MEDICAL ASPECTS OF DRUG ABUSE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-05343A000100050002-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 18
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 11, 2001
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: July 1, 1974
• Content Type: REPORT

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MEDICAL ASPECTS OF DRUG ABUSE
Office of Medical Services
July 1974
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Foreword
This paper on Medical Aspects of Drug
Abuse has been prepared by the Office of Medi-
cal Services and is based on the latest pro-
fessional literature and our own Agency
experiences in matters of drug abuse. It is
in two parts:
Part I - An Introduction to Drugs of
Abuse, and
Part II - Some Behavioral Aspects of
Drug Abuse in Youth
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AN INTRODUCTION TO DRUGS OF ABUSE
When discussing the problem'of drug abuse, an under-
standing of the following terms is important in order to
comprehend the complexity of the issues. The term drug
addiction is a broad one and the exact definition is con-
troversial. The argument can be narrowed by considering
addiction to be a combination of the following three ele-
ments:
(1) Psychic Dependence or Habituation
A drive or craving which causes the periodic or chronic
use of a drug for purposes of pleasure or relief of psychic
discomfort.
(2) Physical Dependence
A state reached after continuous use of certain drugs
in which the body has become accustomed to the drugs and
has incorporated them as metabolic needs. When this state
exists, and the drugs are withheld, the individual will be-
come ill, and the symptom complex which is produced is called
withdrawal. As a rule, the symptoms seen in the withdrawal
phase of a drug are opposite to the symptoms produced by that
drug, i.e., if the drug produces calmness and sleep, the with-
drawal effect will be excitement, insomnia, and even convulsions
(3) Tolerance
The ability of the body after long exposure to. certain
drugs to resist the action of those drugs in such a way that,
in order to produce the desired effect, a higher dose is re-
quired than when the drug was first used.
Adverse or Toxic Effects of Drugs - To understand fully
the problems caused by drugs it is necessary to consider their
effects in broad terms. Two very important areas which will
not be considered in the discussion which follows are the
social or behavioral changes (they will be discussed in more
detail T Part rt a-` nTsecondary medical problems which result
from the life style, diseases, and debilitation often associated
with chronic drug use. These secondary problems will not be
discussed, since it is unlikely that any agency employee would
reach this level of drug usage without other administrative
action being taken. Direct toxicity to a drug itself can be
divided into two basic categories:
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(1) Acute Toxicity
Toxicity of-this sort is directly related to dosage and
causes immediate serious medical problems up to and including
death.
(2) Chronic Toxicity
This can be viewed as a summation of long-term mild
insults to various body systems resulting in an abnormality
many years later. An example of chronic toxicity is lung
cancer following many years of smoking, or cirrhosis of the
liver after ten or twenty years of alcohol usage. The delayed
nature of the chronic toxicity makes it much more difficult
to prove scientifically that the given problem is related
directly to a specific drug. This accounts for much of the
current disagreement related to the danger of the hallucino-
gens (particularly marijuana).
All the drugs of abuse affect the central nervous system
(the brain). Daring and the desire for new experiences have
caused young people to try a great variety of drugs ranging
from highly potent and well understood pharmacological agents
to bizarre items such as banana peels and peanut oil. Since
it is usually those persons deeply involved in the drug culture
who use some of the more bizarre items, this paper will confine
itself to the better known drugs which are the cause of perhaps
99 per cent of the drug problem.
A convenient way to look at these drugs is to divide them
on the basis of their effect on the brain. Viewed in this way
one finds many pharmacological similarities between the drugs
within a given drug group. The symptoms which are produced
in general are quite uniform, and the withdrawal effects from
the drugs within the same group are also similar. The drug
user can often substitute one drug for another in the same
group and prevent or ameliorate withdrawal symptoms. Despite
this similarity, there are, however, unique features for each
drug. The discussion of the four categories below outlines
the important characteristics which in general can be applied
to the drugs in each group. Specific information on individual
drugs is beyond the scope of this paper.
