Inhalants

Inhalants are a diverse group of volatile substances whose chemical vapors can be inhaled to produce psychoactive (mind-altering) effects. While other abused substances can be inhaled, the term “inhalants” is used to describe substances that are rarely, if ever, taken by any other route of administration. A variety of products common in the home and workplace contain substances that can be inhaled to get high; however, people do not typically think of these products (e.g., spray paints, glues, and cleaning fluids) as drugs because they were never intended to induce intoxicating effects. Yet young children and adolescents can easily obtain these extremely toxic substances, and are among those most likely to abuse them. In fact, more 8th graders have tried inhalants than any other illicit drug.1
What Types of Products are Abused as Inhalants?

Inhalants fall into the following categories:

Volatile solvents—liquids that vaporize at room temperature

* Industrial or household products, including paint thinners or removers, degreasers, dry-cleaning fluids, gasoline, lighter fluid
* Art or office supply solvents, including correction fluids, felt-tip marker fluid, electronic contact cleaners, glue

Aerosols—sprays that contain propellants and solvents

* Household aerosol propellants in items such as spray paints, hair or deodorant sprays, fabric protector sprays, aerosol computer cleaning products, and vegetable oil sprays

Gases—found in household or commercial products and used as medical anesthetics

* Household or commercial products, including butane lighters and propane tanks, whipped cream aerosols or dispensers (whippets), and refrigerant gases
* Medical anesthetics, such as ether, chloroform, halothane, and nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”)

Nitrites—a special class of inhalants that are used primarily as sexual enhancers

* Organic nitrites are volatiles that include cyclohexyl, butyl, and amyl nitrites, commonly known as “poppers.” Amyl nitrite is still used in certain diagnostic medical procedures. When marketed for illicit use, they are often sold in small brown bottles labeled as “video head cleaner,” “room odorizer,” “leather cleaner,” or “liquid aroma.”

These various products contain a wide range of chemicals such as:

* toluene (spray paints, rubber cement, gasoline),
* chlorinated hydrocarbons (dry cleaning chemicals, correction fluids),
* hexane (glues, gasoline),
* benzene (gasoline),
* methylene chloride (varnish removers, paint thinners),
* butane (cigarette lighter refills, air fresheners), and
* nitrous oxide (whipped cream dispensers, gas cylinders).

Adolescents tend to abuse different products at different ages.2 Among new users aged 12–15, the most commonly abused inhalants were glue, shoe polish, spray paints, gasoline, and lighter fluid. Among new users aged 16 or 17, the most commonly abused products were nitrous oxide or whippets. Nitrites are the class of inhalants most commonly abused by adults.3
How are Inhalants Abused?

Inhalants can be breathed in through the nose or mouth in a variety of ways, such as sniffing or snorting fumes from a container, spraying aerosols directly into the nose or mouth, or placing an inhalant-soaked rag in the mouth (“huffing”). Users may also inhale fumes from a balloon or a plastic or paper bag that contains an inhalant.

The intoxication produced by inhalants usually lasts just a few minutes; therefore, users often try to extend the “high” by continuing to inhale repeatedly over several hours.
How Do Inhalants Affect the Brain?

The effects of inhalants are similar to those of alcohol, including slurred speech, lack of coordination, euphoria, and dizziness. Inhalant abusers may also experience lightheadedness, hallucinations, and delusions. With repeated inhalations, many users feel less inhibited and less in control. Some may feel drowsy for several hours and experience a lingering headache. Chemicals found in different types of inhaled products may produce a variety of additional effects, such as confusion, nausea, or vomiting.

By displacing air in the lungs, inhalants deprive the body of oxygen, a condition known as hypoxia. Hypoxia can damage cells throughout the body, but the cells of the brain are especially sensitive to it. The symptoms of brain hypoxia vary according to which regions of the brain are affected: the hippocampus, for example, helps control memory, so someone who repeatedly uses inhalants may lose the ability to learn new things or may have a hard time carrying on simple conversations.

Long-term inhalant abuse can also break down myelin, a fatty tissue that surrounds and protects some nerve fibers. Myelin helps nerve fibers carry their messages quickly and efficiently, and when damaged can lead to muscle spasms and tremors or even permanent difficulty with basic actions like walking, bending, and talking.

Although not very common, addiction to inhalants can occur with repeated abuse. According to the 2006 Treatment Episode Dataset, inhalants were reported as the primary substance abused by less than 0.1 percent of all individuals admitted to substance abuse treatment.4 However, of those individuals who reported inhalants as their primary, secondary, or tertiary drug of abuse, nearly half were adolescents aged 12 to 17. This age group represents only 8 percent of total admissions to treatment.5
What Other Adverse Effects Do Inhalants Have on Health?

Lethal effects:
Sniffing highly concentrated amounts of the chemicals in solvents or aerosol sprays can directly induce heart failure and death within minutes of a session of repeated inhalations. This syndrome, known as “sudden sniffing death,” can result from a single session of inhalant use by an otherwise healthy young person. Sudden sniffing death is particularly associated with the abuse of butane, propane, and chemicals in aerosols.

High concentrations of inhalants may also cause death from suffocation by displacing oxygen in the lungs, causing the user to lose consciousness and stop breathing. Deliberately inhaling from a paper or plastic bag or in a closed area greatly increases the chances of suffocation. Even when using aerosols or volatile products for their legitimate purposes (i.e., painting, cleaning), it is wise to do so in a well-ventilated room or outdoors.

Harmful irreversible effects:

* Hearing loss—spray paints, glues, dewaxers, dry-cleaning chemicals, correction fluids
* Peripheral neuropathies or limb spasms—glues, gasoline, whipped cream dispensers, gas cylinders
* Central nervous system or brain damage—spray paints, glues, dewaxers
* Bone marrow damage—gasoline

Serious but potentially reversible effects:

* Liver and kidney damage—correction fluids, dry-cleaning fluids
* Blood oxygen depletion—varnish removers, paint thinners

HIV/AIDS:
Because nitrites are abused to enhance sexual pleasure and performance, they can be associated with unsafe sexual practices that greatly increase the risk of contracting and spreading infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis.
How Widespread is Inhalant Abuse?

Monitoring the Future*
According to the Monitoring the Future survey, more 8th graders (15.6 percent) have tried inhalants in their lifetime than any other illicit drug, including marijuana. Lifetime use (use at least once during a respondent’s lifetime) of inhalants was reported by 15.6 percent of 8th graders, 13.6 percent of 10th graders, and 10.5 percent of 12th graders in 2007; 3.9 percent of 8th graders, 2.5 percent of 10th graders, and 1.2 percent of 12th graders were current users of inhalants (had used at least once during the 30 days preceding response to the survey).

National Survey on Drug Use and Health**
Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health show that the primary abusers of most inhalants are adolescents ages 12 to 17. In 2006, 4.4 percent of adolescents reported using inhalants in the past year. Among young adults aged 18 to 25, past-year use of inhalants decreased from 2.1 percent in 2005 to 1.8 percent in 2006. Of the 783,000 persons aged 12 or older who tried inhalants for the first time within the previous year, 77.2 percent were under age 18 when they first used.

