several weeks, the 2 milligram dosage may no longer clam the patient. Hence, the doctor will increase the dosage unit to 5 milligrams. In the case of heroin, an abuser may start abusing a quarter gram of heroin at a time. During the addictive process, the body develops a tolerance to the presence of a quarter gram of heroin. While the introduction of a quarter gram of heroin may prevent the onset of withdrawal symptoms, the "high" will not be achieved unless a larger dosage unit is provided.

Just as depressant drugs slow the activity in the central nervous system, stimulant drugs increase the activity. Stimulant drugs will cause increased activity in the brain, an increase in heart rate and an increase in breathing rates. Persons under the influence of stimulant drugs will be physically aggressive, even potentially violent. Other symptoms include paranoia, insomnia and mild hallucinations. The stimulant drugs are physiologically addictive, and produce several of the classical physical withdrawal symptoms as well.

In the 1960's and 1970's, the depressant drugs were the drugs of choice to youth in America. In the 1980's, though, abuse of depressant drugs significantly declined. An explosion of stimulant abuse was recorded, with use of the drugs reaching epidemic proportions. Examples of stimulant drugs include cocaine and methamphetamine.

Cocaine
Cocaine is produced naturally in the coca plant. The leaves of the plant are dried. The cocaine is removed from the leaves by soaking the leaves in a solvent, often kerosene.

Lime is then added to provide base. The result is a paste like substance. This paste is then rinsed with hydrochloric acid. Acetone and ether are then added, which turns the paste into a crystal white substance.

This substance can be introduced to the body by either inhaling it through the nasal passages, or mixing it with water and injecting the solution into the body with a syringe. The effects of "snorting" or injecting cocaine will last less than one hour.

More recently abusers have converted cocaine back to its base form, which allows the abuser to smoke it. This base form, called "rock" or "crack" is then smoked under intense heat. While the effects do not last as long as abusing cocaine in other forms, the intensity of the effects are magnified when cocaine is smoked.

Powder cocaine sells for about $100.00 per gram. "Rock" or "crack" cocaine is sold in twenty ($20) dollar rocks.

Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine, referred to as "speed", "crystal" or "meth", is made clandestinely in homemade laboratories. The labs which produce this substance are normally crude. The process entails the use of chemicals which are very flammable and dangerous for human exposure. Many labs explode or catch fire during the chemical processes.

Methamphetamine's effects will last up to twenty four hours. The cost of methamphetamine is consistent with that of cocaine. Abusers of methamphetamine will often "speed" for several days. To help them come down from the drug, depressants (such as alcohol, Valium and others) are taken.

Drugs which distort reality are referred to as hallucinogens. These substances cause varying degrees of hallucinations and distortions.

Marijuana
Marijuana is classified as a hallucinogenic drug because it creates a distortion of time and space. The marijuana "high" is much like a depressant drug, except marijuana abuse creates a reverse tolerance. While in the case of depressants, more and more of the drug must be taken to obtain the desired impact, less and less marijuana needs to be ingested to create a "high" sensation. This is caused by the inability of marijuana's active ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to dissolve in water. Rather than being flushed from the body, THC attaches to fat cells. THC will remain in the body for up to ninety (90) days. Hence, the more marijuana smoked, the less is needed to achieve a "high". Dangers of marijuana abuse include loss of long term and short term memory, changes in DNA structures, and decrease in immunol. response. Marijuana is sold by the cigarettes ("joint"), quarter ounce, half ounce, ounce, quarter pound, pound and kilogram weights. A quarter ounce of marijuana sells regularly for between $40.00 and $60.00.

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD)
Other than marijuana, the most popular hallucinogen is Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD). LSD creates a seventy two (72) hours experience marked by vivid hallucinations and reality distortions.

LSD is an odorless, colorless liquid. Often placed on small pieces of paper (blotter paper), LSD sells for about $5.00 per dosage unit.

LSD is known as "acid", "CID", "A/C", "blotter" and "trip".

When sold on pieces of paper, the paper may be plain white, or may include any variety of designs (cartoon characters etc.).

Abuse of LSD is most common in the fourteen (14) to twenty (20) age bracket.

The Drug Enforcement Effort
The Topeka Police Department is committed to a strong drug law enforcement effort. The effort begins with education of the community and front line officers in recognizing drugs and abuse patterns, and providing alternative actions.

For additional information of controlled substances, or to report drug activity, call the Narcotics Unit at 785-368-9030.

Topeka Police Department
320 South Kansas
Topeka, KS 66603
785-368-9030