Issuu

VOL. 154, NO. 31 | THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020 | SINCE 1934 | WWW.SJSUNEWS.COM/SPARTAN_DAILY

Staying sober

Lifestyles

Column

Editorial

Student chronicles struggle for stability

Understanding four common dependencies

A personal look at America’s opioid crisis

SJSU needs more addiction resources

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PAGES 4 & 5

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PAGE 10 ILLUSTRATION BY CINDY CUELLAR

SJSU alumnus recounts path from addiction to recovery; counselors say legislative leniency for drug offenders promotes rehabilitation By Austin Turner SENIOR STAFF WRITER

hris Packham was living the dream. The 1995 San Jose State alumnus had a wife, kids and his dream job as a professional fighter, competing overseas in the K-1 martial arts organization in Japan. But like many in that line of work, the end came unannounced and unexpected after he suffered a ripped iris and “completely detached” retina, leaving him blind in his left eye. That’s when his life seemed to fall apart. “[After that], depression hit in,” Packham said. “And when depression hit in, drinking and other drugs became available. For two years, I kind of destroyed myself.” According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, one-third of adults who suffer from substance abuse

“Alcohol helped numb [the emotional pain],” he said. “And meth helped really numb it.” The reality is, Packham is far from alone. Substances such as meth and alcohol are traditionally regarded as “social drugs,” but some experts theorize those substances cover up underlying problems. Mary Cook, program coordinator for the Alcohol and Drug Studies program at San Jose City College, estimates that Chris Packham about 10% to 15% of people go down the 1995 SJSU alumnus, “substance-centric path.” drug and alcohol counselor “People often use socially, fairly heavily, in their 18 to early 20s,” Cook said. also experience depression. She explains that once people hit their Packham turned to methamphetamine mid-twenties, they choose a path, one of and vodka. which can be moderation. Some people cut He said he wasn’t interested in painkillers to heavy use of substances out of their lives heal his physical ailments; it was his emotional once settled. wounds that needed to be bandaged by “On the other hand, you have people who the substances. are 30 and still hitting the bars every weekend

When depression hit in, drinking and other drugs became available. For two years, I kind of destroyed myself.

and it’s still heavily embedded in their world,” Cook said. People who go down that path are often masking feelings such as loneliness, trauma and loss, Cook said. “[Young adulthood] is when folks really start facing some demons,” said William Armaline, director of the SJSU Human Rights Collaborative and former professor of the Drugs and Society course. “One of the ways that folks cover those demons is drug use.” Packham said at age 30, his addictions were very much still entrenched. He had never run into trouble with the law, but in 2004 he was arrested for fraud and faced six years in prison. His wife then took their kids and returned to her original home in Mexico. “She left,” he said. “That was my lowest point.” RECOVERY | Page 2

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SOBRIETY

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

RECOVERY Continued from page 1 Rock bottom can look different for a variety of addicts. “[Many people], because of the lifestyle, burn bridges,” Cook said. “They cut off their family or their friends. They get fired, they get evicted. So, increasingly their support system gets smaller and smaller.” According to an October 2018 study by the California Health Care Foundation, 15% of Californians aged 18-25 had a substance abuse disorder with any substance in 2015-16. As much as 36% of the same age bracket reported binge alcohol use. “I’ve had countless students that struggle with addiction,” Armaline said. “I’ve had countless family members that struggle with it, friends that have struggled with it and died from it.” Packham’s wife returned to the Bay Area and helped him hire a lawyer. After finally confiding to the lawyer that he had an addiction, an arrangement was made. Packham was sentenced to six months of treatment in a rehabilitation facility. “That six-month treatment saved my life,” he said. His rehabilitation was made possible because of Proposition 36, a landmark piece of legislation in California that allows non-violent drug offenders to complete drug rehabilitation treatment rather than be sentenced to incarceration. Fourteen years later, Packham is completely sober with no relapses. He now works as a drug and alcohol counselor for New Life Recovery Centers in San Jose. “Back then I used to hurt people,”

Packham said. “Now I heal people.” Packham estimated the average rehab treatment in San Jose costs about $10,000 out-of-pocket for 30 days of treatment, which might be too high for a lot of those who suffer from addiction. “It’s not the same for a wealthy tech executive out here to deal with a cocaine habit as it is for someone who is [living] paycheck to paycheck with kids, who’s dealing with a painkiller habit because their doctor put them on there when they broke their foot or whatever,” Armaline said.

If we can choose, and we have the education to choose which avenue we want to go . . . We might not choose the right choice sometimes, but sometimes we will. Chris Packham 1995 SJSU alumnus, drug and alcohol counselor

Most people with addiction and recovery experiences believe in legislation similar to Proposition 36. Packham, Cook and Armaline say that laws should focus on treating those suffering from addiction as patients, not criminals. However, the research doesn’t support drug treatment as a means to thwart recidivism. According to the Los Angeles Times, the UCLA completed a study in 2007 showing that four in 10 defendants that complete

the program are rearrested for drugs less than 30 months after their initial conviction. Only 25% even completed the mandated drug treatment. Packham said those numbers don’t mean that kind of legislation isn’t the correct direction in which to head. “True freedom comes from choosing,” he said. “If we can choose, and we have the education to choose which avenue we want to go . . . We might not choose the right choice sometimes, but sometimes we will. But if you’re in jail, you’re just buying time and learning how to do scams.” In 2014, California voters also approved Proposition 47 which recategorizes non-violent drug possession from a felony offense to a misdemeanor. But Cook thinks the turn made by California needs to be sharper. She said despite being defined as a disease by many medical associations, addiction is still considered a criminal element. “We need to be just as efficient with addiction as we are with criminal justice,” Cook said. Cook said the same amount of attention placed on people with mental disabilities should be placed on those who struggle with addiction. “Right now if I throw a chair through my dentist’s window next door, I get treatment right away,” she said. “Policemen come and they lock my ass up. But if I say I need a detox, I say I need treatment – I’m on a waiting list . . . You tell an addict [to] call back in two weeks, and they could die.” Follow Austin on Twitter @AustinTurner_