CATEGORY I - THE DEPRESSANTS
These drugs depress brain function in direct proportion
to the dosage used, starting with the function of the higher
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brain levels.. First, interference is noted in cognitive
functions, followed by abnormalities of coordination and
movement, and finally, depression of primitive activities
such as breathing.
EXAMPLES:
Alcohol
Barbiturates
Volatile Hydrocarbons (including the anaesthetics and
airplane glue)
Nonbarbiturate sleep-producing agents (i.e., Quaalud)
Tranquilizers
DRUG ACTION:
These drugs all act very similarly to alcohol. The
individual taking them when under their influence will appear
to be very much like the usual drunk, exhibiting lowered
consciousness, confusion, slurred speech, and staggering.
PSYCHIC DEPENDENCE:
PHYSICAL DEPENDENCE:
Yes. The time required for physical dependence to
develop will depend upon the type of drug used.
Alcohol - about 10 years of heavy drinking
Barbiturate - about 9 months to a year of continuous
dosage at a level several times the
standard dose
Quaalud - as short a time as one month
WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS:
These include tremulousness, weakness, anxiety, insomnia,.
delirium, visual hallucinations, and convulsive seizures. The
withdrawal effect from drugs in this category is extremely
dangerous; and individuals undergoing withdrawal must be man-
aged carefully in a hospital setting. Death in untreated cases
is not unusual.
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TOLERANCE:
Tolerance does occur with most drugs in this category,
except to a relatively limited degree, and is, therefore,
not of major consequence.
ADVERSE EFFECTS:
Acute Toxicity - This is directly related to the dose
of the drug. At high doses there is a marked depression of
the primitive brain functions, such as breathing, and an in-
dividual may die in deep coma due to cessation of respiration.
It should be noted that the drugs in this category are addi-
tive in action, and many deaths are due to the combined de-
pressant effect of alcohol and barbiturate. Sniffing the
volatile hydrocarbons such as airplane glue, in addition to
the foregoing, can produce permanent mental damage by causing
brain swelling and destruction, or death due to heart irreg-
ularities.
Chronic Toxicity Less group uniformity exists in this
regard: I
Alcohol - Causes cirrhosis of the liver and chronic
brain and nerve damage.
Barbiturates - To a lesser extent than alcohol, these
drugs may cause chronic brain damage
resulting in permanent tremors, stag-
gering gait, double vision, dizziness,
and slurred speech.
CATEGORY II - THE STIMULANTS
Stimulants increase the activity of the brain and also,
to varying extents, the heart and blood vessels, depending on
the specific drug used. These are the only drugs known that
truly enhance mental function at appropriate doses. This en-
hancement, however, is quite limited, and, if the dose is
exceeded, deterioration of mental activity follows.
EXAMPLES:
Amphetamines
Methamphetamine ("speed")
Cocaine
Preludin
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There are other mild stimulants such as caffein, but
these are not of major consequence. Drugs in this category
may be taken in pill form, but often, due to their rapid
metabolism and the tremendous stimulatory effect of sudden
high doses, the stronger ones are either sniffed or taken
intravenously.
These drugs produce a sense of well-being, increased
confidence and alertness; fatigue is diminished and, in
addition, there is an associated feeling of increase in
strength (not documented by testing). The appetite is
suppressed, existing depressions are relieved, and the mood
is elevated.
PSYCHIC DEPENDENCE:
Strong psychic dependence is produced by the stimulants,
probably due to their intense excitory effect when given intra-
venously. Individuals who are users of these drugs, particularly
cocaine and methamphetamine intravenously, prefer stimulants to
heroin, and it has been the experience of some physicians that
it is at least as difficult to cure the speed freak, or the
cocaine devotee, as the heroin user.
PHYSICAL DEPENDENCE:
No. Individuals can take these drugs, including cocaine,
for long periods of time without developing withdrawal symptoms
when the drug is stopped.