5 Careers that Pay Well Even in a Recession

It seems no matter where you turn these days there's bad news: entire neighborhoods in foreclosure, a volatile stock market, and unemployment rates at their highest in decades. While the recession is affecting us all, professionals in certain fields can feel confident that their skills will be needed no matter how gloomy the financial outlook.

What's the secret to staying employed and well-paid during an economic downturn? Choose your profession wisely. With the right career choice and training, you could be employed and earn well, recession or not. Consider the following five careers.

1. Engineer

The Profession: The economic stimulus plan includes funds to rebuild roads, bridges, and schools, requiring civil engineers who can create plans and oversee these projects. A growing focus on increasing productivity is expected to lead to the creation of over 40,000 new jobs for industrial engineers, who specialize in finding the most effective ways to use the people, machines, materials, and energy to create products.

The Secret: Due to the highly technical nature of this occupation, a bachelor's degree in engineering is the standard requirement for most positions. Some colleges and universities offer five-year programs, granting graduates a master's degree in engineering, which can often increase earning potential.

The Payoff: Starting salaries for civil and industrial engineers in 2007 were nearly $50,000, and average earnings in both occupations were close to $75,000.

2. Accountant

The Profession: Given the recent financial scandals, it's no wonder that 226,000 new accountants are expected to join the workforce between 2006 and 2016. The large infrastructure projects proposed by the stimulus plan should also provide employment for accountants.

The Secret: The most common educational requirement of accountants is a four-year degree in business or accounting, often available online. Earn a license as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to add more employment options to your accounting career.

The Payoff: While median earnings for accountants hover around $57,000, the top quarter earned $75,000 or more in 2007.

3. Marketing and Sales Manager

The Profession: With the rapidly changing face of technological innovations, opportunities for well-trained, technically-savvy marketing and sales managers are bright. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects 57,000 new jobs for marketing and sales managers through 2016.

The Secret: Applicants for marketing and sales management positions face stiff competition, but a bachelor's or master's degree in business administration or marketing can give you a leg up in your job search. Honing your computer skills can also add to your employability.

The Payoff: Median salaries for sales managers are just under $95,000, and most marketing managers pull in over $100,000 each year.

4. Registered Nurse

The Profession: Our nation's aging population has created an unprecedented demand for registered nurses (RNs), in hospitals, schools, and nursing care facilities. While the recession has reduced employment of nurses in some states, a national nursing shortage means that RNs who are flexible should have no trouble finding a job.

The Secret: A bachelor's of science degree in nursing (BSN) offers graduates the greatest potential for advancement, earnings, and choice in employment options. If you don't want to invest four years in your career training, consider an associate's degree in nursing (ADN), which can be completed in as little as two years. Many RNs with associate's degrees take advantage of RN-to-BSN programs to earn their bachelor's, often enjoying tuition reimbursement programs offered by some employers.

The Payoff: Median earnings for registered nurses are just over $60,000, but the top 25 percent of RNs make nearly $75,000.

5. Computer Systems Analyst

The Profession: As experts in the latest applications of technological advances, computer systems analysts help organizations choose the best technology for their needs and then incorporate it effectively into existing infrastructure. While many work in the computer systems design industry, computer systems analysts are also employed by the government, hospitals, and financial institutions. Nearly 150,000 new jobs for computer systems analysts are expected from 2006 through 2016.

The Secret: An online bachelor's degree in computer science or information science can help you get a job as a computer systems analyst. Training in information security can make you even more attractive to employers.

The Payoff: Median salaries for computer systems analysts were just over $73,000 in 2007, but the highest-paid professionals in this field raked in well over $100,000.

It's not likely we'll see the end of this recession in the near future. As you readjust your budget and lifestyle with the changing economy, be sure to map out a long-range career plan for yourself. An investment in your professional skills, especially in a strategically-chosen field, could mean the difference between a comfortable paycheck and financial uncertainty.

10 Secrets of Millionaires

It turns out millionaires are just like us--but they have a lot more money. When asked about their secrets to success, they don't cite anything magical or rare, but rather the steady application of wise investing strategies, hard work, and, believe it or not, a degree of frugality. Here are 10 secrets of millionaires' money management:

Start early to avoid financial pitfalls. Adrian Cartwood, 49, author of the blog How to Make 7 Million in 7 Years, made his fortune by living frugally while he built his technology-related business. People often get into trouble, he says, by racking up personal debt early on, which acts as a big drag on their earnings. "Learn how to live within your means and how to delay gratification; these are the habits that you need to maintain on the way up, so you can keep your millions when you get there," he says.

Believe that you can do it. Before investing in real estate and becoming a millionaire, Alan Corey, author of A Million Bucks by 30, read as many biographies and autobiographies of millionaires as he could find. He says he was searching for a common characteristic that could help him in his own quest. "What I found was they all had an incredible self-belief that they would be financially successful," he says. Corey says that embracing that level of self-confidence helped him get to the top.

Articulate your vision for success. Jen Smith, author of the Millionaire Mommy Next Door blog, says that the saying, "I want to be rich," is too vague. Instead, she recommends imagining what your ideal life as a millionaire will look like. Smith offers this example: "I want to have $2,000,000 invested so that I can live off of the interest. Then I will quit my job so that I can volunteer, travel, learn to play tennis and watercolor, and enjoy picnics at the beach with my family."

Smith's vision involved becoming financially-free before becoming a parent. She cut out images from magazines of beautiful places she wanted to visit and people doing fun things and put them near her desk to help her keep that vision in mind.

Insure against life's risks. Bankruptcy is often caused by divorce, a death in the family, or a disability that renders someone unable to work. Conversely, protecting against those risks through insurance protects wealth. In The Quiet Millionaire, financial planner Brett Wilder writes that many people either fail to get adequate insurance or pay too much for it because they don't understand it.

[For more, read: "7 Killer Insurance Mistakes You're Probably Making."]

Work hard--and you'll get lucky. In his new book, Think Like a Champion, Donald Trump attributes his success to his hard work, which to outsiders often appears to be luck. But Trump says luck only comes from working hard. "If your work pays off, which it most likely will, people might say you're just lucky. Maybe so, because you're lucky enough to have the brains to work hard!" he says. That same concept, of course, was advocated by Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century. He said, "The harder I work, the luckier I get."

Practice smart budgeting. Smith recommends tracking how much you spend each month, something she does religiously. Every month, she downloads her transactions into a spreadsheet to keep her spending on track. Smith also says that, as prosaic as it sounds, maintaining a good credit score is essential to becoming and staying a millionaire. "A good credit score can save you thousands of dollars over the course of your lifetime," she says.

