Society and our parents twisted reality for us. I had no idea I would be offered weed, alcohol, cocaine, acid and hydrocodone my freshman year. I wasn't prepared when I realized I would have to find a ride home from South Campus after someone pulled out a handful of pill bottles to start a "Skittle party." I was highly unprepared when I saw someone I knew holding his girlfriend, screaming for someone to call 911 because she was unresponsive after injecting heroin.
I work at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC), and I spoke to five different nurses at two local hospitals about the varying reasons college students come to the emergency room. The nurses said there are two obvious reasons: traumatic injury and drug or alcohol misuse.
From health class to talks with our parents, it would seem society does a lot to prepare us for possible encounters with illicit substances or legal ones like alcohol and amphetamines. Their sentiments, however, are often inaccurate.
ECMC's outpatient drug rehabilitation program treats about 60,000 people every year. Its inpatient program allows individuals to get medically detoxified from illegal substances like heroin, cocaine, amphetamines and opiates, as well as alcohol. One thing it doesn't offer, however, is a detox regimen for cannabis because it's impossible to overdose on marijuana.
People don't have to do much work to get a prescription for opiates or amphetamines, though overdosing on these can quickly and easily cause death. "Drug-seekers" looking for an unnecessary refill take up a noticeable portion of the beds in any given emergency room. I have worked in the ER for almost two years, and I have seen drunken students looking like fools, crying and sobbing for their mothers.
I have yet to see anyone even visit the ER for a marijuana-related issue (other than injuries resulting from fights regarding the substance).
All drugs have potential to be abused in ways that make them "bad" in society's eyes, but there are also safe ways to use them. Given their illegal nature, I wouldn't recommend their use. But I know many students will still try illicit drugs.
Substance use is subjective. Every person is different. Your circumstances, where you came from and how you grew up impact your experiences with drugs. Some people can benefit from psychedelic drugs; others should stay far away from them.
As a student - even as an adult - we need to prepare for drug misuse. Educate yourself. You will never regret walking away from a party that gets busted; you will regret waking up in the ER.
If you finish this column and take nothing else from it, remember this: Alcohol interacts with drugs in mostly dangerous ways. Mixing alcohol and drugs will likely turn your overdose threshold down to a frighteningly low level, creating a perfect storm for Serotonin Syndrome and respiratory failure.