Drug policies in California Proposition 36 • 2000 The Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act allows qualified non-violent drug offenders to opt for a probationary sentence and a drug treatment program instead of incarceration. Proposition 47 • 2014 The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act recategorized non-violent offenses, such as drug and property crimes. Offenders with no priors for murder, rape, certain sex offenses or certain gun crimes would be charged for misdemeanors, not felonies. Proposition 64 • 2016 The Adult Use of Marijuana Act allows adults over 21 to possess and use marijuana recreationally. Tax revenue from sales would go to furthering drug research, youth programs and preventing environmental damage. SOURCES: BALLOTPEDIA, THE NOUN PROJECT; INFOGRAPHIC BY CHELSEA NGUYEN FLEIGE

Disconnect stalls substance prevention Experts tie mental health to addiction, often undiagnosed in young adults By Mauricio La Plante ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Strained counseling services and isolation to reduce the spread of the coronavirus have strained access to effective recovery programs for students struggling with addiction. “Right now, during a pandemic, we’re in deep shit,” said Mary Cook, the program coordinator for the Alcohol and Drug Studies program at San Jose City College. “At the end of the day, alienation and isolation are huge issues for people in recovery, huge issues for people who are using, and what they need is community.” Many students who misuse alcohol or narcotics experience co-occurring mental health disorders, Cook said. “In my experience, drugs and drug relapse have always kind of been associated with depression,” said “Jeff”, a communications major and SJSU hockey player. “I guess you would find in a lot of people those things kind of come hand in hand.” Jeff agreed to be interviewed on the condition of anonymity, his name has been changed to protect his identity. Sinking into depression, Jeff knew he needed counseling for his mental health. He said his drug and alcohol use often resurface when his mind is in that state. His drug and alcohol use became more problematic as he grew older. “Cocaine came into my life when I was really young, at, like, 15,” Jeff said. “I didn’t really see it as much of a problem. It was more of a learning curve as a young dumb teenager.” But that changed when he turned 25. “[Cocaine] was reintroduced when I was 25, and I started doing it recreationally and then before I knew it, it was a day-to-day habit,” Jeff said. He said his drug use took a toll on his schooling, work and intimate relationships. Addiction often causes much more damage the older people become, Cook said. “A lot of the symptoms of addiction are often linked to consequences, and when you are 18 to 25, sometimes, depending on your drug of choice, it takes a while for you to start experiencing some of those consequences,” Cook said.

Jeff decided to seek help in Fall 2019 for his depression, which he believes is one of the causes of his excessive drug and alcohol misuse. “I wasn’t necessarily so addicted to the drugs, rather than just kind of in a bad mental state and depressed,” he said. He turned to services at SJSU that he thought would save him money and be easily accessible while on campus. “We paid for it through the dues and fees, so I figured, ‘Yeah, what the hell? I don’t have insurance through my parents,’ ” Jeff said. During 2018-19, roughly 97 students using Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at SJSU reported alcohol use concerns and 96 reported substance use concerns, said CAPS Director Kell Fujimoto, in an email to the Spartan Daily. According to previous Spartan Daily reporting, 2,670 students utilized CAPS, and the offices had 15 staff members in Fall 2019. After Jeff saw an evaluator to determine what services were available, he was referred to off-campus locations. “What I was told after I called my evaluator is he said he believed that I needed something more than San Jose State could offer,” Jeff said. “Once I was told that I have to go to an offcampus location that kind of just killed my motivation to get help.”

What I was told after I called my evaluator is he said he believed that I needed something more than San Jose State could oﬀer. Once I was told that I have to go to an oﬀ-campus location that kind of just killed my motivation to get help.” “Jeff” communications major and SJSU hockey player

Although Jeff was not seeking help specifically oriented toward drug or alcohol misuse, addiction experts said clinicians need to make more of an effort to assess co-occurring disorders. In the United States, half of people who experience mental illness have a substance use disorder, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

2,670

students used Counseling and Psychological Services

students using CAPS reported alcohol misuse concerns

CAPS staﬀ members active in Fall 2019

students using CAPS reported substance misuse concerns

SOURCES: CAPS DIRECTOR KELL FUJIMOTO, PREVIOUS SPARTAN DAILY REPORTING; INFOGRAPHIC BY CHELSEA NGUYEN FLEIGE

In turn, this can make the creation of effective forms of counseling much more challenging, Cook said. “There are some addicts who would rather be given a psych diagnosis any day than admit that they have an addiction problem,” Cook said. “Vice versa, [some would] rather be a meth addict than to believe they have clinical depression.” However, recent research shows that Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are more effective than clinical services. According to a study published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Review this March, people who have gone to AA meetings reported higher rates of abstaining from alcohol. For years, medical professionals have doubted the effectiveness of programs such as AA to reach sobriety, said Keith Humphreys, Stanford University psychiatry professor and one of the authors of the study. “I think it has something to do with a bit of professional snobbery,” Humphreys said. “It’s something most professions believe, that you need a professional to solve your problems whether it’s to file your taxes or write a will or recover from an addiction . . . Yet everyday, people do those things without professionals.” However, young people could feel a disconnect at general AA sessions, Cook said. She referenced groups such as AA and Narcotics Anonymous for young people. “They still like to do what young people do and they kind of need that because, you know, they don’t relate to somebody who’s 40,” Cook said. “They need to relate to each other.”

