– It seems that drugs have become almost as common as alcohol, at least among those of our age. This is claimed by Signe Bergdal, who is 17 years old and a student at Bodø secondary school. She and three classmates have seen a special type of bracelet in production. – We know that there is a lot of drug use here that we don’t think anything of. IDEA: – It started with us finding a product that we thought was important and that we wanted to produce, says Signe Bergdal (17). Photo: Ingrid Gulbrandsen Årdal / news Testing drinks for GHB Precisely because of this, they want to give young people more knowledge about the topic. Thus, it became a drug-testing bracelet when they were to form a youth company in a school context. – We notice that it’s not fun to be at a party anymore because there are so many people who experience uncomfortable situations, and that drugs are constantly being pushed, which we think is wrong. Not everyone is aware that this is happening, the girls say. PRODUCTION: The bracelets seen in production are made in Germany and sold on by the girls to order. Photo: Ingrid Gulbrandsen Årdal / news Even if the girls have not experienced it themselves, they tell of several friends who have been given GHB to drink against their will. These bracelets will reveal whether you have received GHB in your drink: Half are sent on to hospital In 2016, GHB came in third place among the illegal drugs that were the basis for emergency admissions to 15 hospitals in 9 European countries, according to Oslo University Hospital. At the emergency room in Oslo, GHB accounts for ten percent of drug poisonings, which is around 200 per year. This is according to Odd Martin Vallersnes, who is associate professor in the department of general medicine at the University of Oslo. Half of those admitted are sent on to hospital. Odd Martin Vallersnes, who is associate professor in the department of general medicine at the University of Oslo. Photo: Silje-Lisette Tennøy – Today, probably as many as we admit are taken directly to hospital in Oslo by the ambulance service, says Vallersnes. In a report based on investigations in the period 2013 to 2015, they determined that 69 percent of the cases were men. GHB was taken as the only drug in 39 per cent of the cases, and combined with alcohol in 29 per cent of the cases. Impaired consciousness was observed in 69 per cent of the cases. Necessary action So far, the response to the bracelets has been good. Several have bought and pre-ordered for the next batch. – Several people think it is necessary because more drugs have arrived, says Bergdal. According to the girls, drugs are always present if they are at one or another party, and especially house parties. – Mostly cocaine, says Bergdal. BRUKARVENLEG: In Sweden, there are companies that do the same, also produced in Germany, but on the market from before there are only strips with the same effect in Norway. Photo: Ingrid Gulbrandsen Årdal / news Because even if the bracelet is a concrete measure to reduce the number of doping cases, there is also another disturbing development they are concerned about. Namely, there is a large focus on drugs in the youth environment in general. – It is very normalized now. And that is also part of what we want to stop. – Is it peer pressure? – Yes, and pressure from individuals you don’t know. – What do parents know about this? – Many parents know this, but they may not know to what extent, and how common it has actually become. Receive praise from the police The girls receive praise from the police for the initiative. – I think it is a great initiative. We want to focus on prevention and that young people make good, conscious and healthy choices about abstaining from drug use. That’s according to Alf Gunnar Holm, who is section leader for prevention, intelligence and investigation at Bodø police station. The initiative for young people is the way the police want it to be. DAILY: – It is difficult to give anything concrete about it, other than that we know it happens and that it is daily. Photo: Ingrid Gulbrandsen Årdal / news Nevertheless, he wants awareness that a bracelet is not enough to avoid what young people fear. – You never get away from the fact that you have responsibility for yourself, what you choose to take in, and those around you. So don’t just rely on the bracelet. – The young people are right Holm can also confirm what the girls describe. – The young people are absolutely right. The information we receive from our own information channels, but also from those we collaborate with, shows that use is increasing and that use has changed among young people. While cannabis products used to be the largest and most common type of drug used, the police are now seeing a marked increase in, among other things, cocaine. This is despite the fact that this does not result in physical seizures for the time being, according to Holm. – The police see that we now have a situation where secondary schools in Bodø are a central arena for the sale of drugs, he says. – How would the police describe the use of illegal drugs among young people? – In this sense, the situation is a bit unclear, because we are not present on the channels that we should be, and because it is a form of crime that is not reported to us. – What are the police doing to counter this? – We try to be present in the arena where the young people are and contribute with information work. Concrete measures here in Bodø include that we have trained three officers who will only work towards young people with a focus on providing information and being where the young people are. Advises parents to get involved The most important advice goes to parents, says Holm. Be a caring parent. Get involved in where your young people are and who they hang out with. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. – And to the young people specifically, I must say that the vast majority of young people distance themselves from drugs. But we must pay attention to the development and the tendency we see towards us having a liberalizing way of thinking around the use of drugs, which we think is worrying. The key lies in the fact that many people take ownership of the problem, says Holm. Hi! Do you have input on this case? Or tips for other things I should look at? Please send me an e-mail.
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VGS students made bracelets to counter GHB and the drug trend – news Nordland
