Descripción del hardware y software de Estadística

The use of opium derivatives constitutes the major narcotics problem. These are far more powerful in their stimulating effect and in the addiction which they produce. The opium derivatives are a group of some twenty alkaloids which possess complex organic structures. Their general appearance is that of a white powder. The alkaloids most commonly used illegally are morphine, heroin, and codeine.

a) Morphine: 'Morphine in the form of morphine sulphate, morphine hydrochloride, and morphine tartrate is widely used by the medical profession as an analgesic. It is the most important of the alkaloids and constitutes about 12 percent of the use of raw opium. For legitimate use it is found in the form of 'a small white cube or tablet approximately one gram in weight. Illegally it is usually sold as a white powder, a small quantity of which is wrapped in a glassine paper in this form the quantity is referred to as a “deck.” Almost invariably the morphine is "Cut" or diluted by the sellers to obtain greater profits. The actual amount of morphine present in a deck may be as low as 3 percent; the remainder is a harmless white substance such as milk sugar.

i) Method of Use: Although morphine may be taken orally the method is considered wasteful. Ordinarily the addict injects it into his body by means of a hypodermic needle or its improvised equivalent. For medical purposes the drug would be injected under the skin or into the muscles. To achieve a more rapid and stimulating effect, however, the addict usually injects it directly into the blood stream. The user employing this method is called a “mainlines”. The investigator should become familiar with the apparatus characteristically employed by the addict. A bent spoon, medicine dropper, needle, and rubber band constitute the user's "kit." The chug is dissolved in water placed in a bent spoon. A match is applied to the bottom of the spoon to accelerate the dissolving by heat. The medicine dropper is used in place of the conventional hypodermic syringe. The needle, attached to the dropper by the rubber band, is used to penetrate the skin. Still cruder

methods may be employed by the addict. In place of the needle, the end of the dropper may be broken to present a jagged edge to the skin again; the user may simply incise the skin with a sharp blade and insert the end of the dropper.

ii) Effects: With the injection of the drug the addict experiences an extraordinary stimulation. A sense of euphoria pervades his being. His spirit is invigorated, his mind becoming keener and his self-confidence increasing greatly. The effect lasts for several hours, after which he gradually subsides into his former state. With prolonged use of the drug the addict will develop great tolerance and require a daily dosage many times more than that which originally supplied a stimulus.

iii) Identifying the Addict: When in possession of his normal supply of the drug, it is difficult to distinguish an addict on the basic of his appearance. Experienced narcotics investigators are unable to detect the addict by merely looking at his face. His conduct will appear quite normal since he ordinarily has adjusted himself to the use of the drug. There will be no irrational or otherwise exceptional behavior beyond a possible excess of enthusiasm. When the effects of the drug have worn off, however, the addict may by an unusual drowsiness;

prolonged abstinence may also result in identifiable symptoms. With the lapse of twenty-four hours after withdrawal, the addict will begin to experience severe pains in his back and legs. He may be overcome by nausea and suffer pains in his stomach. His eyes and nose begin to run in continuous lachrymation.

iv) Physical Marks: Under- the influence of morphine the eyes of the user will be characterized by a contracted pupil which does not react normally to changes of intensity of illumination. Since the addict must inject the drug quite frequently, his arms will be marked by punctures and scabs. The recent `application of the needle will be shown by a small red spot on which a small drop of blood has coagulated. The scab formed over this mark will remain for approximately ten days. Dark blue scar tissue may be seen where the vein walls have broken down through repeated punctures. Some addicts, especially women, will inject in the area in back of the thighs.

©Journal of Contemporary Security and Safety Studies 2019

41

v) Sources of Supply: The use of morphine as a sedative or an analgesic is quite common in the medical profession; hence the drug can be legally manufactured. The illegal trade is supplied by smuggling, clandestine manufacture, or theft from legitimate users such as hospitals or pharmacies. Morphine has for the most part been supplanted by heroin as the drug of choice in the illicit trade.