Cook said students can build stronger counseling programs for students with substance use disorders by launching awareness campaigns and working with outside groups to visit campus. However, Santa Clara County’s shelter-inplace order has forced groups online. In turn, the loneliness can be deadly for addicts, Cook said. SJSU’S Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Committee, which focuses on substance misuse prevention and intervention, is deliberating on how to connect with students online in groups such as AA, said Mira Mustafa, the committee’s Associated Students representative. “Due to the shelter-in-place [order], some people who are part of Alcoholics Anonymous might not be able to talk to their sponsors, or attend meetings,” Mustafa said. “So we’re trying to think of ways to just support them a little bit more and give them, like, another point of contact.” Mustafa said one of the committee’s biggest struggles is connecting to as many students as possible, which is difficult if the students have lost control. “We know this is a very difficult time for people and we might see an increase in abuse problems,” Mustafa said. “So, we’ve been talking a little with athletics, peer health and CAPS just seeing what we can all do together to see what we can do to support students going through a difficult time.” Follow Mauricio on Twitter @mslaplantenews

IMPAIRED DRIVING

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THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

Moms and athletes tackle DUI education

By Erica Lizarrago COPY EDITOR

Beyond Football, San Jose State’s community outreach program for football players, has focused its recent efforts on teaching student-athletes to become advocates against impaired and drunk driving. A 2014 Santa Clara County Public Health report found that more than 10% of traffic collisions in the county during 2011 involved alcohol. Additionally, a 2012 survey by the California Office of Traffic Safety showed that 14% of drunk drivers in the state that year tested positive for other impairing drugs. “I think that our studentathletes have a platform that gives them an opportunity to have a voice that other general students may not necessarily feel they have,” Beyond Football Coordinator Tobruk Blaine said in a phone interview with the Spartan Daily. “They have a platform for being of influence to our community and in particular, our youth.”

Blaine worked with former SJSU quarterback Josh Love to create a partnership with the nonprofit organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Founded in 1980, MADD has expanded its programming to include building educational programs for schools and universities. “One of the topics [Love] noticed we hadn’t discussed was in relation to impaired driving,” Blaine said. “So through that, he and I worked together to reach out to MADD, got in touch with our local chapter and got to know the work they’re doing with the NFL.” MADD works with the NFL to provide educational workshops and training to incoming players. Blaine said she realized many of these discussions could also be held at the collegiate level. Blaine and Love then invited representatives from MADD to speak with the SJSU football team, including an advocate whose father was killed by an impaired driver.

Drunk driving statistics

10% 14% of traffic collisions involved alcohol use in 2011 in Santa Clara County.

of drunk drivers in California tested positive for other impairing drugs in 2012.

Infographic by John Bricker. Sources: Santa Clara County Public Health and the California Office of Traffic Safety. Public domain photo above from Wikimedia Commons.

“[MADD wants] to make sure we share the stories of our victims with [students] so that they can also gain a better understanding by hearing it from somebody who has been directly impacted by [impaired driving],” said Emily Peirano, intern for MADD’s Bay Area affiliate. After the first successful collaboration, MADD reached out to SJSU Athletics

and Beyond Football, proposing a co-hosted 5K walk around SJSU. “We have a short-and long-term goal of having more of a presence and impact in the university and colleges in the Bay Area,” said Peirano, who was also the co-coordinator for the event. The walk was scheduled for March, however, shelterin-place orders in response

to the coronavirus pandemic have canceled the walk. Despite this, Blaine said MADD and SJSU Athletics have continued to encourage community members to raise money. Blaine said she wants to get MADD’s presence known in the larger SJSU athletic community, not just football players through Beyond Football. She added that she doesn’t want Beyond Football’s partnership with MADD to be a one-time thing, but that it should get the wider SJSU community involved going forward. “We want it to be a longlasting impression that’s a part of our culture, a part of who we are and what we do,” she said. Annalisa Duarte, SJSU Athletics academic support coordinator, said beginning these collegiate-level programs shows the importance of student-led advocacy. “By starting these initiatives with our athletic leaders we will be able to get the most support and

buy-in from our campus partners as we branch out,” Duarte said. “Our studentathletes are well connected on campus and we are able to use their networks to get the campus involved.” Blaine said she would love to see other student organizations supporting MADD’s initiatives. “How incredible would it be that we all come together and we support this incredibly powerful nonprofit that is raising money, awareness and advocacy for something that most people have probably been affected by in some way, shape or form,” she said. While there are hopes for all students to become involved, Blaine said studentathletes play a large role behind spreading these ideas. “It’s greater than just doing an event,” Blaine said. “They have a platform and we are trying to help foster that development and empower them to use that platform for good.” Follow Erica on Instagram @erica.lizarrago

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Defining dependencies

TIO RA NS BY

impossible for the person to control when they do the behavior, how long it goes on or when or if they could ever stop. The consequences follow: decreased satisfaction in the behavior, impairment of social relationships, emotional trauma or even physical danger. Although these lifestyle addictions are not diagnosed as actual addictions, they do encourage addictive behaviors and the steps toward rehabilitation often mirror real addiction recovery plans. The Spartan Daily has curated information on these four lifestyle addictions to explain what could make behaviors toward them seem harmless, but could become harmful.

