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Thursday, October 7, 2010
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Volume 96 | Issue 25
Sunny 85° / 55°
ntdaily.com
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
College students experiment with ‘Robotripping’ BY NICOLE BALDERAS Contributing Writer
An increased number of students wanting to get high are going to the drug store instead of the drug dealer. Abuse of dextromethorphan, the active ingredient in most cough medicines, is becoming a rising trend among college students for its mind-altering effects. Questions about whether DXM is a passing fad or a problem are gaining momentum. The ascending statistic prompted the FDA advisory panel to meet recently. The meeting took place Sept. 14 in College Park, Md., and consisted of outside experts to decide whether DXM-containing medications should be controlled. The decision, however, was a 15-9 decision against making DXM a controlled substance, according to fda.gov. “Students don’t feel like [DXM users are] criminals,” said Jim Quinn, a professor and the director of the UNT addiction program. “If the RA walks into the dorm room and sees a bottle of DXM, what are they going to do about it? RA walks in and sees a bag of marijuana, you’re out of school. And that’s a big deal.” Abuse DXM has been in the U.S. for more than 30 years since it replaced codeine as an overthe-counter cough suppressant, according to the website lycaeum.org. In 2008, the North Texas Poison Center in Dallas received 591 calls — 53 from Denton County — regarding the overuse of DXM
mixed with other substances, public health educator Pam Manzo said. Of those calls, 241 were made concerning the use of pure DXM. “DXM is safe when used at the prescribed dosage, ” said Herschel Voorhees, a doctor at the Student Health and Wellness Center. “However, short-term effects of ingesting large amounts can cause respiratory depression, blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, hallucinations or a dissociative sensation, to name a few.” In moderate doses of about 100 milligrams, the drug is known to produce effects comparable to alcohol or cannabis use, according to erowid.org. In high doses of 600 to 1,200 milligrams, users can get a feeling of separation from their body. The effects of the drug last around four to 10 hours, depend i ng on t he dose amount. Mu lt i-s y m pt om c ou g h medicine contains acetaminophen, which can cause fatal liver damage in large doses, according to erowid.com. In addition, when coupled with alcohol, DXM has an even higher rate of risk. “What you get is a synergistic reaction, which is multiplicative or exponential,” Quinn said. “Users think they’re getting three shots of alcohol and 20 doses of DXM, but they’re actually going to get 20 times three.” There are four plateaus of subjective responses to DXM, according to fda.gov. The first three include mild intoxica-
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY GREG MCCLENDON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The name “Robotripping” comes from the name Robitussin and is when someone takes high doses of an ingredient found in Robitussin called dextromethorphan. tion, lethargy and disorientation. In the fourth plateau, a person weighing 154 pounds and taking 1,050 to 2,100 milligrams would risk full dissociative states and hyperthermia, or elevated body temperature, with possible seizures and aspiration. Altered States Out of three students asked, two said they always have a friend as a “trip sitter” to make sure they are OK throughout the trip. All three described the majority of their experiences as
positive and said their best experience came from taking about 20 caplets of pure DXM cough medication in combination with smoking marijuana. They asked not to be identified. “A lot of people I know who did DXM a lot said that it’s not worth doing DXM if you’re not smoking weed,” said Louie Bauldwin, an international studies senior. The worst experiences came from either combining DXM with alcohol or not eating before a trip. Any person taking antidepressants containing SSRIs or MAOI
inhibitors should stay away from any recreational use of the drug because of its adverse effects on the brain, Quinn said. DXM and other recreational drugs induce the release of dopamine and possibly serotonin, he said. “Your brain chemistry should break those chemicals down, but those taking an MAOI inhibitor will have that breakdown slowed or stopped, leaving unnecessary chemicals in your system. At this point the brain can’t regulate its own chemistry,” Quinn said. When asked, out of three
students who’d used DXM, two said they would feel comfortable using the drug recreationally. “I think there’s a lot of ev idence that shows that people naturally like to experience altered states of consciousness,” Quinn said. “Children will spin around until they get dizzy or hold their breath until they turn blue. “What’s worrisome is [that] when you mix drugs you don’t know what’s going to happen, and when a drug starts meeting a psychological need, the user can start getting out of control.”
Program provides college students with ‘Safe Ride’ BY CHRISTINA MLYNSKI & K ATE COPELAND Senior Staff Writer & Contributing Writer
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY GREG MCCLENDON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Tim Farmer, a computer science junior, drinks Monster about once a week for an extra boost of energy when he feels a little drowsy.