Tolerance is not produced by drugs in this category.
This lack of tolerance can be unfortunate for those individuals
who look for greater kicks by increasing their dosage since the
toxic level is reached more quickly.
ADVERSE EFFECTS:
Acute Toxicity - This is directly related to the dosage.
After the initial stimulatory effect, which at its height may
produce epileptic-like convulsions, heart irregularities or
large increases in blood pressure, the drug then produces a
marked depressive effect which can result in death either from
severe brain depression or from failure of the heart.
Chronic Toxicity - Long-term heavy usage of stimulants
may cause marked weight loss and debilitation, perforation of
the lower portion of the septum of the nose in those who sniff
the drug. There is the possibility of a paranoid psychosis in
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individuals who take the drug at high dosages. There is
also some indication that inflammatory disease of arteries
can occur, producing strokes in young persons.
CATEGORY III - NARCOTICS
Narcotics by definition consist of a group of drugs that
reduce pain, depress mental function, and produce sleep. They
are highly useful in medical treatment, but are also the group
of drugs which causes the most harm to chronic users.
Opium - an exudate of the oriental poppy
Morphine and. codeine - the active ingredients of opium
Heroin - a chemically treated morphine
Demerol and Methadone - synthetic narcotics which are
produced in the laboratory
The symptoms produced by the narcotics are usually
euphoria associated with mental clouding and drowsiness.
There is reduced physical activity with impaired performance
of both physical and mental functions. The users exhibit a
diminished appreciation of pain and their limbs feel heavy;
they experience a generalized itching sensation, and are often
seen rubbing their noses or scratching various parts of their
bodies, sometimes to such an extent that their bodies are
covered with excoriations. Narcotics have a marked constrict-
ing effect upon the pupil of the eye, and the most characteristic
sign indicating that a person is under the influence of a nar-
cotic is an extremely small pupil. The duration of the narcotic
effect is about four to six hours, the last part of which is
usually passed in sleep.
PSYCHIC DEPENDENCE:
A strong psychological dependence is produced by the
narcotics. Intensive long-term efforts are required to treat
this problem. As a rule, the shorter the time a person has
been taking narcot1 cs, the more likely it is that abstinence
from the drug can be achieved, It also appears that persons
beyond age 25 respond to treatment more favorably. Perhaps
this is related to a tendency of the users to give up the drug
spontaneously as they age (known as the "maturing out phenom-
enon").
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PHYSICAL DEPENDENCE:
The tendency to develop physical dependence is marked
and depends upon which drug is used, the duration and fre-
quency of drug use, and the method of administration (intra-
venous route produces the most rapid dependence). The de-
pendence potential of these drugs follows roughly the thera-
peutic strength with regard to pain relief. Giving morphine
an arbitrary value of 1 with regard to its ability to produce
physical dependence, the others are as follows:
Heroin - 3 or 4
Methadone - 1
Demerol - 1/8
Codeine - 1/12
Even heroin will not produce instantaneous physical dependence.
For example, it requires four or five days of intravenous her-
oin usage before withdrawal symptoms can be seen when the drug
is stopped.
WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS:
The withdrawal symptoms of narcotics can be divided into
two overlapping phases:
(1) PURPOSEFUL PHASE - Begins about 6 to 8 hours after
the drug was last taken and lasts 24-36 hours. The user feels
uncomfortable, anxious and irritable, and will begin to take
positive action to obtain more drug.
(2) NON-PURPOSEFUL PHASE Occurs after about 12 hours,
reaching its peak at about 36 to 72 hours, then declining to
a point of disappearance in 4 or 5 days. During the non
purposeful phase, the individual is actually ill, and ex-
periences anxiety, chills, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.,
marked pains in the muscles and abdomen, spasmodic twitching
and jerking of the extremities, and occasionally an epileptic-
like seizure. He will appear to be in distress, will have in-
somnia, show frequent yawning, sneezing, running of the eyes
and nose, and profuse perspiration.. (The pupils of his eyes
will be widely dilated in contrast to the small pupils seen
when he is actually on the drug.)