LOD L RIO Y DE

while there is research into addictive lifestyle behaviors, there are no official or formal diagnoses. “In some ways there is a connection between all of these potentially addictive behaviors in that we tend to get some feeling of pleasure or satisfaction from these behaviors and then our brain tells us that we should do more of that behavior,” Woodhead said. At first, it’s just a behavior that provides a desired or appetitive effect. There are some variations in behavioral patterns but it always involves a considerable amount of time spent compulsively thinking about and engaging in the behavior. Eventually it becomes

Four common behaviors can lead to vindictive vices ddictive behaviors have major repercussions on all aspects of one’s life mentally, physically and emotionally. Tattoos, social media, love/sex and work addiction are all classifed as process addictions: potentially pathological behaviors that expose individuals to intense neurotransmitters, beginning with enjoyment and leading to dependency. The four lifestyle addictions explained here are not included in the ﬁfth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, an encyclopedia published by the American Psychiatric Association to help diagnose mental illnesses. SJSU psychology professor Erin Woodhead said

Love and sex By Chelsea Nguyen Fleige • Executive Editor

Sexually adventurous or nymphomaniac? Hopeless romantic or serial dater? Bad breakup or severe emotional distress? Can’t live without your significant other or disturbingly codependent? Don’t be quick to dismiss behavioral patterns that may be indicative of deeper psychological issues. Distinguishing normal intimacy variances from addictive behaviors can be difficult because of the stigma surrounding sex and love. A 2010 article in the Addiction Behaviors journal estimated about 12% of people aged 19-24 experience love addiction and more than 10% go through sex addiction. In comparison, approximately 3% of adults experience sex addiction and another 3% experience love addiction. SJSU psychology professor Erin Woodhead said that sex is a natural reinforcer, like food, which means that the act releases dopamine in the human brain and doesn’t depend on repeated learning.

Tattoos

By Bryanna Bartlett • Staff Writer Tattoos can be a frightening concept to some, but an adrenaline rush for others. Joshua Medeiros, a tattoo artist at Players Ink in San Jose, said that tattoos can absolutely be considered an addiction, but in a different light. “The people who come in here and get tattooed frequently, they refer to it as an addiction, but more times they actually call it therapy,” said Medeiros. He said people come in to get tattoos for many reasons and every reason is just as valid. “It is kind of a release, for some reason the pain helps them through whatever the cause of the tattoo is . . . or it’s their way of paying their dues to get happy or to get satisfaction,” Medeiros said.

Sophia Beazley, business marketing senior at University of San Francisco, makes drives down to San Jose often to see her family as well as to get tattooed at Players Ink. “I have five tattoos,” Beazley said. “After the first one, I was already planning my second.” She said she feels her confidence and happiness come rushing back when she gazes upon the finished product on her arms and back. Medeiros said every client has come back for more, some even drive as much as six hours for a visit. “They actually look at it and go ‘Oh shit,’ because whatever they came in here to feel, they felt it,” he said. Whether it is to feel better, to feel confident, to

feel feminine, to feel masculine, to bring tribute to someone else, Medeiros said tattoos can give a person whatever it is that they need and that those feelings can be addictive. “It’s definitely addicting,” Beazley said. “I feel like so many of my friends who have tattoos would agree with that.” Follow Bryanna on Twitter @brybartlett

Social media By Chris Padilla • Staff Writer

It’s midnight and you can’t sleep, so you launch the Facebook app on your phone, promising yourself that you’re only going to scroll until you get sleepy. But your cousin just reposted some funny memes that you must share, two of your friends are in an online feud that you have to chime in on and then something else catches your interest. Now it’s 3 a.m. If you can relate to this, then you might have a social media addiction. According to the Addiction C enter, social media addiction affects 5% to 10% of Americans and it has real off-screen effects. The Ad d i c t i on Center points out that the effects this addiction has on health in particular can lead to a vicious cycle of

worsening moods that can be “cured” by a few hours on S n ap c h at , Tw i t t e r or some other social a p p , o n l y for the mood t o return when you stop. Validation, coupled with the ability to share ones elf with the world with no boundaries makes social media very appealing to people, according to the Addiction Center. According to a Harvard study, selfdisclosure provides a “high” similar to that of taking other addictive substances. As excessive social

“People who consider themselves love or sex addicts partially have this tendency because sex activates the mesolimbic pathway in the brain,” Woodhead said. “This is known as the pleasure pathway and it involves areas of the brain that produce higher levels of dopamine. Any activity that brings us pleasure and enjoyment activates this pathway.” In addition to dopamine, other biochemicals released while “in love” include dopamine, oxytocin, vasopressin and serotonin, according to an article by the Association for the Advancement of Philosophy and Psychiatry. The same research article reinforced the parallels of natural love biochemistry and the artificial stimulation created by addictive substance abuse, but Woodhead added that there is not a formal diagnosis associated with sex or love addiction. Notably, Hypersexual Behavior Disorder is not included in the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

