THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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news
NEWS MANAGEMENT
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Editor-in-chief Katie Kutsko
Managing editor - digital media Lauren Armendariz
managing editor - production
Allison Kohn
Associate production editor Madison Schultz
Associate digital media editor Will Webber
ADVERTISING MANAGEMENT
Advertising director Sean Powers
Sales manager Kolby Botts
Digital media and sales manager Mollie Pointer
NEWS SECTION EDITORS
News editor
Emma LeGault
Associate news editor Duncan McHenry
Sports editor Blake Schuster
Associate sports editor Ben Felderstein
Entertainment editor Christine Stanwood
Special sections editor Dani Brady
Head copy chief
Tara Bryant
copy chiefs
Casey Hutchins
Hayley Jowiek
Paige Lytle
Opinion editor
Anna Wenner
Photo editor
George Mullinix
Associate photo editor Michael Strickland
ADVISERS
Sales and marketing adviser Jon Schlitt
Media director and content strategist Brett Akagi
HI: 57
LO: 31
CONTACT US
editor@kansan.com
www.kansan.com
Newsroom: (785) 766-1491
Advertising: (785) 864-4358
Twitter: @KansanNews
Facebook: facebook.com/thekansan
The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of The Kansan are 50 cents. Subscriptions can be purchased at the Kansan business office, 2051A Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS., 66045.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2014
The University Daily Kansan (ISSN 0746-4967) is published daily during the school year except Friday, Saturday, Sunday, fall break, spring break and exams and weekly during the summer session excluding holidays. Annual subscriptions by mail are $250 plus tax. Send address changes to The University Daily Kansan, 2051A Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue
More clouds than sun. Winds WSW at 7 to 18 mph.
KANSAN MEDIA PARTNERS
KJHK is the student voice in radio.
Whether it's rock 'n' roll or reggae,
sports or special events, KJHK 90.7
is for you.
Check out KUH-TV on Knology of Kansas Channel 31 in Lawrence for more on what you've read in today's Kansan and other news. Also see KUH's website at tv.ku.edu.
1000 Dole Human Development Center
1000 Sunnyside Avenue
Lawrence, KAn, 68045
What's the weather, Jay?
- weather.com
THURSDAY
HI: 46
LO: 32
Mostly sunny, a few clouds. Winds SW at 9 to 12 mph.
FRIDAY
It's getting warmer.
HI: 42
LO: 23
SATURDAY
Mix of sun and clouds. Winds WNW at 9 to 12 mph.
Spoke too soon.
Yeah, and we're back
Wednesday, Feb. 12
What: University Career Fair When: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Where: Kansas Union, 5th floor About: Students from all majors and academic levels are invited to meet with prospective employers graduate schools and professional schools.
What: White Lies with special guest Frankie Rose
When: 7 p.m. doors open, 8 p.m.
show
Where: Liberty Hall
About: A concert featuring British trio White Lies and singer/songwriter Frankie Rose. GA tickets $22 in advance, $25 at the door.
What: The Addams Family
When: 7 p.m.
Where: The Lied Center
About: An Addams Family musical.
Student and youth tickets $20-$25,
adult tickets $40-$49.
Thursday, Feb. 13
What: J Boog
When: 8 p.m.
Where: The Bottleneck
About: J Boog, a reggae singer
from California, will perform at the
Bottleneck. Advance tickets $13, $15
at the door.
What: Spring 2014 Engineering & Computing Career Fair When: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Where: Kansas Union, 5th floor About: Employers will meet with students from a number of engineering and computing careers.
Friday, Feb. 14
What: "Jayhawkers" film premiere
When: Friday, Feb. 14,
7 p.m. & 9 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 15,
11 a.m., 7 p.m. & 9 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 16,
1 p.m., 4 p.m. & 7 p.m.
Where: The Lied Center
About: Film professor Kevin Willmott's independent film starring Justin Wesley as Wilt Chamberlain. General admission $10.
Saturday, Feb. 15
What: Men's basketball game vs.
TCU
When: 3 p.m.
Where: Allen Fieldhouse
About: The Jayhawks take on the
TCU Horned Frogs.
TOM DEHART
On-campus group hosts panel of Reps.
news@kansan.com
The panel of young representatives shared personal anecdotes from their careers in the Kansas legislature so far, alongside answering questions pertaining to political topics such as extremism, civic engagement, suspended voters' licenses, tax policy and education.