TOLERANCE:
The profound tolerance which the narcotic user develops
adds significantly to the drug problem. After a number of
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months of heavy narcotics use, a person may require 8 or 10
times the amount of drug he needed initially. Since he will
be physically dependent on the drug by that time, maintain-
ing a supply at this high level is necessary if he is to avoid.
the agony of withdrawal. He takes the drug now to avoid pain
as much as to derive pleasure. Obtaining the large. amounts
of money needed (circa $60 plus per day) requires his maximum
efforts, often leading to robbery or, in the case of women,
prostitution. The supply problem at times has become so
severe that some users have been known to turn themselves in
to the authorities to be treated and kept away from narcotics
long enough to lose their tolerance, thus permitting a return
to the drug habit at a much lower dosage after release.
ADVERSE EFFECTS:
Acute Toxicity - The acute toxicity of the narcotics is
directly related to dosage. One of the important actions of
the narcotics is the depression of the breathing center in
the brain, and high doses of the drug will produce cessation
of respiration. This, combined with the diminished apprecia-
tion of pain and discomfort, results in death by suffocation.
There is a less well understood phenomenon involving the lungs,
which seems to be a direct toxic effect of the drug on the blood
vessels in the lungs of certain individuals. When this occurs
(usually in heroin users), the blood vessels of the lungs lose
their ability to hold fluid, causing the lungs to fill with
water, drowning the individual in his own secretion. This
mode of death is second only to respiratory depression as a
direct drug-related cause of death in narcotics users.
Chronic Toxicity - Chronic toxicity of the narcotics is
disputed. Most of the chronic problems are related to secondary
disease; however, there has been some indication that vascular
inflammations, causing strokes, can occur. The dispute arises
because most dependent long-term users use the intravenous
route and cut the drug with many unknown substances, with the
result that the vasculitis cannot be definitely attributed to
the narcotic.
CATEGORY IV - THE HALLUCINOGENS
The previous categories, for the most part, contain
drugs which are reasonably well understood either as the
result of widespread use in the past or because they are
medically important and have been subjected to extensive
scientific investigation. Most physicians have little doubt
that the drugs already discussed are potential health hazards.
The hallucinogens, however, are a relatively new experience
for man, and there is still much to learn regarding their
long-term effects. There are many drugs in this category,
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and the controversy concerning them has led to a great deal
of confusion. Only the most frequently used hallucinogens
are discussed below, and the statements made regarding their
adverse effects should be considered tentative and incomplete.
LSD - Though LSD occurs naturally, that used in the drug
scene is usually made in clandestine laboratories.
MESCALINE - Its origin is the peyote cactus.
MARIJUANA and HASHISH - Products of the cannabis plant
(relatively weak hallucinogens).
DMT and STP as CHEMICALS - Can produce hallucinations and
are substitutes for LSD.
The effect of a strong hallucinogen is to alter the user's
perception of any or all sensations. For example, colors are
brighter and may seem to contain sound; a person's perception
of his body image may be blurred and he may seem to be a part
of the chair in which he is sitting. It is usually a uniquely
strange experience which may be either highly satisfying or
terrifying.
All the drugs in this category can produce psychic
dependence.
PHYSICAL DEPENDENCE:
Not produced
TOLERANCE:
Not produced
ADVERSE EFFECTS:
The comments which follow will be limited to the two
drugs which are of the most concern in this category, LSD
and the cannabis products (principally marijuana).
(1) LSD.
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is the most potent
hallucinogen known. Sixty micrograms (60/1,000,000 of a
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gram) is sufficient to produce one trip. The amount can be.
better appreciated when it is realized that enough. drug for
a thousand LSD trips weighs approximately the same as one
drop of water. The effects are noted about one hour after
taking the drug, and if the individual is having a pleasant
experience, he usually sits quietly appreciating the sen-
sations. He may feel a chilliness in-the extremities and
exhibit some perspiration; his face may be flushed and some
mild breathing irregularities may be noted. The experience
lasts for about 8.hours and is typically the type of altered
perception described above, under drug action.