SSex and Love Addicts Anonymous, an o organization which specializes in a 12-step recovery program, acknowledges the characteristics rec of sex se or love addiction. The list includes staying in destructive relationships, using sex and emotional involvement to manipulate, having few healthy boundaries, being seriously distracted by romantic or sexual obsessions and fearing abandonment or loneliness. The costs of sex and love addiction can be enormous, affecting all aspects of the individual’s life as well as the lives of loved ones. “Treatment for behavioral addictions typically focuses [on] increasing motivation for change, understanding a person’s thoughts about the behavior, and substituting alternative behaviors,” Woodhead said. Follow the Spartan Daily on Twitter @SpartanDaily

Workaholism By Chelsea Nguyen Fleige • Executive Editor

In workplaces that put a premium on productivity, some people live by the motto, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” A person who is highly work-oriented feels driven to work because of inner pressures and finds little enjoyment in work. This fits the typical definition of a workaholic, according to a 2014

article published in the Journal of Management. Psychosocial consequences of work addiction include poor social lives, burnout, decreased life satisfaction and poor physical health, according to the same article. But researchers within the psychology field disagree on the parameters of work addiction. T h e

condition isn’t included in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. San Jose State psychology professor Erin Woodhead said there aren’t specific psychological diagnoses associated with workaholism, but some

individuals do struggle with addictive work compulsions. “It’s interesting because it’s a type of behavior where we can’t tell people to work toward abstinence like we might do for other potentially addictive behaviors,” stated Woodhead in an email. She said most people have to work in some capacity, so dealing with work addiction is a matter of regulating

tendencies by developing new hobbies or different coping skills. 12-step programs, similar to those that treat alcoholism, may be more effective for some individuals. “People who are addicted to work might be overlooked because they might be seen as highly productive or successful in their careers,” Woodhead said. A 2011 study by Evaluation & the Health Professions Journal estimated that 10% of the U.S. adult population experience work addiction. Accorsing to the Penn World Tables, which lists data accounts of 182 national economies, Americans work more hours per capita than any other large nation of the same production level, which may be the cause.

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m e d i a us ers chas e the same surge of validation, they grow more tolerant to the effects of dopamine on their brain, urging them to post more for the equivalent feeling. Likes, retweets and

s h a r e s affect the brain the same way that a jackpot at the slot machine might. Ac c o r d i n g to Dr. Daria Kuss, a psychologist specializing in t e c h n o l o g i c a l

addiction, the fear of missing out, commonly known as “FOMO,” also contributes to the addictive nature of social media, she wrote in a Washington Post article. She also said that the manifestations of social media addiction fall in a range: from snubbing

friends and loved ones in favor of looking at social apps, checking phones obsessively or even more dangerously, checking social media while driving.

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OPINION

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THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

ILLUSTRATION BY NATHAN DOYLE

Sometimes it’s not all fun and games Some can argue that compulsive gambling involves real-world money while video games only involve game currency and experience points. The thinking is that a loss while playing a video game has no real-world equivalent to crippling debt. Most video games cost real-world money Andrew Glenn and many have in-game currency that can be acquired through spending actual money. Staff In-game purchases, also known as Writer microtransactions, are often criticized by players. But the reason games have the option of payments in game is so that developers have the funds to manage and maintain it and develop future content for the game or future releases. It is a simple process that involves entering ideo games have always been a fun payment information and pressing a button escape to a fantasy world. on a controller. However, an escape from reality That simple process is something that can be dangerous and addictive at times. proved to be a major issue for 54-year-old Long hours spent staring at screens makes Maine resident Bettysue Higgins. sense in a few cases. According to a 2011 Kotaku article, a Streamers or professional gamers who play popular gaming website, Higgins embezzled competitively in tournaments for money will need $166,000 from her company to help pay for to play consistently because it’s their livelihood. virtual coins in the Facebook games “Mafia However, there is a point when a casual gamer Wars” and “YoVille.” has gone too far with their gaming sessions. This compulsive spending isn’t limited to The American Addiction Centers describes just older gamers. video game addiction as a process addiction, According to the Irish Mirror, one similar to compulsive gambling, because of unnamed mother in Ireland let her son the similarities in repetitive action with the use her debit card to buy “FIFA 18” on the interest of winning big in the end. PlayStation 4. There are some groups, such as parents Her son still had access to the card and select Psychology Today contributors information because it was linked to his who protest the comparison to gambling, “FIFA” account and continued to use it. arguing that it is too extreme. “This was my first Christmas working full Deniers of video game addiction say video time and then to go to your bank account games simply enhance cognitive skills, but there and find it empty with the whole month’s pay are numerous examples that state otherwise. and overtime in the buildup to Christmas While some may believe the comparison just gone is horrendous,” the mother said in to gambling is extreme and argue that games the article. enhance cognitive skills, there are numerous Sony refused to refund any of the money examples that state differently. that was spent on the game. With video games being accessible to People can go overboard spending money players in home consoles, PCs, handhelds in video games, causing significant financial and smartphones, it is significantly easier repercussions. for someone to become more hooked to Not only could you find your wallet empty gaming rather than gambling. from gaming, but it can also result in death. Both video game and gambling addictions Aside from guzzling down stacks of Red share serious financial implications. Bulls which could make gamers’ hearts PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS CORE

Have a story idea? Contact us at spartandaily@gmail.com.

explode, malleable minds could experience mental distress. There have been cases such as Russian 15-year-old Alexey Maximov who stabbed a 21-year-old university student repeatedly in the eyes, neck and chest. During the investigation, the police found that Maximov had been “calmly” playing PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, according to the Daily Mail. “I have always wanted to see when a person dies by your own hands,” Maximov said to the Daily Mail. “A voice inside my head told me what had to be done.”

