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Show AggieLife Page 12 Students: Views on spice drug continued from page 10 those additional "upper" effects, even at a greater rate. "You get the adrenaline boost when you have to run a race or are getting psyched up for something," he said, "but you also get an adrenaline boost from certain medications, like caffeine. So will cocaine, crystal meth and these synthetic THCs, unlike the THC found in marijuana. But because you re-dose you get this tremendous release of adrenaline-like substances in your body." A 34-year-old grad student in education, who asked to remain anonymous, said she quit using spice when she had a bad reaction to smoking it. "My heart was racing; I thought I might be having a heart attack," she said. "I also became extremely paranoid. I felt so lucky that I came down and feel fine. That never happened to me when I smoked marijuana." The student said she decided to try spice when she found out that she could buy it at a local store and that it appeared to be legal. "I really enjoy marijuana, but I hate that it is illegal," she said. "So when I heard about this new stuff that works just as good, I thought why not? The first couple of times I tried it was fine, I liked it, but then I had that overreaction and it scared me." Her reaction typifies experiences that Davis said he has seen. "In addition to just the hyped-up vital signs, you also get a psychosis, disordered thinking," Davis said. "People hear things, see things, they become agitated and aggressive and they have to be held down and they have to be suppressed. I have seen people on spice tased, because they were out of control. And so you get this psychosis that occurs with it that you don't typically get with regular THC." Davis said death has been reported from spice. "Even though people say 'No. It's a safe drug. It's natural.' This is not true," Davis said. An undeclared sophomore, 20, said he disagrees that spice is harmful. "I have been using spice for over six months, and been in the presence of others using it and have never seen any ill effects," he said. On top of all of the negative symptoms Davis said spice is "highly addictive, "and said that because the drug is new, the possible long-term effects are not yet known. Another commonly-cited concern is that the drug can be manufactured in any lab with easily gathered ingredients and no regulation. Davis said, "You can't count on one batch being the same as another, even from the same manufacturer. They are Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010 ‘Spicer Straw Poll An unscientific survey taken in the TSC last week asked 391 persons about their use and attitudes toward common intoxicants. The average age of respondents was 21.78; 49.67 percent were from Utah; 52 percent were male; and the majority of respondents were freshmen and sophomores. Top Reasons for USING intoxicants: I. To relax 2. Fun 3. Social events 4. Self-medication Top Reasons for NOT USING intoxicants: I. Health 2. Religion 3. It's Stupid No intoxicants used If Used: 3. 0 9% r.73% Alcohol Marijuana Spice Other drugs 65.82% If Used, How Often: daily weekly once per week once per month less than I/month one time only no longer using 12.00% 7.64% 8.73% 16.67% 11.11 0/0 19.05% 22.22% 19.05% 3.17% If intoxicants used, when first started 0-3 months ago 3-6 mos ago 1/2-1 year ago 1-2 years ago 2+ years ago 3.17% 10.32% 15.08% 19.84% 51.59% Believe all intoxicants, including alcohol should be illegal 36.73% Believe spice should be legal 21.45% Believe marijuana should be legal 29.82% Believe alcohol should remain legal 57.45% Undecided/need more information 6.18% .% unregulated, uncontrolled and therefore unsafe." Consumers may be lulled into a false sense of safeness as the product they are using looks like and seems like an organic substance. Many users had no idea that spice was a chemical sprayed onto a dried herb. "If I would have known that it was something other than a natural plant, I would never have tried it at all," the anonymous graduate student said. The 20-year-old student said he uses spice as well as marijuana and alcohol to relax on occasion. "I don't use it all of the time, maybe a couple of times a month. I think like any other substance, if you handle it responsibly, you should be able to use it," he said. — tam.r@aggiemail.usu.edu Logan: City ordinance passes Sunrise Midwifery Services A Warmer Life's Dawning Nurturing & Natural Care for Mother and Child with a Midwife Launa Campbell (208) 521-9286 erving amities in Idaho Utah. For famili interes • inikakral ed, holistic aterni 0.44-• e. amp!=.7enatal, delivery ostpartu e. Newb & well-woman exam . Homebirths, Birth Center Births 8S Hospital Birth ptions. boula services available. • Home Births • Hypnobirthing • Water Laboring • Water Birth • Doula Services • Childbirth Classes • Birth Center • Lending Library continued from page 10 ted related to spice usage and legislative efforts by municipalities to curb this crime. The local push to regulate spice began when County Attorney James Swank assigned Sgt. Michael Bartschi from the Cache County Sheriff Task Force and detective Nate Argyle of the Logan City Police to investigate the issue in order to determine what course to take. Bartschi said Detective Argyle, who works with the Logan City School District, had seen an escalating problem with youth as young as 12 years old abusing the drug. Bartschi said when he came into the task force last August (2009), they were just beginning to hear about spice. He said Swank was first made aware "We know that of the problem by a concerned 82 percent of mother whose son had experievery crime enced a spice overdose. Bartschi said he and Det. committed in Argyle researched the internet, Cache County is including DEA news. They then related to drugs discussed the drug with DEA and/or alcohol. officials and that was when they first realized that spice was Nationally that composed of a synthetic chemifigure is 80 percal sprayed onto an otherwise cent." benign dried plant product. Bartschi said they also began to notice an increase of hospital Sgt. Michael Bartschi, visits and crimes associated with Cache County Sheriff people using spice. This comTask Force pelled them to develop a course of action leading up to the passage of legislation regulating the drug. "We are not looking to go out and arrest anyone under the sun," Bartschi said. "We know that 82 percent of every crime committed in Cache County is related to drugs and/or alcohol. Nationally that figure is 80 percent. And so we recognize that anytime we start having issues arise with any new substance that is going to be frequently abused, causing intoxication, we recognize we are going to have individuals making poor decisions when they use that (substance). " Earlier this month, county sheriffs arrested a man who was firing a weapon inside and out of a home in Clarkston. A goat near the residence was hit and later died. Investigators later found that the man had been smoking spice. The new laws will enable law enforcement to prosecute cases that involve abuse of spice. Bartschi said the county had to drop a DUI case against an individual who had been driving recklessly while smoking spice because the current laws did not allow for the prosecution to justify its case. The local debate about spice had advocates for keeping the drug legal. Others felt that there is not enough information known about this relatively new intoxicant to make an informed decision. Logan city council member Herm Olsen brought up the question of whether this really is a health issue, since the newness of spice results in a lack of information on its characteristics and effects. — tam.r@aggiemail.usu.edu Initial consultations free. Saturday and evening appointments available. ...Providing pathways to a gentle birth experience... 404 gatalflit, USU's Favorite News Source • Since 1902 • Utah Sta __ University • Logan, Uta |