Toxicity - The acute toxicity of LSD regarding its lethal
effect is very low; to date no deaths have occurred due to the
direct chemical action of the drug. There are, however, psy-
chological problems that can occur with a single dose. These
include bad trips, psychotic reactions, and suicides. There
has been concern that the drug has caused physical problems
such as chromosomal abnormalities and birth defects. Studies
are still in process regarding both of these possibilities,
but because most LSD users also take many other drugs, the
matter is still unsettled. Regarding chromosomal abnormalities
the published studies seem to be about even as to whether LSD
is or is not the causative factor. Birth defects have not been
as widely studied, but the drug is known to cause these in
animals. A study from George Washington University, involving
approximately 150 pregnancies where the mother had used LSD
during pregnancy, showed an increased incidence of abortions
and a higher rate of fetal abnormality (8 major birth defects
per 83 live births compared to the national average of 5 to
10 major birth defects, per 1,000 live births).
(2) MARIJUANA
Marijuana, with the exception of alcohol, is the pleasure-
giving drug most widely used by young people. It is the ground-
up leaves of the cannabis plant and is usually smoked. The
active ingredient is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, which is
a strong hallucinogen though not as strong as LSD. The amount
of this ingredient in any given batch of marijuana depends
upon where the plants have been grown. The most potent form
is grown in India, and the weakest form in the United States,
with the Mexican material being intermediate in strength.
For this reason, it is difficult to make scientific determi-
nations based upon street experience. where individuals have
been taking material of variable strength... As with the other
hallucinogens, the drug produces psychological dependence but
no physical dependence or tolerance. The feelings produced
by the drug depend upon the strength and also the setting in
which the drug is taken. Because of the weakness of the usual
product, hallucinations as seen with LSD are rare in marijuana;.
rather, people experience a euphoria, increased self-confidence
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and sociability, and feel enhanced perceptual capability.
When the drug is taken by smoking, the experience begins
within 3 to 5 minutes and may last up to 4 hours. A person
can appear and act quite normal, but usually will show some
reddening of the whites of the eyes due to the direct action
of the drug, and may exhibit a mild incoordination. Scientific
studies have shown that the drug produces an inability to
judge time and space with accuracy, decreases the individual's
ability to concentrate, and produces a defect in short-term
memory that is sometimes noted in the individual's speech
and writing patterns as rambling and disjointed thought proc-
esses.
Toxicity - The toxicity of the drug with regard to its
lethal effect is, like LSD, very slight. It is uncertain
whether any individual has died due to the chemical effect
of this drug. As with LSD, at times there have been bad
trips, psychotic reactions, and suicides connected with its
use. The toxicity of long-term use is an area of great con-
troversy and intense study with regard to the.cannabis products.
Most physicians believe that experimental, low-dose usage,
.except for the occasional psychiatric complications, causes
little harm. The effects of long-term heavy usage, however,
are still very much open to question. The answer will be
difficult to derive since long-term heavy users are almost
always using other drugs as well. Although some control
studies are now being done under the auspices of the National
Institute of Mental Health, it will probably be years before
the question is finally settled. A recent study published
by that Institute, involving Jamaican canefield workers, found
no significant difference between those who used marijuana
chronically and those who did not. This study has been
critized, however, by noting that Jamaican canefield workers
are not Americans, their work is relatively primitive com-
pared to our work requirements; also their method of smoking
does not involve deep inhalation as practiced by our marijuana
users. Case reports from other areas of the world indicate
that there may be some difficulty with long-term usage of the
drug. The study of US soldiers in Germany showed diminished
lung function in heavy users of hashish (a stronger cannabis
product than marijuana). A group of young, chronic marijuana
smokers in Britain showed suggestive evidence that brain
atrophy might occur. Experience in North Africa, where more
potent cannabis products are used, indicates that long-term
usage may increase the incidence of psychotic reactions re-
quiring hospitalization, and also may cause vascular inflam-
mation resulting in leg amputations. In the US the "drop-out
syndrome" is much discussed, but it is uncertain whether this
is directly due to the drug or due to the life style of the
chronic users.