Do what you love. Sure, a career in finance might come with a hefty annual salary, but you probably won't excel at something you don't enjoy. That's why Corey recommends going into the field that you find yourself reading about in your spare time. He asks, "Do you read fashion magazines? Get a job in fashion. Do you read gossip blogs? Get a job in celebrity-based enterprises. Do you read Car & Driver? ESPN.com? Yahoo Pets Forum?" Even if the field doesn't seem lucrative, there are ways to make it to the top--something that's more likely to happen if you love it.

[For more, read: "Juggling Your Money in the Recession."]

Decide how much money you really want. For many people, $1 million won't be enough. "For most Gen-X and Gen-Yers, retiring with a couple million when they are 65 won't be anywhere near enough to maintain even an average lifestyle, because that little pup called inflation is constantly nipping at your heels as you try to run towards building your own retirement nest-egg," says Cartwood. A more reasonable goal might be $3 million-- an amount that Cartwood considers the minimum to be a "bare bones millionaire" these days. Consider your ideal lifestyle and what you would like to be able to fund. A mortgage of a certain size? Exotic vacations? College tuition for your children? Having a concrete goal in mind makes it easier to get there, says Cartwood.

Invest against the grain. Corey recommends making investment decisions based on the exact opposite of what everyone else is doing. Right now, for example, stocks are relatively cheap because so many people have sold off shares, which means anyone buying can get them at a discount to their values from a year ago. Corey's rule of thumb doesn't just apply to stocks. "Buy a foreclosed house, fill it up with roommates, and you can get a pretty good passive income," he suggests.

Live below your means. Even Eminem, a celebrity and millionaire, scales back his purchases out of concern for frugality. In February, London's Independent newspaper reported that as Eminem considered buying a $15,000 watch he liked, he started worrying that he should save his money instead. Eminem reportedly said, "I don't want to run out of money; I want my daughter to be able to go to college." And so far, at least, Eminem hasn't fallen victim to the financial challenges so many other stars, from Aretha Franklin to Annie Leibovitz, have faced.

[For more, read: "How to Go Broke Like a Rock Star."]

On the same note, Smith says that even though she's a millionaire, no one would know it--and that's the point. She recommends saving at least 10 to 25 percent of your income. She also suggests avoiding buying "status" items, such as fancy sports cars or mansions. After all, bling doesn't make a millionaire--and in fact, too much of it can prevent you from ever becoming one.

What the Boss' Body Language Says

Most employees pay attention to what the boss says, while the savvy employee also pays attention to how it is being said. Bosses can be good at using -- not just reading -- body language, which may be one of the reasons they got to be boss in the first place.

Often the body changes quickly if the boss likes or does not like what he saw or heard, or if she is uncomfortable in what she is saying to you. So watch closely -- it happens in a nanosecond!

Here are some ways to help interpret the boss' body language:

Body Stance and Posture

Positive:

* Physically on the same level (sitting or standing).
* Directly faces you.
* Comes into your office rather than just standing at the door.
* In a group, sits or stands close to you.

Negative:

* Does not face you directly.
* Stands and looks down on you. (Ever have a boss who never sits?)
* Places both hands on his hips to create a wingspan. (Even the big guys and gals who don't need more "space" may do this.)
* In groups, avoids you, sits with others, or does not introduce you.

Eyes, Head, and Face

Positive:

* Looks you directly in the eye.
* Muscles around the eye are relaxed.
* Facial muscles are relaxed. Lips are their normal size.
* Pleasant face and friendly smile.

Negative:

* Rapid eye movement, does not look at you; has a cold, glaring, staring, or glazed-over look.
* Blinks more than normal.
* Raises one eyebrow as if in disbelief or doubt.
* Facial muscles are tight; lips thin out.
* Jaw muscles and clenched, and temple or neck veins throb.
* Smile is stiff and forced.

Hands, Arms, and Gestures

Positive:

* Hands are in view, opened, calm.
* Arms are open (but may be crossed in a comfortable position).

Negative:

* Hands are not in sight -- in pockets, or under the table or desk.
* Hands (in sight) are closed or in a fist; fingers tightly clasped.
* Arms are tightly crossed (defensive or protective position).
* Points or wags his or her finger aggressively.
* Drums his or her fingers or fidgets nervously.

Remember, sometimes body language is not about you. Bosses have their own issues and you might just be in the line of fire. Observe many situations and look for consistency for the full story.

Pat Mayfield is the president of Pat Mayfield Consulting, LLC, based in San Francisco and Pleasanton, California. She specializes in sales and marketing solutions, working with companies of all sizes.

10 Habits that Bosses Love

Every boss wants employees who do their jobs well. But even among highly competent employees, there are distinctions. Here are 10 tips for making sure you're on the boss's A-list:

1. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Especially at the beginning of your relationship -- that is, when either you or the boss is new to the job -- err on the side of giving your boss too much information and asking too many questions.

"There's no such thing as a dumb question," says Marianne Adoradio, a Silicon Valley recruiter and career counselor. "Look at it as information gathering."

Don't keep up the constant stream of communication unless your boss likes it, though. It's best to ask directly whether you're giving the boss enough information or too much.

2. Acknowledge what the boss says. Bosses appreciate "responsive listening," says John Farner, principal of Russell Employee Management Consulting. When your boss asks you to do something or suggests ways for you to improve your work, let her know you heard.

3. Collaborate. When your boss has a new idea, respond to it in a constructive way instead of throwing up roadblocks.

"Be willing to brainstorm ways to get something done," says Michael Beasley, principal of Career-Crossings and a leadership and career development coach.

4. Build relationships. You'll make your boss look good if you establish a good rapport with your department's customers, whether they're inside the company or outside. Bring back what you learn -- about ways to offer better customer service, for example -- to your boss. This is also helpful for your own career development.

"Everybody wins in the long run," Adoradio says.

5. Understand how you fit in. Is your boss detail-oriented, or someone who keeps his head in the clouds?

"The boss's personality is just incredibly important," says Norm Meshriy, a career counselor and principal of Career Insights.

Equally important is understanding what your boss wants in an employee. It may be, for example, that a boss who is detail-oriented will expect his employees to be as well. But a boss who has no time for details may actually appreciate an employee who does.

6. Learn the boss's pet peeves. If your manager has said repeatedly that she hates being interrupted first thing in the morning, don't run to her office to give her a project update when you first get in.

7. Anticipate the boss's needs. Once you have worked with your boss for a while, you should be able to guess what information he will want before approving your purchase order, for example.

If you provide it ahead of time, "that's a gold star," Farner adds.

8. Think one level up. You still need to do your own job, of course. But when managers consider who deserves a promotion, they look for people who understand the issues that their bosses face.

9. Open yourself to new ways of doing things. When your boss comes to you with a new idea, don't simply dismiss it. If you don't think it will work, offer to discuss it further in "a mature, responsible, adult-like way," Beasley says.

10. Be engaged in your work. Arguing with your boss over every request is not a good strategy, but neither is simply shrugging your shoulders and agreeing with everything your boss says. "The manager would like to see an engaged individual," Beasley says. That means both showing enthusiasm for your work and speaking up when you see room for improvement.