The on-campus group The Future Majority hosted a panel discussion of three Kansas House Representatives mediated by University faculty member Mary Klayder a the Kansas Union last night, Feb. 11.
Emily Perry, the democratic representative of the 24th district, says that the bill can be discouraging to face some people who are not on the same ground as she is, but realizes that by her speaking for
the people she represents, she is making a difference.To her understating and opinion, House Bill 2453, gives religious protection to people who choose to discriminate against the gay community.
"If we don't show up then you get steamrolled, and nobody speaks up for these communities that maybe need to be spoken up for," Perry said during the panel discussion. "Not necessarily just the gay and lesbian community, but other communities that we believe in, like communities that need public education funding."
Republican representative of the 19th district, Stephanie Clayton, shared her personal mantra pertaining to working in the legislature with the group of University students that showed up for the event, stating that "finding a way to
SEE PANEL PAGE 3
FRANK WEIRICH/KANSAN
Representatives Stephanie Clayton, Emily Perry and John Wilson discuss how state budget affects the University. Professor Mary Klayder, seen right, hosted the panel discussion Tuesday night at the Kansas Union.
DRUGS
Painkiller abuse leads to heroin addiction
CODY KUIPER
news@kansan.com
The sudden death of actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman earlier this month of a heroin overdose has brought the drug into the public discourse, bringing startling facts about addiction to the forefront along with it.
One current trend that has been brought to light is heroin use among young people, which has risen because of an increase in prescription painkiller addiction, according to research and experts. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, heroin use among 12 to 17 year olds has increased 80 percent since 2002. The most recent national data, from 2009, shows that 510 people ages 15 to 24 died of heroin overdose, which is more than double what it was in 1999.
Dr. Jan Campbell, a Residency Director in Addiction Psychiatry at the KU Medical Center, said young users usually start abusing pain medication like Oxycodone to obtain an opiate high, but the high cost of the product leads them to use the cheaper option, heroin, to get the same high.
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"Most people start abusing pain pills because they're safer, used orally, and they're pharmaceutically pure products," Campbell said. "But it can cost $80 to get 80 milligrams worth, and heroin is much cheaper."
Campbell said the switch to heroin can be more dangerous because, unlike prescription medication, it is not regulated and the making of the product varies from dealer to dealer.
"There's no predictability with heroin, it can be anything," she said. "Percentage of quality varies, so if someone is used to using 40 percent heroin and they somehow get 60 and take the same amount, that's when [they] overdose and they can die."
The abuse of prescription
medication by young people, which many think is leading to increased heroin use, is on the rise, and studies have found the issue is worse now than ever.
A survey conducted by the University of Michigan Health System in 2013 found that one in ten people aged 14 to 20 have misused prescription painkillers, and they are the second most abused drugs by adolescents in the U.S., trailing only marijuana. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that this generation of young adults are abusing prescription drugs more than any in history. Young people born between 1980 and 1994 have a 40 percent higher usage rate of painkillers than any other youth or age group from previous generations.
Lawrence is not immune to the opiate problem. There are 1,023 individuals in the city who abuse or are dependent upon heroin and 258 individuals abuse or use opiates in
the form of prescription medication as well, according to USdrugrends.com
The Drug Enforcement Agency reported that in 2012 more than 660,000 Americans used heroin, which is more than double from the number five years prior. Even though high-profile heroin-related deaths like Hoffman's are becoming more common, with other celebrities like "Glee" star Cory Monteith also over-
"Addiction doesn't discriminate," Carter said. "You see it at all economic levels, in rural places, big cities, little towns. Prescription drugs are obviously easier to come by because they can be obtained legally."
Lisa Carter, Program Coordinator for DCCCA, an outpatient alcohol and drug treatment program in Lawrence, said prescription medication is easily obtained compared to other drugs, making addiction widespread and more accessible for people across all demographics.
"I don't know that simply hearing about a tragedy would change someone's motivation, because that comes from within," Carter said. "It's just like smoking, everyone knows it's harmful and you see the commercials on TV, but knowledge doesn't always lead to change."
dosing on the drug, Carter doesn't think it will deter users or make them seek treatment.
Edited by Casey Hutchins
QUICK HITS
Heroin use among ages 12- 17 has increased 80 percent since 2002.
In 2009,510 people aged 15-24 died of heroin overdose, which has doubled since 1999.
In 2013, one in ten people aged 14-20 have misused prescription painkillers, making them the second most abused drug by adolescents.
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