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The aforementioned possibilities. at this point can be
considered only suggestive and the final answer to all of these
questions will not be available in the near future. At the
present time, however, it seems clear that some people using
these drugs on a chronic basis at significant dosages exhibit
changes in life style and attitudes. Whether these changes
are a direct result of the drug itself or secondary to socio-
logical phenomena cannot be determined at this time.
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PART II
SOME BEHAVIORAL ASPECTS OF DRUG ABUSE IN YOUTH
Recent problems with drugs in American society (except
for alcohol) have been centered primarily in the adolescent
and early adult population. In the Agency's experience,
the observations have been similar. The adolescent surge
for independence and the loosening of bonds to parental ties
have always led youth to seize upon factors in the environ-
ment as means of expressing and grappling with the issues
of maturity and adulthood. In our present era, these issues
have been especially disruptive for youth.
Today, in contrast to the past, a broadly shared and
stable world view that people of intelligence and good will
could agree upon and take for granted -- such as the in-
evitability of human.progress and the concept of human
perfectability -- is in disarray. Most of the basic
assumptions about the nature of reality, and what can be
expected from it, have been called into serious question for
the youth of today. For example, we are told that madness is
a higher and better reality, or at least a road to it (Ronald
Laing, 1967), or that mental illness is a hurtful myth per-
petuated by physicians (Thomas Szasz, 1961). Homosexuals
openly reproach society for castigating what they claim is
an equally viable choice of alternative life style. Both
the more radical and the more moderate women's organizations
censure society for its view of women and accuse it of con-
tributing to the perpetuation of social and psychological
degradation of women. In addition, there is a profusion of
competing world views to contend with the previously shared
Western culture of science. For example, Theodore Roszak
(1969) proposed an-anti-scientific, anti-technological
counterculture ideology which promises a new and presumably
improved value system within a different perspective of
reality. Zen, Sufi, and other Eastern traditions suggest
still other alternatives to our achievement-oriented,
science-based, materialistic Western culture.
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The claims made by the proponents of the drug culture
of a new, different and expanded inner reality are part of
the competing array which the adolescent must consider.
Encouragement from the environment toward achieving satis-
faction without planning, discipline and work flows from
the fantasy brought to life before the eyes of youth in
television, moving pictures, and frequently in examples of
parents given to dependence on tranquilizers, alcohol and
tobacco.
Experience with drugs among current-day youth varies
considerably with respect to incidence, type and intensity.
In the mid-1960's, for example, experimentation with drugs
was most intense in urban universities on both coasts of
the United States and less frequent in small rural Southern
denominational colleges. A wide variety of drugs has been
used, from the hallucinogens such as LSD and marijuana, to
mood alterants such as amphetamine, and sedatives. Narcotics
such as heroin have also been used. Usage may be conditioned
by social fads as well as by the degree of availability, with
price a determinant. Recently, alcohol has been consumed
increasingly among high school and college youth, while the
use of other drugs has declined somewhat. Many surveys have
been made of the incidence of drug usage among youth. For
example, a 1971 survey of 60 college campuses in the five
geographical areas of the country was conducted through a
questionnaire of 3,000 students by Playboy Magazine. (This
study was a sequel to a 1970 survey with computer generated
randomly selected campuses and students, the distribution
approximating the national average.) Of the respondents,
13 percent had tried LSD and 30 percent had used amphetamines
at least once. Marijuana had been used by 62 percent; 40
percent had used the drug 10 or more times.