Professionals, students talk about caffeine legal defense BY TIM MONZINGO & LORYN THOMPSON
Senior Staff Writer & Intern Woody Will Smith, a Kentucky man accused of strangling his wife, went to court last month, claiming temporary insanity. The defense he and his attorney plan to pursue is that, after consuming high amounts of sodas, energy drinks and diet pills, Smith was so delirious that he could not have knowingly committed the crime, according to Austin News KXAN. Although caffeine has an effect on people’s cognitive abilities and functions, no definitive study on the substance has yet explained the full range of those effects. “Every now and then you’ll hear about some research that says, ‘Oh, coffee, drinking
coffee causes heart attacks, oh, drinking coffee prevents heart attacks,’ ” said Kimberly Kelly, an associate psychology professor who has studied psychoneuroimmunology. “I don’t think there’s really anything written in stone yet.” Psychoneuroimmunolog y assesses the interactions between the ner vous and immune systems and the relationships between mental processes and health. Kelly said the man’s actions are not related to the effects of caffeine intoxication. Although consuming high amounts of stimulants like caffeine can cause nervousness, Kelly said, the effects wouldn’t be as severe as Smith says. “It can certainly make you jittery, nauseous, but it’s not
going to interfere with something to that extent,” she said. Caffeine affects the body’s adrenal glands, which are instrumental in dealing with stress, said Tiffany Dickens, who works at Peak Performance Health and Fitness in Denton. Caffeine stimulates adrenal glands to produce chemicals like cortisol, which is fundamental in dealing with stress, Dickens said. When those glands are taxed in an already stressed state, they cannot sufficiently produce the levels of chemicals that control the body’s stress reactions. “Cognitive function is actually diminished, which hinders the performance of some students and athletes mentally,” she said.
Walking down Fry Street on a Thursday or Friday night, college students can be seen patronizing the bars. One student organization offers a free and safe ride home for students who have had too much fun. Since 2009, Safe Ride has assisted students and the community. More than 350 lives have been saved because of the organization, according to Safe Ride’s flier. “You can call Safe Ride to get home for any reason,” said Andrew Mount, a political science junior and co-vice president. “We don’t care why people call, as long as they want to get home safe.” Operations will begin in three weeks. The organization had a delay in operations because of a lack of members. Although 24 people are a part of Safe Ride, the organization is looking for more, said Jon Smith, a general studies junior and co-vice president of Safe Ride. The service runs from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., Thursday through Saturday, and requires riders to present a valid student ID, Smith said.
The purpose of Safe Ride is to make the community, riders and members more open to the protection, Mount said. Cat her i ne Tr iplet t, a psychology senior, believes Safe Ride should be used so people do not put themselves in dangerous situations. “When you’re drunk, you put yourself at so much risk,” she said. “This can lead to many horrible situations, such as injuring yourself or someone else, running into the law or even death.” On average, someone is killed in an alcohol-related crash every 45 minutes in the U.S., according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. People who need a ride through the program can call 940-565-7433 to let the workers know where to find them. There are five volunteer members on working nights. One works the phone, two are in the car and two inform people about the service, Mount said. Both a male and a female member are in the car so riders feel comfortable, Smith said. Some students feel the organization should run every day. “Everybody goes out to Fry Street all the time, not just on the weekends,” said Ciara Wei,
a home furnishings merchandising junior. A budget of $3,000 is given each semester for the organization. The money goes toward car rentals, Smith said. “We’re faster and cheaper than a cab and safer than driving,” Mount said. One car is available during working hours. Pickup service is on a first-come-first-serve basis, Smith said. “We make sure that the rides are always non-judgmental and confidential,” Mount said. Three to 12 rides are given out, and an average of 20 people use Safe Ride during operating hours, Mount said. A factor Safe Ride is trying to improve is spreading the word, Mount said, and Wei agreed. “I think that UNT needs to do better advertisements on Safe Ride because I had no clue we had one,” Wei said. Since the establishment of Safe Ride, the members have learned better ways to make calls, dispatch the car and use safety measures, Mount said. In the future, Safe Ride wants to have more operating cars and volunteers for a more effective program, Smith said. For more information, contact saferide.unt@gmail.com.
Go Vote Voting for the Student Government Association senators and Homecoming king and queen opened Monday and will end at 5 p.m. Friday. Students can vote online at www.untsga.com, by paper ballot in University Union Suite 320S or by using Apple laptops provided by the SGA from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Union Courtyard this week. To read a story about the SGA, visit ntdaily.com
See PROFESSOR on Page 2