The Best Relationship Advice I Ever Got

#1. Polite Fight
"On my wedding-invitation RSVP cards, I left space for guests to write their favorite wedding wisdom. The tidbit that rings truest after almost nine months of marriage is: 'Attack the issue, not each other.' How it works: If my husband and I disagree about something, we stay focused on the issue and skip the personal put-downs." -- Melissa Gitter Schilowitz, 31, Metuchen, NJ

#2. Fit to a Tee
"My grandmother insisted that I learn how to play golf. 'If your husband loves to play, you can go along and spend hours together,' she said. So I took lessons, and now my husband and I hit the links once a month. We both love the game and are thrilled to share a hobby, even when we spend half an hour looking for my out-of-bounds balls!" -- Aimee Borders, 27, Houston, TX

#3. Tabletop Trick
"My aunt told me that if I'm running late when it's my turn to make dinner, just set the table. That way my husband thinks he'll be eating any minute, so he doesn't start complaining, which buys me some time. It's a silly trick that sounds straight out of the 1950s, but I have to admit that I've tried it a few times in the three years I've been married -- and it works!" -- Dawn Clayton, 34, Holdrege, NE

#4. Boob-Tube Brilliance
"Because my husband is such a remote-control freak, my mom suggested that we have 'my turn' TV nights. That means three nights a week I get to hold the remote and watch whatever I want, and on the other nights it's his turn to hold the remote and watch whatever he wants. Now when he starts flipping through the channels, it doesn't get on my nerves like it used to." -- Angela Clayton, 27, Odenton, MD

#5. Pop the Question
"My sister-in-law passed this helpful hint on to me, and it has served me well for our five years of wedded bliss: 'Marriage is not mind reading, so ask your spouse what he/she wants and believe what he/she says.'" -- Clare Graca, 27, Dallas

#6. Nix the Nit-Picking
"Before I said 'I do,' my mom (who's been married to my dad for 55 years) told me to take out a piece of paper and write down the top three things that bugged me about my husband-to-be. Then she told me to forget the things on that list and forgive him for not being flawless. Once you make a commitment this big, she explained, you can't let petty things get in the way. In our eight years of marriage, my husband and I have had two kids, tackled cross-country moves and started two businesses -- and so far, so great."-- Rebecca Hart Blaudow, 31, Jacksonville, FL

#7. Space Smarts
"Always have separate closets, my best friend told me. It may seem silly, but I listened to her and made sure to find a one-bedroom apartment with two closets (mine being the larger, of course). Now my husband and I each have our own private space, and we respect that: If he wants to keep his shoes in one huge heap or leave his dirty clothes in a pile on the floor, the mess doesn't bother me a bit!" -- Patricia Bontekoe, 26, Lake Hiawatha, NJ

#8. Agree to Disagree
"Before we got married, my minister told my husband and me, 'You are two imperfect people making an imperfect union, and that's wonderful.' This advice made me ditch my belief that in a happy marriage, the couple always agrees. My husband and I have learned to appreciate our differences (yes, even differences of opinion!); in fact, we encourage them because we realize now that those differences are what makes each of us unique and special." -- Beth Swanson, 28, Chicago

#9. Comic Relief
"Before I headed down the aisle, my stepfather told me to always laugh and never take myself too seriously. After four years of marriage, I know that this trick works. My husband and I often play practical jokes on each other and always try to crack each other up, even in the middle of an argument. Hey, if one person laughs, a fight tends to fizzle, doesn't it?" -- Lisa Giassa, 31, Bogota, NJ

Anti-Pop Advice From the Experts
You've probably heard a few of these pieces of marital pop wisdom before. If so, these marriage experts say to promptly forget 'em.
Love means never having to say you're sorry. "Oh, please! In marriage, love sometimes means having to say you're sorry even if you don't know what you did or you didn't mean to do it." -- Trisha Taylor, psychotherapist, Houston, TX
Always be totally honest. "What are you going to do, tell him that he's just too short and you can't stand his mother? Sometimes you need to temper the truth." -- Tara Fields, Ph.D., marriage, family and child therapist, Marin County, CA
Children come first. "This is bad advice if it means your husband always comes second. Of course you should love and care for your kids, but you should never lose sight of your couple-ness. The best thing a child can have is happy, fulfilled parents who are deeply in love." -- Mary Pender Greene, chief of social work services, Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services, New York
Always keep the peace. "No, no, no. If you don't face a hot issue head-on, you'll stockpile negative feelings. And before you know it, 20 years go by and you're still fighting over the same thing because you never resolved it in the first place." -- Rebecca S. Ward, M.S.W., psychotherapist, Little Rock, AR
Never go to bed angry. "Forget it. Often a couple needs time to calm down before they can rationally wrap up an argument. And that may take a few days, so in the meantime, get some sleep!" -- Gilda Carle, Ph.D., psychotherapist, New York

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

Seven Things No One Tells You About Marriage

That may sound grim. But here's a secret: Sometimes it's the least romantic parts of marriage that have the most to teach you about yourself, your partner, and the nature of love. Read on for some simple truths that will unlock the surprising treasures and pleasures in your imperfect, unstorybook, real-life love.

1. You will look at the person lying next to you and wonder, Is this it? Forever?
When you get married, you think that as long as you pick the right guy -- your soul mate -- you'll be happy together until death do you part. Then you wake up one day and realize that no matter how great he is, he doesn't make you happy every moment of every day. In fact, some days you might wonder why you were in such a hurry to get married in the first place. You think to yourself, "This is so not what I signed up for."

Actually, it is. You just didn't realize it the day you and your guy were cramming wedding cake into each other's faces, clinking champagne glasses, and dancing the Electric Slide. Back then you had no idea that "for better and for worse" doesn't kick in only when life hands you a tragedy. Your relationship mettle is, in fact, most tested on a daily basis, when the utter sameness of day-in/day-out togetherness can sometimes make you want to run for the hills. That's when the disappointment sneaks in, and maybe even a palpable sense of loneliness and grief. It's not him. It's just you, letting go of that sugarcoated fantasy of marriage that danced in your eyes the day you and your beloved posed in all those soft-focus wedding photos. You're learning that marriage isn't a destination; it's a journey filled with equal parts excitement and tedium.

Waking up from a good dream to face the harsh morning daylight may not seem like a reason to celebrate. But trust me, it is. Because once you let go of all the hokey stories of eternal bliss, you find that the reality of marriage is far richer and more rewarding than you ever could have guessed. Hard, yes. Frustrating, yes. But full of its own powerful, quiet enchantments just the same, and that's better than any fairy tale.

2. You'll work harder than you ever imagined.
Early on, when people say, "Marriage takes work," you assume "work" means being patient when he forgets to put down the toilet seat. In your naivete, you think that you will struggle to accommodate some annoying habit, like persistent knuckle cracking or flatulence.

