THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, APRIL 25. 2013
PAGE 9A
KANSAN
STATE
KANSAN arrel is
Increase in opiate abuse trends in parts of Kansas and Missouri
Opiate addiction among 18-to 25-year-olds is a growing problem spreading throughout southwest Missouri and northeast Kansas.
TREVOR OTTERSTEIN
editor@kansan.com
Opiates include prescription painkillers like morphine, OxyContin, hydrocodone, and Codeine. Illegal opiates like heroin are also abused.
People of all ages are affected by opiate abuse, but college students are in an environment where drugs are easily accessible, so there is an increased risk. A report by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) shows the rates of abuse and addiction for 18-25 year olds. The rates of abuse range from 10 to 12 percent, which is an increase from past reports and puts opiate abuse second only to marijuana in the U.S. The recent spike in opiate abuse is harmful to experimenting students as prescription drugs become less accessible and users turn to heroin as a cheaper alternative.
Mission Missouri, located in Scott County, Mo., works with rehabilitation centers to develop preventative strategies for stopping observable drug trends. Jane Piefferkorn, the director of the organization, said heroin use has increased during the past eight
years in the St. Louis area.
Statistics for Mission Missouri show an average of four out of five incoming patients dealing with opiate abuse. The number of opiate-related deaths in Scott County has increased from three to 14 in about five years.
"In 2007, the percentage of opiate abusers coming in was around 5 percent," Pfefferkorn said. "By the end of 2011, those rates had increased to 60 percent."
Johnson County Deputy Tom Erickson had similar statistics. Erickson said the problem with opiates was almost non-existent in Johnson County, Kan., before 2007, and since then, there have been more than 60 overdoses and 14 deaths from prescription and illicit opiate use.
The issue both counties face is users turning to heroin because it's cheaper and more convenient. When users can't afford or get access to enough prescriptions, they turn to an illicit drug with no idea of the drug's dosage.
"What we're finding is that it's mostly young, active, intelligent students who end up involved in these overdose cases," Erickson said. "When the kids turn to heroin, they could be dealt a product with anything from zero percent potency, all the way to 100 percent potency."
Thomas Prisinzano is a professor and chair in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the KU School of Pharmacy. His field of study deals with the opium poppy and deriving opiates that can be used to treat addiction to other drugs, such as methamphetamine. Prisinzano found the poppy to have a non-addictive effect on subjects. Through his research, he explains how common opiates, such as morphine and OxyContin, lack certain health benefits because of their high potential for addiction.
Prisinzano conducted a study of the salvia divinorum plant, a highly potent, hallucinogenic opiate outlawed in Kansas.
Prisinzano said that the benefits of common prescription opiates are limited by dependency and addiction users get from the drug. Despite this, opiates such as OxyContin, morphine and hydrocodone are still the most prescribed drugs of their class.
Deputy Erickson makes it clear that the problem is not limited to any one demographic, but he said the rates of overdoses by high school to college-aged users are among the highest. These statistics show abuse with opiates is becoming more of an issue in this part of Kansas.
Edited by Elise Reuter
NATIONAL DRUG TRENDS
KATIE KUTSKO/KANSAN
This chart from the NIDA survey shows the national average monthly usage history for 18- to 25-year-olds over a period of 8 years. Opiates are higher than marijuana in this example, and this only measures to 2010. While there is an increased regional problem, there continue to be problems on the national scale as well, making opiate abuse one of the largest drug issues Americans face.
CAMPUS
Class gains cultural experience at D.C. conference
KATIE MCBRIDE
KATIE MCBRIDE
editor@kansan.com
A group of University students had the chance to gain in-depth knowledge about Mexico and experience what it is like to be a Mexican diplomat through one of their classes this semester.
The University's Center of Latin American & Caribbean Studies offers a Model Organization of American States (MOAS) class, which is open to students from any major or background and engages them in issues related to the Americas. The students have the chance to play the role of the political officials and diplomats of the Member States of the MOAS in order to debate current matters affecting the hemisphere.
Through representing the views of a country other than their own, students have the chance to familiarize themselves with a global perspective that varies from their home country.
"Different countries look at the
world in different ways," said Jorge Soberón, the instructor for the class. "It is a rich experience for the students to learn to see the world from someone else's eyes."
In order to familiarize themselves with the wide range of topics they would be discussing, the students learned about the history, laws, economics and politics of Mexico, which is the country that they represented at the MOAS conference in Washington D.C. The conference was attended by students from universities from Latin America, the United States and Canada.
"South of the border, the concerns and needs are very different from what they are here," Joey Hentzler, a sophomore majoring in political science from Topeka in the class, said. It becomes a challenge for the students to be able to understand the complexities of the issues and the significance they have from the Mexican perspective.
"You have to put yourself in
Soberon discussed his involvement in Mexican diplomacy with the students to aid in their understanding.
"I use the real world experiences I have to tell the students about more subtle things that they don't see in books," Soberon said.
the diplomat's shoes in order to understand where they're coming from, what their goals are and why they want to achieve them," Hentzler said.
The exercises that the students have participated in during the semester have allowed them to think about the world in a broader sense, and have led to their appreciation for more global cooperation among different countries, said Hentzler.
The challenge for some is changing your mindset; it's something you're not used to," said Garrett Wolfe, a junior majoring in international studies from Meridian, Idaho, in the class. "You learn what it means to be an American in the sense of the hemisphere. We're all of the hemisphere; we're all of the Americas."
749-0055 | 704 Mass. | rudyspizzeria.com
All major appliances | Laundry facility on site
Bus routes | Close to Campus & Downtown
On-site management | Pet friendly | Pool
Security and early bird deposit specials
No application fee
Call today to schedule a tour!
(785) 843-0011
Not a business undergrad?
An MBA is for you.
Meet Shannon, Current KU MBA Student
Degree: Journalism, KU May 2012
I chose to complete my MBA and gain business knowledge to be a more effective leader and manager. The program has given me consulting, networking,and extra-curricular opportunities that will be valuable in my career.
Learn how to launch your career with a KU MBA on Tuesday, May 7 on Summerfield Hall South Lawn from 11:30 - 1 p.m.
*Free(birds) lunch provided
KU SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Edited by Hayley Jozwiak
Finish Faster and Save Money
Here's your chance to shorten your time to graduation--take a class at Metropolitan Community College. Make MCC your college this summer to
- Complete prerequisites on your time, in the classroom or online.
· Earn credit hours
· Save Money. $92 per credit hour for in-district residents.
Take a class, save money on tuition and living expenses, then transfer the credits you earn to your college or university. MCC is Kansas City's source for great value, small classes, exdeptional faculty and work-friendly internet, day, evening and weekend scheduling. Visit our website to learn more. This summer, the opportunity is yours.
Business & Technology
Blue River
Longview
Maple Woods
816. 604.1000
Penn Valley
mcckc.edu/summer