With video games being accessible to players in home consoles, PCs, handhelds and smartphones, it is significantly easier for someone to become more hooked to gaming rather than gambling. 24-year-old David Katz suffered a loss in a “Madden NFL 19” tournament in Jacksonville, Florida. In retaliation he shot at his fellow competitors, according to The Guardian. Two were killed and nine were injured before he turned the gun on himself. According to CNN, authorities and others in attendance, there was no other motive for the shooting aside from Katz’s loss. It cannot be denied that there are those who take a game too seriously, which results in the destruction of their life or the lives of those around them.

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OPINION

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Highs and lows of caffeine addiction Purging excessive energy drinks and coffee helped reboot my system

Chris Padilla STAFF WRITER

I start every day with a cup of coffee. If I don’t, life gets a whole lot harder. It starts with fatigue and then drowsiness sets in, then it becomes difficult to focus. And then comes the headache, sharp across my brow, accentuated by a dull throb in the back of my head. I am dependent on caffeine and have been for a long time. Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee, energy drinks and some sodas, among other things.

constipation, according to Medical News Today. Overindulgence, too, has its costs. Going to school and working at the same time takes its toll pretty quickly. After getting caught falling asleep at the counter a few times too many, I needed a way to stay awake on shift. I had previously avoided energy drinks because of the negative side effects I heard about, but I was getting desperate so I bought my first-ever can of Rockstar Lemonade. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, a 12-ounce can of soda contains 35 milligrams of caffeine while a cup of coffee typically contains 100 milligrams.

Suddenly, I was faced with all the negative aspects of caffeine addiction without any of the beneﬁts. I was constantly exhausted, in pain or both. I slept all the time and was moody when awake.

ILU

RA T

According to Healthline, caffeine affects the central nervous system, granting a feeling of alertness and a lessening of fatigue. The substance also increases blood pressure in the circulatory system. Like any drug, taking in a regular amount of it can prompt a higher tolerance to its effects, which leads to withdrawals if you quit. The effects vary, but in general, some symptoms of caffeine withdrawal are headache, fatigue, changes in mood, difficulty concentrating and

ME L

An energy drink can have up to 240 milligrams of caffeine, more than double the amount in a single cup of coffee. On top of that, energy drinks may contain a whopping 62 grams of sugar, six times the amount in one Krispy Kreme donut. The effects hit immediately. I had more pep in my step, was more attentive and generally more productive in the workplace. I started drinking energy drinks outside of work, too. After a year, I had built up a tolerance.

ODY DEL R

Having one can a shift wasn’t cutting it anymore. Pretty soon, there were days where I downed two in an 8-hour period. At one particularly low point during a nightmare shift, I consumed three in one day. Sure, most of the symptoms are mild – headaches, frequent urination, digestive issues, anxiety, muscle aches, insomnia. These are symptoms that students are likely familiar with, especially right before midterms and finals. But there are also dangerous and sometimes even fatal side effects to a caffeine overdose. One of the deadly side effects is rhabdomyolysis, manifesting in damaged muscle fibers ending up in the bloodstream, which leads to kidney damage and other complications, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Caffeine also increases heart rate and too much of it can disrupt the heart’s rhythm altogether, which, in turn, can lead to death. I didn’t know any of this when my love affair with caffeine started.

One day, I noticed that I was developing a twitch in my eye. Soon after, I got spasms in my arm and a slight tremor in my hands. On some days, my chest hurt. At that point, I knew I had to stop or I’d end up in the hospital, but quitting was a nightmare. Health wasn’t the only cost I was incurring. At $2.50 a pop, energy

drinks weren’t a cheap habit and I started noticing that it was cutting into my minimum-wage paycheck. Suddenly, I was faced with all the negative aspects of caffeine addiction without any of the benefits. I was constantly exhausted, in pain or both. I slept all the time and was moody when awake. But, one day I realized that it had been a whole year since

I had an energy drink – I had finally kicked the habit. It’s been five years and I still haven’t had an energy drink. These days, I limit myself to a cup of coffee a day. Most days, it’s enough to get me to function normally. Follow the Spartan Daily on Twitter @SpartanDaily

OPINION

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THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020 PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTIAN TRUJANO AND MARCI SUELA

To put it bluntly, the cost is too high Backwoods cigar companies target youth to sell product

Kellen Concentine SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Now that marijuana is legal in 11 states, cannabis has become a multi-billion dollar industry in America. In Downtown San Jose, you can’t walk around without smelling weed smoke whether it’s from a pipe, a joint or a blunt. When I want to get loaded, I prefer to smoke my cannabis wrapped in Backwoods Wild ’n Mild Cigars. My New Year’s resolution for 2020 was to stop smoking tobacco entirely. I lasted about two weeks. Unlike most cigarillos, Backwoods are made from hand-rolled natural tobacco leaves. It gives them a distinct taste and texture when rolling and smoking, complementing the taste of cannabis. Honey Berry and Russian Cream are