If only it were that easy. Human beings, you may have noticed, are not simple creatures. Your man has mysterious, unplumbed depths -- and from where he sits, you're pretty complicated, too. You have to learn each other the same way that you once learned earth science or world geography. And getting married doesn't mean you're done -- it just means you've advanced to graduate-level studies. That's because every time you think you've mastered the material, he'll change a bit. And so will you. As two people grow and evolve, the real work of marriage is finding a way to relate to and nurture each other in the process.

"It's like losing weight," says Andrea Harden, 45, of Buffalo, NY. "You want it to be a one-time deal. You lost it, now just live. But then you learn it's a lifestyle. That's marriage. The effort is a forever thing." So don't be too hard on yourself -- or him -- on those days when you feel like you're struggling through remedial math.

3. You will sometimes go to bed mad (and maybe even wake up madder).
Whoever decided to tell newlyweds "Never go to bed angry" doesn't know what it's like inside a bedroom where tears and accusations fly as one spouse talks the other into a woozy stupor until night meets the dawn. If this scenario sounds familiar, I've got three words for you: Sleep on it.

You need to calm down. You need to gain perspective. You need to just give it a rest. I've found that an argument of any quality, like a fine wine, needs to breathe. A break in the action will help you figure out whether you're angry, hurt, or both, and then pinpoint the exact source. Maybe the fight that seemed to erupt over the overflowing garbage can is really about feeling underappreciated. Could be you're both stressed out at work and just needed to unload on someone. Taking a break will help you see that, and let go. Or maybe you really do have a legitimate disagreement to work out. Without a time-out, sometimes a perfectly good argument can turn into an endless round of silly back-and-forth, rehashing old and irrelevant transgressions as you get more and more wound up.

Even when you do manage to stay focused and on topic, there are some fights that stubbornly refuse to die by bedtime. And if you stifle your real feelings just to meet some arbitrary deadline, your marriage will surely be the worse for it. "This was a huge lesson for me," says Andrea. "As women we've been trained to make nice. But the whole kiss-and-make-up thing just to keep the peace was eating me up inside. I'd let things build up inside me until I just exploded. Now I wait a while to get hold of myself -- let the emotions settle a bit -- and state my position. Even if that means reopening the fight the next day."

4. Getting your way is usually not as important as finding a way to work together.
I can be a bit of a know-it-all. There, I said it. It's really not my intention to be hurtful or brash with people I love. It's just that a lifetime of experience has taught me that in most areas, at most times, I am right about most things. What shocked me several years into my marriage, though, was the realization that the more "right" I was, the more discontented my husband and I were as a couple. See, oddly enough, throughout his life Genoveso has been under the misguided impression that he's right most of the time (go figure!). So we'd lock horns -- often. That is, until I learned a few things.

Namely, that when it comes to certain disagreements, there is no right or wrong -- there is simply your way of looking at things and your husband's. "I used to be very black-and-white earlier in our marriage," says Lindy Vincent, 38, who lives in Minneapolis. "Now I see that I'm not all right and my husband is not all wrong. There's more gray in life than I thought, and that's taught me patience and the value of compromise."

5. A great marriage doesn't mean no conflict; it simply means a couple keeps trying to get it right.
Maybe you think that because of my newfound wisdom, Genoveso and I never fight anymore. Ha! As important as it is to strike a balance, it's also important to have a big, fat fight every now and then. Because when you fight, you don't just raise your voices; you raise real -- sometimes buried -- issues that challenge you to come to a clearer understanding of you, your man, and your relationship. I wouldn't give up our fights for anything in the world, because I know in the end they won't break us; they'll only make us stronger.

6. You'll realize that you can only change yourself.
Ever seen the '80s sci-fi cult classic "Making Mr. Right?" When the stylish heroine, played by Ann Magnuson, is hired to teach a robot how to act like a human, she seizes the chance to create a perfect guy. A hotshot commercial whiz, she uses her marketing prowess to shape John Malkovich's android character into her personal version of the ideal man -- sensitive, eager to please, and willing to listen.

There is a bit of that makeover fantasy in all of us -- something that makes us believe we can change the person we love, make him just a little bit closer to perfect. We may use support and empathy or shouts and ultimatums, but with dogged conviction we take on this huge responsibility, convinced we're doing the right thing.

Whatever our motives, the effort is exhausting. Transforming a full-grown man -- stripping him of decades-old habits, beliefs, and idiosyncrasies -- is truly an impossible task. And you will come to realize, sooner than later if you're lucky, that it is far easier to change the way you respond to him.

7. As you face your fears and insecurities, you will find out what you're really made of.
There were clues when Genoveso and I were dating, especially with the trust thing. Early on, I was supersuspicious of him. He used to say things like, "I'll call you at 8." Then, just to try to trip me up, he'd call at 8. I knew he was up to something, I just couldn't figure out what. The same kinds of experiences followed after the wedding. Except occasionally he would actually mess up. And I had no sense of scale when it came to rating his offenses; everything was a major violation. Whether he teased me about a new haircut or came home late, I seethed for days and even let thoughts of divorce creep into my head. I figured, if he loved me -- really and truly -- this stuff wouldn't happen.

I'd like to be able to say that this irrational behavior lasted only a few months and I eventually worked it out. Kind of, sort of, is closer to the truth. After years of looking deeply into my soul and talking to good friends and the best sister a girl could ever have, I've come to recognize certain things about myself. Not to get all Dr. Phil about it, but I've had to examine my history with an emotionally distant dad and a strong-willed mom and face up to all the ways, both good and bad, that those relationships have affected how I approach my marriage.
That's the strange beauty of marriage: It's full of hard times and hard lessons that no one can ever prepare you for. But in the end, those are the things that give richness to your life together -- and make your love even deeper and stronger than when it began.

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

5 Things Single Women Hate To Hear

Every time she hung out with her single female friends, the same gripes surfaced. Enough already with the how-to-snag-a-guy advice streaming from anyone and everyone as soon as status single was announced, they said.

Suddenly, Karin Anderson, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Concordia University Chicago, found herself keeping track of what these single women were saying, replacing the strict academic research techniques she was used to with more informal polling.

What she found was a deluge of well-meaning advice being issued to singles that, while offered with the best of intentions, not only wasn't working but was making singles' skin crawl.

"The message to singles tends to be that they're doing something wrong, 'You're too this' or 'You're not enough that.' Being single is treated as this problem that needs to be solved," says Anderson. "That's really bogus. We should be telling single women, 'You're fine. There's nothing wrong. Enjoy your life.'"

These five snippets of well-meaning advice to singles top Anderson's list of worst offenses. Here's why.

1) What's Said: MAYBE YOU'RE NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH.

What's Heard: "This can come off sounding like you're passing judgment on effort," says Anderson. "It's better to encourage a single person to explore new relationships to the extent they are comfortable and to extend themselves in ways that feel natural and not forced."

2) What's Said: WEAR MORE MAKEUP.