3.00 CODEINE: CHARACTERISTICS AND IDENTIFICATIONS

Methylmorphine or codeine: is similar in many respects to morphine, but its effects are very much weaker in intensity. It is a natural alkaloid of opium and is in common medical use as a sedative in cough mixtures and an analgesic in tablet form. Its physical state in its pure form is that of a crystalline powder or of long, slender, while crystals. Although codeine, like all psychoactive drugs, represents a certain hazard for dependence-prone individuals, the problem of drug abuse with codeine does not remotely approach that of morphine or heroin. Primary codeine dependence can occur, but because of its rarity is considered to be a medical curiosity, and vast clinical experience supports the view that the danger of inducing dray dependence with the usual therapeutic dose is slight.

Instances of abuse of codeine cough syrups, particularly by juveniles, have at times been publicized by the news media, leaving the impression that the problem is widespread.

Heroin: Heroin is a synthetic drug made from morphine as a diacetyl derivative. It is by far the most common drug occurring in cases of narcotic addiction. In appearance it is usually a white, crystalline powder; occasionally it is found in cubes or tablets. The method of use is similar to that of morphine. Rarely the user absorbs it by sniffing or rubbing into the gums. The effects of heroin are the same as those of morphine but greatly magnified in intensity. "Four times more powerful" is a phrase commonly used in comparing these two days. The withdrawal symptoms are qualitatively identical.

The Heroin Problems

The Problem of Addiction: Although there is no doubt that using certain psychoactive drugs predisposes a person to repeat the experience, opinion is divided on whether this results from a biochemical change or from a purely psychological or behavioral response.

Whether addiction results from a biochemical change or from an unconsciously learned behavior pattern, or both, there is no doubt among researchers that certain chemicals have a molecular structure capable of inducing varying degrees of pleasure in the user.

Psychologica1 dependence is a response in behavior patterns that leads a parson to want to take the drug again and again, often simply because it feels so good.

Depending on the individual's personality, almost any drug can produce a psychological dependence. One indication of its strength is the difficulty tobacco smokers have in quitting the habit. Physical dependence, on the other hand, involves actual biochemical changes in the body so that the brain cells appear to function normally only in the presence of the drug. A phenomenon often confused with physical dependence is tolerance. This is an adaptation of the brain cells in which they become able to function normally in the presence of the drug but do not require the drug. Increasing tolerance makes it necessary to increase the close to achieve the same effects.

The Problem of Contagion: One of the hardest-dying myths is that the dope pusher is the person most responsible for spreading addiction among the young.

By now we know that the biggest culprit is not the pusher, who plays an indispensable backup role, but the youthful, enthusiastic addict who thinks he's onto a good thing and wishes to share it with his friends. This applies to mane different drug addictions, but when it comes to heroin, initiation in the use of the needle is an important ritual that requires one addict to teach another. Hence, heroin maintenance is no solution as long as there are young, enthusiastic users constantly enlarging the addict population.

Institutional Response: Those who look for a cure, e.g., for heroin, through methadone or heroin antagonists (or through law enforcement) must constantly be reminded that for every drug eliminated ten can be found to take its place that will produce nearly equivalent euphoria, addiction, and trouble. The problems of addiction are not the problems of all isolated drug whether alcohol or methaqualone, but rather are symptomatic of sociological and economic conditions.

Synthetic Analgesics

Modern medical research has developed a series of drugs deigned to be used as substitutes for the opium derivatives. These chemically synthesized drugs produce the same effects as the narcotics preciously discussed. They are prescribed as anal-gesics, that is, substances which relieve pain. Since their effects are similar to those of morphine they have been declared opiates and heir manufacture sale, and use are strictly regulates: by the Controlled Substances Act. Among the more important of these synthetic analgesics are the following: meperidine, methadone, Dilaudid and Percodan.

a)

Meperidine: Meperidine hydrochloride is also known by the following names: Demerol, Dolantin, Dolantol'. Endolat', and the international generic name, pethidine. For relief of pain this drug lies somewhere between morphine and codeine in its

42

©Journal of Contemporary Security and Safety Studies 2019 effects. Opinions vary in regard to its capacity to

develop physiologic dependence. The drug does have a moderate degree of addiction liability. Mild withdrawal symptoms are observable. These are qualitatively similar to morphine but considerably milder.

b)

Methadone: Methadone hydrochloride is also known by the following trade names:

Mlethadon, Amidone, Amidon, Dolo-phin, and Adanon. Its pharmacologic action is like that of morphine, except for its failure to produce a "high."