still my go-to flavors and are some of the most popular flavor among young people looking to try out smoking. Tobacco companies engineer alluring flavors as a tactic to encourage young consumers who will inevitably smoke for years. The prominence of these products has become so severe that several Bay Area counties have passed local ordinances that have banned the sale of Backwoods and other flavored tobacco. Many of these ordinances state that 90% of adults started smoking tobacco before their 18th birthday, therefore justifying the bans as public health protections. In 2016, California changed the legal age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21, anticipating the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Their objective was to make tobacco less accessible for kids, and the policy succeeded. Until my 21st birthday, I encountered a lot of trouble getting my hands on tobacco after the law was passed. Backwoods’ tobacco content is considered harsher than the average

cigarette, prompting some to call it more addictive. This is evident in the palpable and instantaneous head rush a user can feel. Tobacco has been a major part of the U.S. economy since Jamestown, Virginia was established in the 1600s, according to the historic Jamestown website. Over four centuries, Americans have made the substance stronger. The amount of nicotine has been increasing in American cigarette products such as Newports and American Spirits, with an average increase of 1.78% per year from 1998 to 2005, according to a Tobacco Control report. I was only a high school freshman when I lit my first Backwood. My health from smoking tobacco is something I always keep in mind, but it never stopped me from going to the store and getting a five-pack. What was holding me back was the amount of money I was spending. I am aware of how much I am smoking. With the high I get from Backwoods, it was always my first choice when rolling up some weed.

Traditional flavors such as Sweet Aromatic are the highest sellers, sold in five-packs for about $8 at convenient stores like 7-Eleven. But there is a market for more exotic flavors, such as vanilla and grape, which can go for $40 a pack. A heavy smoker like myself can easily smoke five blunts in one day. If I bought a five-pack of Backwoods every day for a whole year, it would be about $3,200. It can add up, especially since some days I go through two or three packs. Backwoods are just different. Mac Dre said, “If it ain’t a Backwood, it ain’t all that good.” Regardless of the negative effects, ‘Woods are the choice for a lot of stoners. We see them being smoked in all the rap music videos and in Instagram posts. Money spent on Backwoods could be used for something else, like buying more cannabis. Going broke over cigars is not something I intend to do, but smoking a joint just isn’t the same. Follow Kellen on Twitter @KC_Journalism

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COLUMN

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

The perils of overprescribing How abusing opioids eventually left me in more pain than before

Brian So STAFF WRITER

Addictions can start out innocently enough. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, 21%-29% of opioid misuse starts out as a prescription to manage chronic pain. I count myself as a part of that percentage. When I broke my clavicle, I was prescribed opioids to manage my pain. Although the break happened on a Saturday, I was told by an on-call doctor in the emergency room that I would have to wait two whole days to see a specialist. I was given a 90 day prescription of hydrocodone – a Schedule II opioid. The road to my addiction started at this crucial moment. After a specialist confirmed my diagnosis, I underwent surgery to repair my clavicle. Following that, I was prescribed 90 days’ worth of oxycodone – another Schedule II opioid.

Let’s do the math on this: I went two days with a broken bone in my body. I finished surgery in a day and was given a recovery prognosis of two months. In three days, I was prescribed enough opioids for six months, when I only needed it for a third of the time. Prescribing just an extra month’s worth of opioids is already a dangerous choice. To do so without checking a patients file for previous pain prescriptions shows audacity and blatant stupidity on any doctor’s part. Unfortunately, this is all too common. About 80% of the global supply of opioids is consumed right here in America, according to CNBC. Complicating the issue further, approximately 99% of doctors prescribe an excess of the recommended threeday dosage, according to HealthDay, a medical news syndicator. The first few months after surgery went as planned: I took painkillers whenever the pain came back, especially when I needed to sleep. But as time went on, I became so accustomed to the good feelings I got from taking the painkillers that it became

I couldn’t focus without it. My whole life revolved around painkillers.

less about pain management and more about the high. Even after the pain had fully subsided and I had no residual effects from my broken clavicle, I still continued to take painkillers as if they were candy. I couldn’t sleep without it. I couldn’t focus without it. I would get extremely anxious whenever I went too long without taking an opioid. My whole life revolved around painkillers. All of these symptoms are indicative and characteristic of painkiller addiction, according to the American Addiction Centers, a nationwide network of addiction rehabilitation facilities. Within three months, I spiraled out of control and had taken my entire six-month supply of prescribed opioids. After I ran out, the withdrawal symptoms started and they were unbearable.

Physically, I had the worst week of my life. I had “the runs,” severe body aches, insomnia and no focus, even with the smallest tasks. It’s been five years since I stopped taking opioids, but some of the effects still linger from my addiction. There are moments where I still have the urge to take pills and I contemplate alternative methods of getting my hands on some. I have muscle and joint pain that over-the-counter medication cannot help with anymore. I tend to be in a mental fog more than I used to be. This addiction has left me mentally drained and exhausted. Whether you want to call it depression or not, I do not have the mental stamina to carry me through the day like before. Addiction is a scary and dangerous path. Regardless of what you may think, addiction can happen to anyone and people can become addicted to anything. Please, with everything you do in life, proceed with caution. Follow Brian on Twitter @sobrian31

Drugs college students often misuse Prescription drug misuse occurs when drugs are taken in a diﬀerent manner than the prescription called for, such as increasing the dosage or using another person’s pills. Commonly misused drugs include opioids (Vicodin, OxyContin), depressants (Valium, Xanax) and stimulants (Adderall, Ritalin).