What's Heard: More than implying that the search for Mr. Right is as easy as brushing a spot of color onto the cheeks, this comment offends further by actually attacking a person's core identity. "A woman presents herself according to what she defines as meaningful. Whether her style is glamorous belle or au naturelle, every woman should be allowed to be herself. There's a man out there who is going to be attracted to her style, whatever it is. If she's presenting herself as anyone other than who she really is, that's false advertising and that's going to backfire."

3) What's Said: GET BACK OUT THERE!

What's Heard: This can send the signal that the single person is simply not doing enough speed or Internet or blind dating, or worse, that she isn't living a full enough life. "Singles are not by definition hiding out in their closets curled up in the fetal position all day," says Anderson. "Most are likely working, meeting friends out for dinner and events, working out."

4) What's Said: YOU'RE TOO PICKY.

What's Heard: This implies that at some point, a point that the single friend or loved one has reached, she is no longer allowed to be discriminating, says Anderson. "This sends single women the message that their time to be choosy is up, that it's now time to go out and pick up any chump."

5) What's Said: TONE IT DOWN A NOTCH.

What's Heard: You ask too many questions. You're too intimidating. You're overly opinionated. You're too consumed with work. "This is interpreted by single women to mean that they have to dial down their core identity a notch in order to attract potential suitors and make them feel comfortable," says Anderson. "Suggesting that a woman reduce the fullness of who she is to lure a mate will lead to an inauthentic connection, and is a recipe for a disastrous relationship or marriage. Because really, how long can any person fake it and maintain a facade?"

Kesan Penagihan Alkohol

Sebagaimana warga USM sedia maklum, insiden yang telah berlaku ke atas salah seorang kakitangan Pejabat Perhubungan Awam USM pada 20 Ogos lalu telah meninggalkan kesan yang amat mendalam ke atas setiap individu yang mengenalinya. Pemergiannya penuh tragis akibat daripada sikap tidak bertanggungjawab pemandu di bawah pengaruh alkohol.

Langkah drastik yang diambil oleh USM dengan mengadakan Kempen Anti Alkohol adalah wajar bagi menunjukkan tentangan warga kampus terhadap sikap individu yang memandu di bawah pengaruh alkohol. Selain daripada itu, ia juga memupuk warga USM khasnya dan masyarakat umum tentang padahnya akibat penagihan alkohol.

PenawaRacun kali ini mengambil kesempatan berkongsi maklumat tentang bahaya penagihan alkohol.

Larangan agama sememangnya berasas. Malah, setiap agama di dunia ini turut melarang tabiat tersebut di kalangan para penganutnya. Selain memabukkan alkohol juga memudaratkan kesihatan diri sekiranya diamalkan berterusan. Ia umpama kombinasi dadah dan racun kepada badan kita.

Kesan ketagihan akibat meminum alkohol bukannya bergantung kepada jenis alkohol tetapi jumlah yang diminum pada satu-satu masa. Pada dasarnya terdapat dua kesan yang ketara pada penagih alkohol iaitu kesan jangka pendek dan jangka panjang.

Kesan jangka pendek pengambilan alkohol lebih kurang satu botol besar menjadikan seseorang itu kurang daya koordinasi seperti tidak boleh berjalan dengan betul dan tidak boleh membuka pintu. Dalam masa yang singkat ini juga boleh menyebabkan hangover. Hangover lazimnya disebabkan oleh keracunan alkohol, bahan lain dalam alkohol dan tindakbalas ketagih alkohol. Tanda-tanda hangover alkohol termasuklah sakit kepala, loya, muntah, cirit birit, gangguan pergerakan usus dan menggeletar selama 8 – 12 jam kemudian.

Kesan jangka panjang akan dirasai selepas meminumnya selama beberapa bulan atau tahun. Kesan utama adalah seperti sakit jantung, hati atau penyakit dalam perut. Bila situasi ini berlaku mereka akan kurang selera makan, kekurangan vitamin, jangkitan penyakit, mati pucuk atau kekurangan haid. Kematian yang awal adalah lebih kerap pada orang yang kuat minum, terutamanya daripada sakit jantung atau hati, radang paru-paru, kanser, keracunan alkohol yang teruk, kemalangan, pembunuhan dan pembunuhan diri.

Kesan pada otak
Pada asasnya selepas diminum, alkohol akan meresap dari usus kecil ke dalam darah. Alkohol terus dibawa ke jantung yang kemudiannya mengepam darah beralkohol tadi ke seluruh tubuh. Dari sini ia terus meresap ke dalam otak dan seterusnya ke urat saraf. Otak merupakan salah satu organ penting yang dimiliki oleh manusia kerana otaklah yang mengawal segala pergerakan dan perlakuan seseorang dan dengan kemasukan bahan asing ini ke dalamnya ia akan mempengaruhi pergerakan dan kelakuan peminumnya.

Di sini, alkohol menyebabkan penindasan kawasan-kawasan yang biasanya mengawal maruah dan disiplin diri sehingga peminum mula merasa kurang sifat malu, fikiran bercelaru, dan pergerakannya pula agak tidak terkawal.

Peminum juga kurang keupayaan dari segi belajar, membentuk idea spontan, menumpukan fikiran, dan membuat pertimbangan yang teliti. Semakin banyak jumlah alkohol yang diminum semakin kuat otak tertindas sehinggakan boleh menyebabkan tidak sedarkan diri dan seterusnya kematian.

Kesan pada hati
Kesan alkohol yang paling bahaya adalah kesan pada hati. Setiap kali seorang peminum meminum alkohol, hati akan mengalami kecederaan (mendapat luka). Sel hati akan mati dan menjadi parut. Parut ini akan mengurangkan kemampuan hati untuk berfungsi dengan sempurna. Parut yang serius akan menyebabkan hati tidak dapat berfungsi langsung. Keadaan ini disebut sirosis hati dan boleh membawa maut.

Bengkak hati (hepatitis) juga boleh berlaku disebabkan oleh lebihan toksik alkohol. Pada mulanya ia menyebabkan hati mengembang dan lama kelamaan saluran darah akan mengecut. Ini menyebabkan darah tidak dapat mengalir ke hati dengan sempurna dan akhirnya saluran darah akan membengkak lalu pecah. Pada peringkat kritikal, penghidap hepatitis akan mengalami muntah darah dan najis mereka akan bercampur dengan darah.

Kesan pada perut
Alkohol juga menyebabkan kerengsaan perut (gastritis) yang akhirnya boleh membawa kepada ulser. Bagi mereka yang memang menghidapi ulser perut, sakitnya akan menjadi semakin teruk.

Kesan pada saraf
Kerosakan saraf boleh menyebabkan pelbagai jenis penyakit seperti sindrom Wernicke-Korsakoff dan kerosakan sel-sel otak, yang seterusnya membawa kepada komplikasi psikiatri. Peminum boleh mengalami halusinasi pendengaran, amnesia, paranoia, depresi, dan kecenderungan membunuh diri.