Methadone can definitely produce an addiction. The withdrawal symptoms are more gradual in their appearance and are less severe than those of morphine. In treating addiction to heroin, physicians commonly substitute methadone to alleviate withdrawal pains. A number of cities have instituted programs of methadone maintenance to care for their heroin addicts.

c)

Dilaudid (Dihydromorphinone Hydrochloride): This substance is closely allied to morphine in its chemical nature and in its physiological effects. It is effective ^-in closes considerably smaller than are necessary with morphine. The withdrawal symptoms are qualitatively identical with and just as severe as those attending abstinence from morphine.

d)

Percodan (Oxycodone Hydrochloride and other analgesic ingredients): An effective and widely used pain reliever. Percodan has achieved great popularity in the illegal market among youths.

It is a semisynthetic opium derivative sold in yellow or pink pills. Percodan is similar to codeine iii its effects and is somewhat greater in its addictive potential. Under the trade name of percobarb this substance is offered in combination with a barbiturate in the form of a and-white or blue-and-yellow capsule.

4.00 COCAINE: CHARACTERISTICS AND IDENTIFICATIONS

This drug is a sparkling white crystalline powder which is obtained from the leaves of the coca shrub.

Ercthrosylon coca, a plant cultivated by Andean Indians before the Spanish occupation. The raw coca leaves are either chewed or brewed as a tea by the Indians to deaden pain, allay fatigue, diminish hunger, and relieve altitude sickness. Cocaine is derived from the coca leaves either as an alkaloid powder or a more water-soluble hydrochloride. It has a legitimate medical use as a surface anesthetic. Illegally, the drug is taken through the nose by sniffing or is injected in the vein. The initial effect is stimulating, pleasurable, and productive of self-confidence.

i. Ingestion: The typical price to the cocaine dealer is several hundred dollars an ounce.

Ordinarily, the pure cocaine will be diluted with lactose, dextrose, or quinine and sold at an exorbitant price to the customer. The user takes the substance either by sniffing or by injection. Oral ingestion is ordinarily confined to: e coca leaf chewing or brewing by Indians.

ii. Sniffing: It is still a common practice to administer the drug sniffing. A small amount is placed on the back of the hand and snuffed up. This direct application, however, can result in the destruction of bode cells and the consequent erosion of the septum or middle part of the nose. Excessive use ^is accompanied by a characteristic deformity the so-called

"rat's nose."

iii. Injecting. Injecting is done as with heroin: a water solution of cocaine is drawn into a hypodermic (or its equivalent) and injected into the vein. "Mainlining" is preferred because of the intense, quick-acting, and longer-lasting effect.

iv. Physical Effects: Cocaine is an intense central nervous system stimulant, affecting the higher brain centers to render the user alert, restless, and apparently more energetic. The sense of fatigue is diminished and the appetite suppressed. 1n extreme cases, paranoia and psychosis may appear with nausea and hallucination. Although relatively rare, cardiac failure and subsequent death can result from an overdose of cocaine in the bloodstream.

v. Mental Effects: Following an injection, the cocaine user experiences great exhilaration and even a sense of ecstasy. He becomes restless and garrulous. With heavy use hallucinations and illusions of a paranoid nature may develop: the user may become an irresponsible victim of his imagination. The chief evil in the immoderate use of cocaine is thought to be an excessive freedom from inhibitions and a consequent predisposition to reckless action, aggressive behaviour, and confusion.

vi. Dependence and Withdrawal: Neither tolerance nor physical dependence develops with the continued use of cocaine. It is not addicting in the sense in which the opiates are addicting; that is, there is no characteristic abstinence syndrome. The continued use of cocaine can develop a

©Journal of Contemporary Security and Safety Studies 2019

43

strong psychic dependence, leading, to a profound and dangerous type of abuse. It should be kept in mind that there is a dearth of scientific knowledge about the abuse of cocaine and very little experimentation on its effects is being performed.

vii. The User: There is no typical cocaine user, and the range of personalities covered by the term is quite broad. The user may be a young adult in search of a new experience or a depressed person seeking to recapture his interest in life. As a hallucinatory drug, cocaine has an attraction for the rock-drug culture, in which mind-expansion and the atmosphere of illusion have a special value.