OxyContin

Adderall

Ritalin

Xanax

OxyContin, an opioid, is often prescribed after surgery to reduce severe pain for a short time. But it can lead to dependency and withdrawal symptoms when trying to stop. Opioid misuse is an American epidemic, but from 2013-18, the number of college students misusing opioids dropped to 50%.

People that have sleep disorders or need help focusing because of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, known as ADHD, often take Adderall, a stimulant. Adderall misuse has a significant gender difference, with 14.6% of college males misusing the drug in 2018, compared to only 8.8% of college females.

Ritalin is another stimulant prescribed to help people with ADHD or sleep disorders. While some students without ADHD think that taking stimulants such as Ritalin can help them focus and improve their grades, there is no evidence to prove it. Instead, stimulants can cause long-term health problems.

College students endure a lot of stress, so depressants, such as Xanax, that can treat panic attacks and acute stress reactions are often appealing. However, there has been a “gradual decline” in college students misusing depressants, including Xanax, from 2013-18.

SOURCE: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES; INFOGRAPHIC BY KUNAL MEHTA. PAGE DESIGN BY MARCI SUELA.

EDITORIAL

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THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

Breaking the cycle SJSU needs more addiction education and resources for students San Jose State leaves its students with very few resources to help them battle addiction. The education and counseling SJSU offers its students about addiction is not adequate to help them leave harmful dependencies in the past. SJSU has an Alcohol and Drug Addiction Prevention Committee that should be working hard to help the student community face these issues, but its website, which should guide students to their recent 2018-19 committee report, has not been updated since 2017. The university has a responsibility to consistently help its students understand and fight addiction, particularly because college students are a high-risk demographic. According to the rehabilitation referral service Addiction Center, 31% of college students in the U.S. reported symptoms of alcohol abuse in 2019. Students may struggle not only with alcoholism, but also with dependencies on stimulant drugs. According to the Center on Addiction as of February, anywhere between 5-35% of college students have used prescription drugs, such as Adderall, commonly known as the “study drug,” without a prescription. Many use it with the assumption that it will help them focus during long hours of studying. Not only are college students vulnerable to falling into harmful substance dependencies, but they are also often isolated and stressed, making it especially important for SJSU to tell them that help is available.

According to research by Sky Factor, an organization that assesses the success of academic policies, 58% of first-year college students feel separation and 50% feel distress, defined as feeling distant from a person, location or object – making it hard to function in classes. New students are most at risk, especially those who leave behind friends and family at home to come to the Bay Area. These students may use party culture and addictive substances as a crutch to help make it through the grind of student life. A 1998 report from the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study showed that four out of five fraternity and sorority members are binge drinkers. The study described binge drinking as “male students who had five or more and female students who had four or more drinks in a row at least once in a two-week period (the 5/4 measure).” It would be nearly impossible for the university to try and stop harmful party culture, but it does have to address the inevitable consequences that party culture

promotes and recognize that students will need guidance to deal with the substances in which they are exposed. It is hard enough for all students to find help with their addictions; but for students who do not have health insurance or cannot see a health care provider in Santa Clara County, it is vital that SJSU supplies these students with resources to help them better themselves. According to the U.S. Census Bu re au, 7.2% of

California residents do not have health insurance. SJSU has responded to students’ lack of health insurance by only supplying short consultations in a campus environment where consultation on any issue is hard to come by, let alone for a specific need like addiction. Under non-pandemic circumstances, setting up a one-on-one appointment with a counselor from the university’s Counseling and Psychological Services office can take more than two weeks, with an eight-session limit for every academic year, leaving only one session per month, according to past Spartan Daily reporting. Although SJSU offers 30-minute alcohol and drug consultations, these sessions are not frequent enough to keep up with students who are struggling with serious addictions affecting their everyday lives. SJSU should follow in the

footsteps of other colleges that have put more effort into educating students about addiction and helping them recover from it. Fresno State offers “Bulldogs 4 Recovery,” a program run by the university to guide students to abstinence from the substances causing them problems.

needs to be ready to aid students who have nowhere else to turn when ready to get clean. If the Student Wellness Center hired counselors dedicated to helping students leave addiction behind and raised awareness about this resource, students would know they are not on their own.

With a combination of dedicated ccounselors and a prog program set up around education and edu rehabilitation, rehabilitatio students help more easily could find hel and learn how to help their communities. own comm Aside from a program to help students get back on their feet, there is also much more education at CSU Fresno than SJSU when it comes to addiction. Fresno State offers a certificate in alcohol and drug studies that allows students to more thoroughly understand abusive tendencies that can coincide with substance addiction. Getting college students to reconsider their drug and alcohol use is not an easy task, but S J S U

With a combination of dedicated counselors and a program set up around education and rehabilitation, students could find help more easily and learn how to help their own communities. Although SJSU’s current counseling leaves a lot to be desired, SJSU does require every student take a few Title IX tests during orientation about the risks of alcohol and drug use; however those tests are more geared toward the risks that come along with unsafe drinking, such as sexual violence, but skips over the outcome of addiction. SJSU students need more addiction education resources. In theory, these Title IX orientation tests should grant students an entrylevel understanding of the substance abuse problems, but students could easily click through the test without absorbing the concepts. These surface-level online modules that most students will treat as a meaningless chore do not make up for a lack of on-campus addiction counseling and education. To effectively help students break their addictive cycles, SJSU needs to do more than the bare minimum when it comes to confronting addiction in young adults.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY NATHAN DOYLE

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