News & Politics
"In a subtle way, you can shake the world."
― Mohandas Ghandi
― Mohandas Ghandi
School Shooting in Parkland FloridaChristina Maldonado '19 There was a school shooting in Parkland, Florida on Wednesday, February 15th. This school shooting caused seventeen deaths. Many young survivors are expressing their views against gun violence. The shooting was ranked in the top ten deadliest gun rampages in the country; three of the shootings just happened in the previous four months. Florida’s governor, Rick Scott, said, ”The violence has to stop. We cannot lose another child in this country to violence in a school.” He promised to meet with the lawyers of the state in search for solutions involving gun control and mental illness. Nicolas Cruz is a nineteen year old shooter. Cruz is charged with seventeen counts of premeditated murder. The gunman entered the compound, which consisted of three thousand students. The shooter began to shoot at 2:19 pm and made his way down the halls, then to the different floors of the school building. Twelve deaths occurred inside the school building; two other deaths happened outside the building, and one death on the street. Two other deaths happened in the hospital and fourteen people were injured. The interrogators from the Brown County sheriff’s office got a statement from Cruz about when the shooting started, and apparently “he began shooting students he saw in the in the hallways and on school grounds.” Cruz ran out of the building when he saw an opening, but before he left the building, he left his bag and rifle, so he could look like the rest of the students - running out to protect themselves from the shooter- and find his way far from the school. Cruz then went to a Walmart to purchase a drink from Subway, and made his way to McDonald’s. Cruz was finally arrested at 3:41 pm. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/15/florida-shooting-suspect-charged-questions-nikolas-cruz Abuse: Cocaine and Opiatesby Sydney Teran '18 and Sage Addington '18
Ambush! contacted the Gallup Police Station, the Gallup Indian Medical Center, and Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services to ask how many cases of cocaine and opiate abuse they have witnessed, and how many of those cases were minors. Only one person got back to Ambush! Journalists. Philip Hart, Chief of Police, referred our questions to Narcotics Commander Lt. Padavich. Hart said he appreciated the newspaper’s interest “as it affects our entire nation.” Padavich has yet to comment. Like any drug, there are risks that come with taking it. A 2011 report from the Drug Abuse Warning Network showed nearly 1.3 million emergency visits were from misuse or abuse of drugs. 40% related to the use of cocaine. What can happen if taken? Some short-term effects are dilated pupils, increased body temperature, as well as high heart and blood pressure. Some psychological effects include, as some users reported, irritability, paranoia, anxiety (attacks), and hallucinations. Each individual may have a different experience with the drug, resulting in effects not being the exact same. Although the long-term effects might match up. A continuation can lead to strokes, convulsions, cardiac arrhythmias, and the worst case scenario: death. Cocaine can also cause inflammation in the heart muscle and other difficulties from the strain cocaine puts on the heart. Seizures and brain bleeds are also high risks. Risks can affect everyday activities leading up to losing one’s job, close ones, and even bankruptcy. Cocaine is known to be one of the most addictive drugs; next to nicotine, heroin, alcohol, and caffeine. Now I know what you’re thinking, caffeine? How is that as bad as the others. Well according to the Drug War Facts (DWF) caffeine is ranked a 2, second to last for dependence. Dependence meaning the difficulty to quit. The last ranked a 1 for dependence was marijuana. How much does it take to get addicted to cocaine? The answer is simple, tolerance can occur after a couple doses. It doesn’t have to be a lot and can want you craving more which then is the start to the addiction. For this article, GHS Ambush! talked to a teen cocaine and opiate abuser. To protect the identity of the interviewee, they have been given a code name: Andy. All other names in this interview have also been changed. The interview was conducted by Sage Addington. To some, it might sound like Andy did not seem to take the interview seriously, but I know my friend better than that. Andy covers his emotions with laughter and smiles, but my friend can have a dark head. When I first confronted him to ask for an interview, Andy immediately exclaimed, “F*ck, yeah! Interview me! I’m perfect, my dad is seriously about to send me to rehab for coke.” I found out after the interview a friend of Andy’s told his