The pharmacological.effect of a drug on an individual
exerts a powerful pull toward repeating the experience if
the sensation has been a pleasurable one. This pull is
compounded in the case of narcotics such as heroin, where
not only an increasing dosage is required for the feelings
of well-being to be maintatined, but at least a steady intake
is necessary to avoid the rigors of discontinuation.
Besides these factors, however, the importance of the
personality of the user cannot be overestimated. The seeking.
of pleasure, while a human propensity, if unleashed from the
bonds of reality, becomes an end in itself so that the indi-
vidual becomes crippled in dealing with reality and the demands
of life. Probably many of the youth who resort to drugs as a
mode of coping with the pressures and stresses of life belong
to the category of the addictive personality. Certainly the
ease with which one drug is given up for another suggests that
this is a quest for external relief of tension deriving from
well-springs within the personality, expressed in the
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dependence now on one drug and now on another.
The importance of personality factors in the use of drugs
is seen from another angle in the experience of American
soldiers using drugs, including heroin, in Vietnam. While
some serious addictive problems have been incurred as a
result of heroin usage, most veterans, upon leaving the
situation, have not continued to be dependent on narcotics,
and the fears of returning "dope addicts" after the Vietnam
demobilization have proven to be overblown.
Peer pressure and other environmental encouragement to
experiment with drugs may be cast off easily or constitute
a brief phase in the case of many youths. But in others who
are still struggling with the issues of identity, exposure
to drugs can lead to chronic use with a loss of drive, mot-
ivation, goals. and ambition. The chronic dulling effect,
of continuing drug usage has led to the coining of the phrase
"drug freak," the result of the exposure of an addictive
personality to a chronic intake of drugs. The phenomenon
of the "flashback" is seen occasionally (1 to 2 percent of
cases). In such instances, the drug user experiences a
reliving of a previous experience with drugs -- generally
frightening and uncomfortable -- at a later time when his
nervous system is physically drug free. Such phenomenon
may be related to other experiences such as amnesia, de-
personalization and change in body image. The possibilities
of chromosomal damage is still being assessed. In summary,
the effects and dangers of drug usage are related to the
type, frequency and intensity of drug used, but of equal
importance is the personality makeup and motivation of the
individual himself. Heavy, frequent, chronic usage probably
occurs among youngsters with addictive personalities.
In the Agency experience, the number of new employees
who have had experiences with drugs has increased notably
in recent years. As is the case in the general population,
the preponderance has been with marijuana, and has repre-
sented experimental usage as opposed to chronic, regular
intake. Undoubtedly the chronic heavy users of drugs have
been screened out earlier in the selection process in this
setting. Although no statistics are known to exist, the
Office of Security policy of warning new employees about the
use of illegal drugs appears to have worked well. The same
may be said in the case of summer employees.
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 Approved For Release 2001/08/09 CIA-RDP78-05343A000100050002-0
25X1A
As might be expected, some adolescent children of Agency
employees, both in the US and overseas, have had isolated
problems with drugs which have come to the attention of the
Office of Medical Services. While the true incidence is un-
known, overseas dependents with drug problems may be expected
to come to the attention of Agency medi.c.al, officers more
quickly than in the case of teenagers in the US. The most
dramatic overseas experience has been in - in 1971-1972. 25X1A
At that station the attitude of both the youngsters and their
parents was notable for the apparent laissez-faire attitude
which they evidenced toward the use of heroin. Among some
ten youngsters from eight different families who were returned
from 1, each family was offered the assistance of the
OMS; t e Overseas Medical Benefits Program was also avail-
able to them. In only two or three instances were these
resources utilized. (In these cases, the youngsters 25X1A
may have been treated or evalua e in other environments,
although this is not known.) No comparable problem has
surfaced since then, either in or elsewhere over- 25X1A
seas. Perhaps the establishment o such centers as the
Teenage Halfway House in to which the Agency con-
tributed financially, and teenage centers in other overseas
locations, is associated causally with this couse of events.
Approved For Release 2001/08/09 : CIq-RDP78-05343A000100050002-0