As a stimulant, cocaine appeals to the imaginative but unsure person looking to acquire a feeling of self-confidence among the regular users of cocaine are said to be a sizable number of well-known public personalities who wish to project an enthusiastic and energetic image. In brief the cocaine user can be ascribed as a person who wishes to change an impression-either his impression of the world about him or the impression he glees to the world.

Characteristics: The drug dealer now has a product with the following characteristics:

1) It is 70 to 90 percent pure which leads to a more intense euphoria.

2) It can be smoked: The lungs are designed for inhaled oxygen to pass quickly into the bloodstream. Inhaled crack enters the bloodstream and is carried to the brain in a matter of seconds.

3) It is economical. Because smaller amounts of cocaine are required. $1,000 worth of cocaine can be converted to over $2,000 worth of crack.

4) It is highly- addictive: While crack produces an intense euphoria, the depression that follows is equally severe. Smoking crack can lead a susceptible individual to compulsive use in six to ten weeks.

a) Distribution: In a typical urban setting, crack dealing evolved into a highly efficient organization, usually involving:

1) Supplier: He hires she dealer to sell his drugs. In a large operation the supplier mad- have as many as five dealers working for him.

2) Dealer: He does the actual selling of the crack and hires the doorman, the steerer, and the lookout.

3) Doorman: He guards the dealer from being robbed by other drug dealers or by customers.

4) Steerer: The function of the steerer is to conduct customers met on the street to the dealer.

5) Lookout: Usually a young boy on a bicycle will tip off the doorman in the event of trouble.

6) Courier: Frequent deliveries of drugs by a courier is essential. In the event the crack dealer is apprehended by the police, he will usually be carrying no more than a dozen crack vials, a supply well below the amount necessary to support a felony charge of selling drugs.

b) Location: Different types of premises are often used for the manufacturing, buying, and consuming of crack.

1) Crack Factory: This is a house or apartment where the crack is manufactured for distribution to dealers.

2) Crack House: Crack cannot be smoked openly in the streets. A crack house is a facility where the drug can be purchased and consumed on the premises. Pipes for smoking crack are rented or gold here.

3) Crack Spot: This is a house or apartment where money is exchanged for drugs through a small opening in a door, a wall, or a window.

4) Street: In large cities some drug dealers conduct business openly in the streets.

c) User: The typical crack smoker is a young lower-income urban male.

5.00 MARIJUANA: CHARACTERISTICS AND IDENTIFICATIONS

Marijuana or Cannabis sativa is the most widely used of the illicit drugs. The smoking of marijuana cigarettes is especially popular among adolescents, who experience a mild intoxication in this manner.

The hemp plant from which the drug is obtained is a hardy weed which can be grown in a variety of climates. In worm regions the plant develops a resinous substance which has a strong narcotic effect. The hemp plant grows wild or is cultivated in

"Turkey, Greece, Syria, India, Africa, Brazil, Mexico, and the United States. The appearance of the plant varies widely with the region in which it is found. In Lost commonly it is approximately five feet in height; green in color with stalks fluted lengthwise; compound palmate leaves usually containing seven leaflets; flower (in the male plant) like greenish yellow sprays about 6 inches in length; fruit or seed (in the female plant) in the form of a brown or greenish yellow moss enclosed in a green, sticky hull.

44

©Journal of Contemporary Security and Safety Studies 2019 a) Preparation and Use: Marijuana is made

from the female hemp plant. As the plants ripen, their flower and seed heads exude a resin that contains the highest natural concentration of active cannabis chemicals. The pure resin is hashish, a combination of powerful chemicals that rarely reaches the United States. The typical seizure of marijuana is a variable combination of female cannabis seed heads with leaves, chopped-up stalks, flowers and hulls. Marijuana is illegally imported into this country mainly from Mexico, either loose or in the form of a pressed brick, called a "key" because of its one kilo (2.2lb.) weight. Marijuana is usually consumed by smoking it in cigarette form (joint).

