College Campus - Drugs - Advice Needed

[PeteZaHut]

I am at college and while in the bathroom, I overheard someone talking about doing acid and some other drug that I had never heard of before. This really freaked me out and I feel like I need to do something. I have experienced a similar situation with marijuana and decided that I didn’t really need to act, but I think that with drugs like acid, action must be taken. Should I talk to my RA? Should I go straight to the graduate RA that is in charge of my dorm?

 

[coolduude]

That happened to me as well.
Just pray for the people in question that they may realize what they are doing.
If you do tell, keep it anonymous, because if you’re found out you could be alienated.
Just pray for them basically.

 

[Sam_Maloney]

Acid isn’t all that dangerous. Fatal overdose is very, very rare, the only real risk is that someone will act on dangerous impulses, running into traffic or leaping off buildings, and when was the last time you heard of that sort of thing?

I’ve never used it because there’s a risk of a bad trip, which my friends have described as an afternoon in hell: can’t imagine any payoff would be worth that.

Nothing you can say to the authorities is going to change anything unless you have names of dealers to pass along. Nothing you can say to the users is going to change anything either, unless you have a personal relationship with them and can honestly express your fear that these unhealthy choices will have unhealthy consequences. So I see no upside to the risk you’d be running.

Now, if the issue is heroin, cocaine, meth or any other drug that’s highly addictive and commonly fatal, then by all means, get involved. But pot, hash, or acid? Frankly, I’d stay out of it.

Others will disagree, and that’s fine: maybe there really would be fewer drugs out there if we were all a little more pro-active.

But I’m of the opinion that it’s time for a major overhaul of the drug laws, de-criminalizing the safer substances, but getting very, very tough on the really dangerous drugs.

 

[PeteZaHut]

I have read that acid can have long-term effects on people.

 

[Jeanne_dArc]

Acid isn’t all that dangerous. Fatal overdose is very, very rare, the only real risk is that someone will act on dangerous impulses, running into traffic or leaping off buildings, and when was the last time you heard of that sort of thing?

Sorry, but that’s not true. Acid or (LSD) is extremely dangerous, and can cause chronic psychosis in relatively healthy people,

“LSD users may manifest relatively long-lasting psychoses, such as schizophrenia or severe depression.” It also “can produce violent or bizarre behavior in people who are not normally that way. This behavior can lead to death from drownings, burns, falls (sometimes from high places), and automobile accidents. Regular use affects memory, perception, concentration, and judgment. Users may show signs of paranoia, fearfulness, and anxiety. During these times, some users may become aggressive while others may withdraw and have difficulty communicating. A temporary mental disturbance, or a disturbance of the user’s thought processes (psychosis) may last for days or weeks. Long-term users report memory and speech difficulties, as well as hearing voices or sounds which do not exist.” -Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse

A bit off topic, but I could help correcting the misconception that hallucinogens are safe.

 

[Jeanne_dArc]

I am at college and while in the bathroom, I overheard someone talking about doing acid and some other drug that I had never heard of before. This really freaked me out and I feel like I need to do something. I have experienced a similar situation with marijuana and decided that I didn’t really need to act, but I think that with drugs like acid, action must be taken. Should I talk to my RA? Should I go straight to the graduate RA that is in charge of my dorm?

It wouldn’t hurt to mention it to your RA. There’s probably not much that they can do, but it doesn’t hurt for them to have a heads up. (Although more than likely they already know that there is illegal drug use going on.) I go to a pretty conservative or “orthodox” Catholic school and even there I’ve seen people smoking pot at least 3 or 4 times (not blatantly in public), I don’t condone it, but it’s just inevitably something you’re going to run into at college.

Sometimes it’s just better to move off campus, to get away from what goes on in dorms.

 

[PeteZaHut]

It seems like every weekend, I overhear a story about someone doing drugs the night before. I am not worried that I will ever be involved or that it will affect me in any way; I just feel like I should do something.

 

[coolduude]

It seems like every weekend, I overhear a story about someone doing drugs the night before. I am not worried that I will ever be involved or that it will affect me in any way; I just feel like I should do something.

First, you should pray for them.

Then, either talk to them, or anonymously rat them out to somebody.

Offer help, or something like it, but if that doesn’t work, and your still compeled to do something, rat them out. It’s the only way to get them to stop.