Kesan pada janin
Peminum alkohol kronik yang sedang hamil boleh menyebabkan kandungannya mempunyai ciri-ciri kecacatan seperti kekurangan berat badan, saiz kepala yang terlalu kecil berbanding tubuh, kurang penyelarasan otot, keadaan muka yang rata, dan kelemahan sendi-sendi.

Selain daripada kesan-kesan di atas, alkohol juga bertindak dengan pelbagai sistem dan organ tubuh. Contohnya, kesan terhadap sistem peredaran tubuh menyebabkan darah lebih banyak dialirkan ke kulit. Ini menyebabkan kulit peminum menjadi kemerah-merahan dan perpeluhan meningkat. Pengepaman jantung juga bertambah pantas dan kuat seperti individu yang sedang melakukan senaman. Kepada penghidap penyakit jantung, mereka mempunyai kemungkinan diserang penyakit itu.

Peminum alkohol juga didapati lebih cenderung membuang air kecil dengan kerap kerana etanol boleh merencat hormon penahan kencing.

Peminum alkohol juga mungkin mengalami anemia, hipoglisemia (kekurangan gula di dalam darah), dan ketandusan vitamin.

Bagi perokok yang meminum alkohol boleh meningkatkan risiko kanser sebanyak 15 kali terutamanya pada bahagian mulut dan tekak.

Selain daripada kesan ke atas kesihatan ia boleh juga menimbulkan pelbagai masalah sosial. Masalah ketagihan alkohol boleh merosakkan hubungan persahabatan, kehilangan pekerjaan, hutang, simpanan keluarga dihabiskan, masalah rumah tangga, penganiayaan, penderaan, keruntuhan moral dan sebagainya.

Oleh itu hindarilah dari meminum minuman tersebut kerana jelas keburukan alkohol jauh mengatasi kebaikannya.

It’s lights out ’til morning

BEFORE we become parents, we just know that those sleepless nights other parents have would not happen to us. Oh no, our children would know who is boss right from the word go.

When they are put to bed, they would go to sleep and around a decent time in the morning, they would wake up and say: "Thank you for putting me to bed. I am so well rested now. May I have some breakfast?"

And then, of course, the dream is shattered by actually having children.

If you’re struggling to win the war on bedtimes, there are some solutions at hand. However, it is going to take a concerted effort to fix it.

If you are a two-parent family, or live in an extended family situation, your biggest problem often isn’t the children, but the other adults in the house undermining your rules and authority.

The very first thing you need to do is work out with all the adults what the rules are. If everyone is providing a united front, then half the battle is already won.

Bedtime battles are generally far more about control than anything else. If a child senses you and the other adults are not agreeing, they’ll use that to dodge the bedtime bullet.

Once you have the adults on your side, you can create an environment that’s going to get your children sleeping like, well, babies.

All through this process, it is very important to remember that you’re the grown-up here. Stay calm and loving, keep positive and follow through with the new rules.

» Sticking to bedtime

Things happen from time to time that can throw this out the window but children thrive on routine. With younger children, especially, you have to make the rule and stick to it.

You can give your child the power to choose his/her own bedtime, making the second option only 15 minutes or so later than the first.

If you have older children, you may decide to let them stay up longer on weekends as a treat.

Teenagers would not like having lights out early, but you can tell them they are expected to be in their own rooms by a certain time.

» Make it consistent

Develop a bedtime routine that leads up to going to bed every night and stick to it. It helps everyone to wind down and get ready and gives you a routine that becomes familiar with time.

» Time’s up

Give them a warning around an hour or so before bedtime, so they have plenty of time to start winding down. If they have chores to do before bed or homework, they may need a bit more notice. This isn’t about creating tension but about making things easier for everyone.

» Staying in bed

Sometimes your children are just not going to be tired. It can be referred to as adult time, but even so, children need to remain in bed during this period.

Older children may want to read, younger children may want to play. Everything is okay, as long as they are in bed, playing or reading quietly. It’s their wind-down time.

» Set down the rules

If they are coming out for drinks, give them a bottle of water to take into their bedroom. If they are popping to the toilet, then say this is permissible only if they do not talk to anybody.

Keep all post bedtime interactions to a bare minimum when they are up.

» Plan your evening

If you set it up, this could be the beginning of some lovely quiet time for you too. Take back your evenings, and enjoy both the benefits of a well-rested child, and a well-rested you.

A Study of the National Aftercare Programme

This study of the Aftercare Programme is a follow-up of an earlier study of official treatment and rehabilitation programme for institutionalized drug dependents. This postal survey used a self-administered questionnaire that contained salient features and factors elicited in the qualitative approach of an earlier case study. The respondents are mainly rehabilitation officers involved with the Aftercare Programme throughout Peninsular Malaysia.

The major findings were the goals and objectives of the Aftercare Programme, which are to help recovering addicts to reintegrate into society, and to be fully functioning without resorting to drugs need to be translated into measurable components that can be effectively implemented and monitored. Lack of resources both material and personnel were apparent. The programme officers have to perform functions that have no relationship to the programme goals. Lack of professionally skilled staff impedes the progress of staff-client relationship and the success of client’s psychosocial adaptation. Administrative work features a great deal in the function of the officers thereby reducing the time for interaction with their clients. Various aspects of the Aftercare Programme need refinement and redevelopment so as to ensure that the recovering addicts would have greater likelihood not to relapse. The involvement of the family, volunteers and the community in general needs to be further enhanced and mobilized. Support from ex-addicts helping in various aspects of treatment and rehabilitation is a recommended strategy to enhance the programme success. Better data management of client’s records is needed to improve the monitoring system and facilitate the conducting of meaningful programme evaluation.

A Study into Certain Aspects of Drug Education Programmes in Malaysian Schools

This survey was conducted on all government secondary schools in the states of Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Penang. The study covered evaluation of several aspects of existing drug education programmes in Malaysian schools, as well as research activities directed towards developing and testing new drug education programmes for secondary schools.

This study reports on five main aspects or activities related to drug education in the 250 secondary schools surveyed in the states of Kedah, Penang, Perak and Perlis. The data was analyzed with respect to two important variables, namely, categories of schools and the risk level of the school. The five main aspects covered in this survey are, printed materials such as posters and pamphlets, non-printed materials (slides and films), and talks, seminars and workshops, and finally the school curriculum. In addition the comments of the headmasters regarding the drug education programmes in their schools were also sought.

The results of the survey indicated that the headmasters in general considered the existing facilities like posters, pamphlets, films, slides, exhibitions, talks, seminars and workshops as relatively useful for drug education. There is a slight indication that the larger schools tended to have more opportunities to participate in these activities than smaller schools and that schools in high-risk areas were more receptive of these activities. This trend was not strong but is present for some of these activities. In addition, the three school subjects considered most relevant to drug education are Civics, Health Education and Islamic Religious Instruction. It was felt that an attempt should be made to provide a systematic drug education programme in the existing syllabus in order to help prepare students to stay away from drugs while in school and especially after they leave school. The study concludes that an important and desirable feature of any drug education programme in schools is its preventive nature, thus it should employ strategies aimed at helping students to develop correct attitudes and values towards drugs and healthy living. Such attitudes and values will form the basis for students’ decisions on the use of drugs when they leave school.

