Corbin & Associates, Inc. School Resource Officer Lesson Plan of the Month (April 1998) Topic: LSD Target Group: 8-12 Grades Prepared By: Suzanne Duncan Agency: Bedford County, S.O. Address: 1000 Broad St. Phone: (540) 586-7827 Bedford, VA 24523 Pager: 1-800-599-7903 __________________________________________________________ Objectives: The student will be able to explain where LSD originated The student will discuss how LSD is ingested The student will describe the effects of LSD on the body The student will identify the legal consequences for possession and sale of LSD Introduction: Let me tell you a story. David is seventeen. One day he called his girlfriend and told her he could no longer think "happy thoughts." He told her if he did think happy thoughts, he'd "fly." She laughed at him. He said it was true, and it all started after a guy at the drive-in window where he works blew some gold dust on him. He said the man had big buggy eyes, a bald head, and he blew some gold dust into his face. Since then, David told his girlfriend, whenever he thinks happy thoughts, he floats, and he keeps hitting his head on things. He was scared. David was tripping on LSD, or acid as it's also known. That story might sound funny to you, but imagine if you could no longer think about good things. You can't think about how much you like your boyfriend or girlfriend; or how good your mom's apple pie was after dinner. You can only think about bad things, depressing things. Otherwise, you'll be out of control. In his book, "In the House of My Fear," author Joel Agee described what happened to him after he took LSD. He described looking at himself in a mirror, and how his body changed form, from a man, to a woman to something unimaginable, with worms moving in and out of his body. He wrote, "I knew that what I was seeing was the reflection of my thoughts, but that was no comfort, because my thoughts were no longer mine." His thoughts were no longer his. There are a lot of things in our lives we have no control over. You have to attend school, obey your parents, etc. But to lose control of your thoughts? That's what LSDwill do to you. It will take over your mind and transport you, against your will, into the most horrible of places, and maybe even kill you. Body: A. What is LSD? 1. Lysergic acid diethylamide is a hallucinogenic drug. A hallucinogen is a substance that alters mood, sensations and thought, so that users see or hear things that aren't really there. Some of these things are frightening. Regular, household objects, like a chair, can turn into terrifying monsters. 2. LSD was created in a Swiss laboratory in 1938 by chemists who were trying to find a drug to cure headaches. It's bad effects were later discovered, and many people were later hurt and killed while tripping on LSD. 3. Other names for LSD include the following: a. Acid b. White lightning c. Blue heaven d. Barrels e. Mellow yellow f. California sunshine g. Purple haze h. Flats i. Tabs j. Wedges k. Frogs B. What does LSD look like? 1. Odorless and colorless. 2. Tiny tablets, called "microdots". 3. Thin squares of gelatin called, "window panes". 4. Paper or stamps with cartoons on them are called, "blotter acid." These cartoons might be of Snoopy, Beevis and Butthead, or the Simpsons. 5. It can also be put on sugar cubes. C. How is it ingested? 1. Swallowed. 2. Chew or lick off paper. 3. LSD can be ingested by accident, by touching it and absorbing it through the skin. D. What are the effects of LSD? 1. The effects are unpredictable. LSD usually starts to affect the user within 30-90 minutes. The effects can last for as long as 12 hours. 2. Physical effects. a. Increased heart rate and blood pressure. b. Sleeplessness and tremors. c. Lack of muscular coordination. d. Incoherent speech. e. Decreased awareness of touch and pain (self- inflicted injuries). f. Convulsions. g. Coma. h. Heart and lung failure. 3. Psychological effects. a. Sense of distance and estrangement. b. Depression, anxiety and paranoia. c. Violent behavior. d. Confusion, loss of control. e. Flashbacks can occur at any time. They have been known to happen 20 years since a person last used LSD. Flashbacks last a few seconds or minutes. f. Behavior similar to schizophrenia. g. Catatonic syndrome, where the user becomes mute, lethargic, disoriented, and makes meaningless, repetitive movements. h. "Bad Trips" (no way to predict them). 4. Death. a. Accidents (jumping from windows, drowning, burning, auto accidents). In 1993, hallucinogens were associated with almost 10,000 hospital emergency room visits and approximately 200 deaths. Since1985, ERs are reporting a 100 percent increase in LSD-related admissions. b. Suicide (due to depression, mental illness). E. Legal Considerations. 1. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) declared LSD a Schedule 1 drug. This means it as no medical use. 2. If you hurt someone else while high on drugs, you could be civilly liable. You would have to pay for their hospital bills, or maybe their funeral. 3. Your future is limited. You will not get a law enforcement job, and many government jobs and professional jobs will be off-limits to you. LSD will haunt you for the rest of your life. Review: LSD is a very dangerous and unpredictable drug. You now know what it is, what it looks like, and what it will do to you. You also know what will happen to you if you possess or distribute LSD. There is only one guarantee as far as LSD is concerned and that is you are not in control. While you're on LSD, the drug is in control. It will do with your body and your mind whatever it wants to. It might even kill you. And even if you quit, LSD can come back to haunt you at any moment, when you least expect it. Practice: 1. What is LSD? 2. How is LSD taken? 3. What are the effects of LSD on the body? 4. What is the penalty for possession of LSD in your state? 5. What is the penalty for delivery of LSD? Documentation and/or Sources: Your state statutes. Esquire Magazine, April 1995, p. 127 " The unnamable trying to barge in." Elks "Tips for Teens" Parade Magazine, August 21, 1994, p. 16-17, "Warning: Don't Be Casual About LSD." Medical Update, July, 1993, p. 3, "The Negative Side of Nostalgia." Current Health 2, September 1994, p. 13