The potency of the cigarette will depend on the region in which the plant is grown and the amount of resin used. At best, it is only one-tenth as Strong as hashish. Marijuana may also be eaten when wised Keith foods such as sweetmeats and it may be consumed as a beverage by steeping it in the same manner as tea.

b) Identification: The hemp plant itself may be readily recognized by the serrations and vein structure of the leaf. Familiarity with the appearance of the plant is essential. Prepared marijuana has the general appearance of catnip in this form it may be recognized by an experienced microscopist. Several chemical tests are available.

One of these, the Duquenois test, can be applied bli -the investigator as a corroborative measure prior to a seizure. Although not conclusive it is a fairly reliable indication of the presence of marijuana small amount of the suspected material is placed in a test tube. Two cubic centimeters of the Duquenois reagent are added to the substance and shaken for thirty seconds. One cubic centimeter of concentrated hydrochloric acid is added. If marijuana is present, the solution will turn pink, change to inlet and finally become a deep blue. A supply of the Duquenois reagent can be obtained from a chemist or pharmacist.

c) Effects: The pattern of behavior induced by smoking marijuana will vary widely with the individual and the quality of the cigarette ingredients. Most physicians agree that the only physical effect of marijuana smoking is a temporary impairment of visual and muscular coordination. As for mental effects, the Medical Society of the County of New fork has classified marijuana as a mild hallucinogen, although hallucinations are only one of many effects the drug can produce. It can impair judgment and memory and can cause anxiety, confusion, or disorientation. It does not appear to cause any severe mental illness (psychosis) - in contrast with the frequency of such breakdowns among persons taking LSD. However, when pre-psychotic people take marijuana, there can be a

serious psychotic reaction, with marijuana serving as a catalytic rather than a causative agent.

d) There is a substantial difference of opinion on the relationship of marijuana use to criminal behavior and violence. One view is that marijuana is a major cause of crime and violence.

e) Tolerance and Withdrawal: Marijuana is not an addicting drug. No tolerance is developed with continued use; that is, no increase in quantity is required to produce the desired effect. The use of marijuana does not develop a physical dependence, nor does sudden abstinence from the drug result in anything resembling the severe withdrawal syndrome with its intense physical suffering and uncontrollable craving that characterizes the opiates or narcotics. At worst withdrawal may leave the habitue depressed and irritable, since marijuana can lead to a psychic dependence as can many other substances, especially those which alter the state of consciousness.

f) Identifying the User: It is not possible for the investigator to identify definitely the marijuana user in his normal state, but certain indications will be found helpful. The confirmed user may develop a yellowish skin particularly about the eves. In addition the eyes may appear exophthalmic, i.e., "pop-eyed."

During a period of use a characteristic odor, resembling that of cubeb cigarettes, is detectible on the breath.

The general behavior of a suspect may be compared with the typical pattern previously described.

6.00 HALLUCINOGENS: CHARACTERISTICS AND IDENTIFICATIONS

This group of drugs named for their capacity to cause hallucinatory effects includes several natural chemicals, mescaline and psilocybin.

a) Natural Hallucinogens: Mescaline is taken from the spineless peyote cactus in the form of a flower or button which resembles a dried brown mushroom, about the size of a half dollar and a quarter-inch thick.

The button is eaten or brewed m a concoction for drinking. The drug produces hallucinations, described by some as an appearance of geometric figures against a kaleidoscopic background of colors_

Although bitter in taste and tending to produce nausea, the drug does not appear to have any serious after effects. The user experiences a sense of well-being but is not incited to violent action.

b) Psilocybin: This substance is extracted from Mexican mushrooms. It is considered far more powerful than mescaline. This drug may be obtained in capsules containing either spores, or dried, ground mushrooms.

In document Diseño e implementación de una guía para evaluar los Sistemas Informáticos que se ejecutan en el área de Estadística del Hospital Provincial General Julius Doepfner Zamora (página 74-77)