A Comparative Study of the Psycho-Social Profile of Drug Using and Non-Drug Using School Children

The purpose of the study was to obtain a psychosocial profile of a group of secondary school children in Penang as an attempt to understand the background of potential drug users in schools. More specifically the study attempted to compare the background and some characteristics of the drug users and the non-drug users in school.

The major findings related to the general pattern on substance use for the full sample are: 73% of the Penang upper secondary school children have never taken any form of soft drugs (cigarettes and alcohol) or hard drugs (prescription drugs from either legal or illegal sources like tranquillizers, barbiturates and stimulants, as well as illegal drugs like opium, cannabis and heroin). Use patterns show that only a small minority of hard drug users was frequent or polydrug users, a greater number were occasional monodrug users using drugs on experimental basis. Alcohol and cigarettes have remained as the most commonly used soft drugs by secondary school children. A larger proportion of students using hard drugs tended to smoke and/or drink. The average age of initiation for smoking and using hard drugs is 16 years and above. Drug abuse adolescents tended to report low religiosity and poor relationship with their families. Large variability in school performance of hard drug users was noted; they have a lower general self-concept, lower value on moral-self, family-self and behaviour. There was no difference in anxiety level between drug users and non-users. Attempts to relate locus of control with substance-abuse behaviour found no significant relationship between the two variables. However, the trend revealed that drug users tended to be more externally controlled compared to non-users. Finally in comparing psychological needs, the study revealed that drug users tended to be more achieving, impulsive, aggressive, dominating, attention-seeking, to engage in fantasized-achievement and take greater risks.

A Follow-up Study on Drug Addicts after Treatment and Rehabilitation

This is a prospective six-month follow-up study on drug addicts after treatment and rehabilitation. The main concern is to find out during this critical period, whether the addicts were able to stay off drugs or fall back to drugs and what happened during the process.

The major findings were: quite a number of the addicts cannot be traced after completing treatment and rehabilitation; 25% dropped-out of the study mainly due to drug use; 39.2% of those follow-up were re-addicted while 17.9% "slipped"; only 17.9% managed to abstain from drugs during the six months follow-up period. Addicts who relapsed can be divided into 2 groups: those who returned to drugs immediately after rehabilitation, and those who fall back several months later after attempting to stay away from drugs without success. The main reasons identified for relapse were mixing with addict-friends, boredom, craving for drugs and emotional pressure. The majority of those who slipped first started to consume alcohol because they thought alcohol is not a drug. A combination of various factors such as strong family support, avoiding drug addicts or the temptations, mixing with non-addicts, self-realization, having a job, determination and beneficial activities to fill their time helped the addicts to abstain from drugs. Cigarette smoking is rather common and most of the cases returned to cigarette smoking rather immediately. Majority of those who dropped-out, relapsed or slipped, started alcohol use soon after treatment.

The study recommended for the whole treatment and rehabilitation programme to be reviewed. Families need to be educated about addiction, rehabilitation, relapse prevention and handling of addicts. Rehabilitated addicted have to be integrated into their families before they return to the larger community. The problem of easy availability of drugs must be dealt with seriously. Joining self-help groups, recreational activities and guidance from recovering addicts are important.

Study of Misuse of Drugs among Secondary School Children

Two studies in this area of research were conducted, the first in the west coast states of Penang and Selangor, followed by a comparative study in the east coast state of Kelantan. The misuse of drugs by secondary school children in Malaysia has caused considerable public and official concern. These studies were conducted to investigate the extent and nature of illicit drug taking amongst Malaysian secondary school children; and to compare the drug using individuals against their non-drug using contemporaries in terms of their social background, educational aspirations and performance, social relationships, general attitudes and value system, self concepts, and their knowledge of and attitude towards drug and drug taking, as well as the reasons drug users give for their habit and comparison of the users of different types of drug in these regions.

The west coast study gives an introduction to the scientific background, and considers the drugs in use (ganja (cannabis), heroin, morphine, opium, sedatives, tranquillizers, amphetamines) and their effects, and the social and psychological characteristics of the drug user. An appropriate methodology is suggested for dealing with as sensitive a topic as drug use. The studies describe the patterns of drug use revealed on self-reported questionnaires administered to over 16,000 school children in the west coast states and to over 4,700 school children in Kelantan. Striking similarities were found between the east and west coast states in all the study aspects surveyed. Both surveys showed a very consistent picture of the level and nature of drug abuse amongst this sample population. The three states of Penang, Selangor and Kelantan – have contrasting traditions and present-day economic and social concerns; and yet in all three the problem of youthful drug abuse have been shown to have much the same characteristics. That ten percent of the secondary school population has experience of drug substances, some of which may be addictive and all of which are illegal, is cause for concern; but that the majority of these individuals cease the use of drugs after brief experimentation is reason for responding to the problem with caution. Over-reaction on the part of society might well have the effect of maintaining such experimenters on their drugs, and increasing the already apparent interest in illegal drugs admitted to by a significant minority of individuals who have never experienced any illegal drug. (Indeed, a realistic way was expressed to members of the survey team by a number of headmasters in Kelantan, who feared that the very conducting of survey might itself strengthen curiosity about drugs amongst their pupils).

The studies concluded that there is a serious problem of drug abuse without this problem reaching epidemic proportions, the treatment facilities available are inadequate; the most damaging way society – parents, teachers, policy makers and others – could respond would be to see the issue as a social menace, without realizing the normal human motivations that have led the adolescent generation to use drugs; treat the curious and experimenting adolescent as reasonable individuals who can be educated; treat regular users in a compassionate manner rather than alienating them by the process of stigmatization; be honest in using the process of influence; and above all realize that the menace to society lies in the manufacturers, traffickers and pushers of drugs rather than in their commercial victims.

Drug Abuse and Dependence among Adolescents in Malaysia

The purpose of the study is to examine the problem of young drug abusers of 21 years old and below. It also aims to examine the trend of drug abuse among this group, over the years 1978 through 1987. The socio-demographic characteristics of these young abusers and their general pattern of drug use were examined.

The study concluded that a majority of the young drug abusers in Malaysia, identified over the years 1978 – 1987 were not chronic and heavy users. There are some influences on the pattern of drug use and the socio-demographic background of young abusers by ethnicity, academic status and age. A larger proportion of the Malay young abusers attained higher education. This indicates a need to investigate further on the psychosocial factors that contributed to this phenomenon. Late adolescence (15 – 19 years old) was found to be the most vulnerable time period to drug abuse for student abusers. A larger proportion of student abusers were found using cannabis while a larger proportion of non-student abusers were found using heroin. A majority of the non-student abusers were found to be ‘drop-outs’ of Primary Six or LCE.