Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol 35 no. 11. 31 May 1972

Book Review

Book Review

The Use and Abuse of Drugs, a handbook for health educators pamphlet No 239 issued by the N.Z. department of health, government printer 1972.

Available on request (free) from Medical Officer of Health, Box 5013, Wellington.

A little letter comes with the booklet. It is headed: "With the compliments of the director general of health". But it is not signed. In fact a major theme of the work if anonymity. There are absolutely no references, even though the letter states:- "It is not intended that this handbook be used in isolation and it will be necessary to refer to other source material." Neither are the authors mentioned, just vague mumblings about assistance and cooperation of the New South Wales Division of Health Education, on whose booklet this one is based, and advice and suggestions from the Blake-Palmer Committee. Several others who sent in their views, by request, don't even get a vague mention. Probably they prefer it that way.

The booklet is "a handbook for health educators". Yet inspite of the fact that it's not going into the hands of the kids there is no shortage of moralizing. Then there are five pages on signs and symptoms of drug abuse, of which "the keynote is persistent change in appearance and behaviour". We reproduce the section on detection of marijuana users in the hope that those persons who have contracted the habit will realize they are not as inconspicuous as they look.

Pupils will probably never come to school while they are in the early stages of marijuana use - characterised by hilarity, talkativeness and general animation - or even when they are in the latter stage - one which is characterised by depression, drowsiness, and incoordination. However, they may come to school wearing clothes that carry the odour of marijuana smoke, and this can be identified because it is similar to the odour of burning hay or rope. The eyes - depending on the recency of usemay be reddened, and the eyes may appear frozen and dilated. To conceal this tell tale sign, the smoker will often wear dark glasses.

The marijuana smoker is also likely to have badly stained fingers for two reasons: (a) the practice of holding the cigarette until it is almost consumed: (b) the way the "reefer" is smoked. Because of the rapid burning and harshness of the marijuana cigarette, it is generally passed rapidly, after one or two puffs, to another person. The smoke is deeply inhaled and held in the lungs as long as possible. The cigarette is often cupped in the palms of both hands when inhaling to save all the smoke possible.

If a person is indulging in more than occasional marijuana smoking, he may appear sleepy, perspire freely, and show marked pallor. A teacher Should be alert to identify these signs, even though they may indicate health abnormalities; and when they are noted the teacher should refer the pupil to the school health service, for, regardless of what causes the conditions, an investigation is imperative

To assist in the detection of 'abusers' there are four pages of "Drug Abuse Slang."

What is Drug Abuse?

So read one of the headings on Page 12. There followed the World Health Definition of addiction, an explanation as to why drug dependence has replaced the concept of addiction (not that it stops the use of addiction later on in the book), a definition of drug dependence, chitchat about the wide variety of dependence producing drugs etc. etc. etc. But no definition of drug abuse!

The closest the pamphlet comes to defining drug abuse is the following paragraph which appears on P.9.

Use of drugs should only follow an objective assessment by a person appropriately trained. The drugs, then used may be palliative only, to suppress some of the transient discomfort while the patient recovers, or have some fundamental effect. Departure from this procedure leads to faulty use or abuse.

This is fine in reference to certain medicines but what of alcohol, the booklet hardly mentions it. Strange, seeing as it is our greatest drug problem.

One Final Quote

About one-third of amphetamine dependents report increased sexuality, often with the appearance or exaggerated of perverse activities. Increased promiscuity, homosexuality, transvestism, exhibitionism, and seduction of children have occured under the influence of this drug, (no mention of sources.)

This paragraph, worthy of Truth's headlines, is representative of the booklet's confusion. It wanted so much to be factual but couldn't resist the urge to moralize. Let's hope our teachers take the morals out of it before they pass it on. Better yet, let's hope they don't use it.