dad. With permission, I started off with my first question, “How old were you the first time you tried cocaine?” Andy thought for a moment before saying, “Eighth grade, so like, thirteen.” We had met in the eighth grade and were good friends. Andy would come over to my house, and we’d walk everywhere around Gallup. Now I’m not too sure we were really that close. A little taken back I asked, “How were you able to obtain cocaine?” “My friend Liz and I would steal it from her mom,” Andy began to laugh, “Her coke was really sh*t.” When asked how Andy currently obtains cocaine, he simply said he “steals it” or picks up people so they can buy it. I was sure I already knew the answer, but inquired, “Do you ever mix substances?” “All the time,” Andy scoffed. “What kind?” “I usually smoke weed, drink a little, and sometimes take a pill.” “What kind of pills?” I was writing down Andy’s replies when a small period of silence was created. “I don’t know,” Andy admitted, a thoughtful look on his face. “You don’t kn--” Andy cut me off, “It's like Xanax and something.” I didn’t push that question much further, “Do you abuse at school?” “I don’t go to school,” Andy cackled. I laughed a little at the remark, “Okay, how about when you went to school?” Andy dropped out of high school last year. He tells me he just hated going to school, but his father said that “kids weren’t too nice to him.” “Um, yeah,” Andy grinned widely and took out his phone. A minute later, Cardi B was blasting from the bluetooth. “Do you think doing drugs is morally wrong?” I asked over the music. ”Good people don’t do drugs. I do drugs,” Andy shrugged, laughing, but avoiding eye contact. “You’re not a bad person,” I impulsively said, but it wasn’t entirely true, so I added on, “To me at least.” Andy’s always been a mischievous kid… Stealing his mom’s cigarettes at age nine and asking adults to buy us booze with the baby fat still in his cheeks. A couple of my friends have told me that Andy has stolen from them or lied to them on a constant basis, but I never got that kind of disrespect. Andy has always kept it straight with me and I feel like I can count on him, but lately the “friends” he hangs out with have me worried. Whenever they come over for a brief it they talk about their drug cocktails and brag about their lack of memory the next morning. Andy tells me he hates them, but they always have weed and something else, so he hangs out with them. Since hanging out with this crowd, Andy’s been stealing more often. “If you think doing drugs is bad, then why do you do them?” “Because I’m addicted,” Andy said a bit seriously. “A f*cking crack fein,” he added, making sniffling noises. We laughed quietly at the sniffling, but I could tell we both knew the moment was serious. “Seriously though,” I began, “Why did you first try it?” “Because it looks cool,” Andy didn’t hesitate with his answer. “I’m not buying that,” I said, skeptical. “I just wanted to try it,” Andy replied. “You just wanted to try it?” I questioned. “I thought it would be a good high, like in the movies.” “So is it worth it?” I asked my final question. “No,” Andy shook his head, “It’s not. It’s so f*cking expensive and it doesn’t do sh*t. Like, honestly, I wish I could spend my money on something else.” There are other methods of intake that come with their own set of consequences. Smoking cocaine can cause lung problems, bronchitis, or chronic cough. Ingesting, another form of intake can reduce blood flow. One everyone might have heard is snorting. Not only can it damage sinuses and the nasal cavity, that can result in nosebleeds, loss of smell, and swallowing problems. Injecting too can lead to scarring, skin lesions, collapsed veins, and risk of being infected with diseases like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. Cocaine might be a good “high” for awhile but is the end game worth it all? If you are having difficulty quitting, or know someone who might need help here are a list of people or sites you can contact. 1-877-332-6981 1-855-557-6730 https://www.thewatershed.com/lp/addiction-treatment-2-a/?tws=b&ps={adposition}&id=kwd-77378201092029:loc-190&aid={creative}&ver=ETA&msclkid=ed6f6cb34850158f4ebd36c748ce6d9f&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=00%20-%20Demographic%20-%20National&utm_term=heroin%20addiction%20treatment%20center&utm_content=Drug%20Addiction%20Treatment%20-%20program https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/cocaine/what-are-long-term-effects-cocaine-use https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/234239.php http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Addictive_Properties http://www.narconon.org/drug-abuse/cocaine/intestinal-problems.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4673290.stm
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