Drugs Info

marijuana

street name:

Weed, Blunt, Gras, Herb, Pot, Reefer, Smoke, Mary Jane, Skunk, Boom, Gangster, Kiff, Chronic, Ganja, Super Skunk, Purple Haze, Dope, Nederweed.

introduction

Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems and seeds from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. The plant contains the mind-altering chemical delta-9-tetyahydrocannabinol (THC) and other related compounds. The extract can also be made from the cannabis plant.

method of use:

Smoking, inhaling and mixing with food or drink.

Short-term memory problem
Anxiety, paranoia, psychosis, hallucination
Panic
Loss of sense of personal identity
Lowered reaction time
Risk of heart attack
Risk of stroke
Problem with coordination
Sexual problem.

Decline in IQ
Lower life satisfaction
Addiction
Potential development of opiate abuse
Relationship problem
Antisocial behaviour
Financial difficulties
Increase welfare dependence
Potential of being unemployed.

alcohol

street name:

Booze, Sauce, Brews, Brewskis, Hooch, Hard Stuff, Juice.

introduction

Alcohol is a drug. Classified as a depressant (slow down vital function), resulting in slurred speech, unsteady movement, disturbed perception and an inability to react quickly.

method of use:

Drink

Slurred speech
Drowsiness
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Upset stomach
Headache
Breathing difficulties
Impaired judgement
Unconsciousness
Anemia
Coma
Blackout

Unintentional injuries
Increased on-the-job injuries and loss of productivity
Increased family problems, broken relationships
Alcohol poisoning
High blood pressure, stroke
Liver disease
l Nerve damage
Sexual problems
Permanent damage to the brain
Vitamin B deficiency
Ulcers
Gastritis

Synthetic Drug

street name:

K2, Smiles, Spice, Bath Salts, Blizzard, N-bomb, Fake Weed, Black Mamba

introduction

Synthetic drugs are created using man-made chemicals rather than natural ingredients.

Effects on the mind:

Unresponsive
Loss of consciousness
Confusion
Extreme anxiety
Panic attack
Severe paranoia
Delusions
Hallucinations
Psychosis
Potential Suicide

Effect on the body

Nausea and vomiting
Heavy sweating
Uncontrolled/ spastic body movement
Acute kidney injury
Rapid heart rate
High blood pressure
Reduced blood supply to the heart
Heart attack
Convulsions
Seizures

Renal failure, liver damage, seizures, brain death, tremble, insomnia, anxiety, depression, skeletal brain tissue damage, death.

ecstasy

street name:

E, XTC, X, Adam, Hug, Beans, Clarity, Lover’s Speed, Love Drug

method of use

Oral intake (pills, tablets, capsule)

Impaired judgement
False sense of affection
Confusion
Depression
Sleep Problem
Severe anxiety
Paranoia
Drug craving
Muscle tension
Involuntary teeth clenching
Blurred vision
Nausea

Long-lsting brain damage affecting though and memory
It is as if the brain switchboard was torn apart, the rewired backwards
Degenerated nerve branches and nerve endings
Depression, anxiety, memory loss
Kidney failure
Haemorrhaging
Psychosis
Cardiovascular collapse
Convulsions
Death

cocaine

street name:

Coke, Crack, Flake, Rocks, Snow, Charlie, Sniff

introduction

Cocaine is one of the world’s most hazardous narcotics. It has proven nearly impossible to break free from the drug’s physical and emotional grasp once someone starts using it. Physically, it stimulates important receptors (nerve endings that detect changes in the body) in the brain, resulting in pleasure to which users quickly become accustomed. Higher doses and more regular use are the only ways to get the same result

method of use

Oral intake (snoop, inhale from the burning smoke), injection using syringe, chew

Loss of appetite
Increase of heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature
Contracted blood vessel
Increase rate of breathing
Dilated pupils
Disturbed sleeping pattern
Nausea
Hyper-stimulation
Anxiety and paranoia
Depression

Damage to the blood vessels of heart and brain
Liver, kidney and lung damage
High blood pressure
Malnutrition
Severe tooth decay
Sexual problem
Psychosis
Depression
Tolerance and addiction
Auditory and tactile hallucinations

METHAMPHETAMINE

street name:

Speed, Meth, Crystal, Crank, Tweak, Quartz, Go-Fast, Ice, Glass, Tina

introduction

Methamphetamine is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system and is extremely addictive.
Crystal methamphetamine is a type of methamphetamine that resembles glass shards or bluish-white boulders.
It is chemically comparable to amphetamine, a stimulant used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy, a sleep disorder

method of use

Smoking, swallowing pill, snorting, injecting the poweder that has been dissolved in water/alcohol

increased alertness and physical activity
decreased appetite
faster breathing
rapid and/or irregular heartbeat
increased blood pressure and body temperature

Anxiety
Changes in brain structure and function
Violent behaviour
Paranoia (extreme and unreasonable distrust of others)
Hallucinations (sensations and images that seem real though they are not)

INHALANTS

Examples of Inhalants:

Solvents

Paint thinners or removers, Dry-cleaning fluids, Gasoline, Lighter fluid, Correction fluids, Glue

Aerosols

Aerosol computer cleaning products, Vegetable oil sprays, Spray paints, Hair/ deodorant sprays

Gases

Butane lighters, Dispensers, Propane tanks, Anesthesia (ether, chloroform, nitrous oxide)

street names:

Poppers, Laughing Gas, Whippets, Rush

Withdrawal symptoms

Loss of appetite
Sweating
Mood changes
Sleeping problems

Slurred/ distorted speech
Euphoria (feeling high)
Dizziness
Lack of coordination

People may also experience hallucinations (seemingly real but unreal pictures or feelings), or delusions (false beliefs). Many people feel less self-conscious and in control after repeated inhalations.

Liver and kidney damage
Hearing loss
Bone marrow damage
Loss of coordination and muscle cramps
Delayed behaviour development
Brain damage
HIV/ AIDS/ hepatitis (happens when nitrites are misused for sexual pleasure)
Overdose (might cause seizures and coma)

HEROIN

Heroin is a synthetic opioid manufactured from morphine, a natural chemical extracted from the seed pods of several opium poppy plants growing in Southeast and Southwest Asia, Mexico, and Colombia.

Heroin can come in the form of a white or brown powder, as well as a black sticky material known as black tar heroin.

street names:

Horse, Smack, H, Skag, Junk, Brown Sugar

Withdrawal symptoms

restlessness
Severe bone and muscular ache
Sleep issues
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Goosebumps and cold flashes (“cold turkey”)
Legs that move inexorably (“kicking the habit”)
Serious heroin craving

Dry mouth
Skin flushes
Sore of arms and legs
Nausea and vomiting
Clouded mental functioning
Severe itching
Going “on the nod,” a conscious and semiconscious condition that alternates.

Insomnia
Collapsed veins for people who inject the drug
Damaged tissue inside the nose (people who sniff or snort it)
Infection of the heart lining and valves
Abscess (a painful collection of pus, usually caused by a bacterial infection)
Constipation and stomach cramping
Liver and kidney disease
Lung complications, i.e.: pneumonia
Psychological disorders (depression and antisocial personality disorder)
Sexual dysfunction for men
Irregular menstrual cycles for women
Might clog blood vessels in the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain, causing irreversible damage.
HIV and hepatitis (Sharing drug injection equipment)

LSD

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is a highly strong hallucinogen that was first produced in 1938.
It is manufactured synthetically from lysergic acid, which is present in the fungus ergot, which grows on rye and other grains.
Its effects, sometimes referred to as a “trip,” can be energising, enjoyable, and mind-altering, or they can result in an unpleasant, sometimes terrifying experience known as a “bad trip.”
LSD is made as a crystalline substance that is then blended with inert components or diluted as a liquid to make ingestible forms.
It has a somewhat bitter flavour and is odourless and colourless.
LSD is commonly found in various forms: blotter paper (LSD soaked onto sheets of absorbent paper with colourful designs; cut into little, individual dosage units) is the most frequent form of gelatin thin squares (commonly referred to as windowpanes)
Liquid on sugar cubes pure liquid form (typically little tablets known as Microdots) or capsules (may be extremely potent)
Some people may inhale LSD through the nose (snort) or inject it into a vein (shoot it up).

Hallucinogens include:

Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms, Shrooms)
Mescaline (Peyote, Buttons, Cactus)
Phencyclidine (PCP, Angel Dust)
Ayahuasca (DMT)
Salvia divinorum (salvia)

Brain Effects

Mood disturbance
Sensory perception
Sleep issues
Hunger
Body temperature instability
Deprived sexual behavior
Intestinal muscle control

street names:

Acid, Cid, Blotter, Heavenly Blue, Microdot, Purple Heart, California Sunshine, Tab, Dots

Withdrawal symptoms

Anxiety
Lack of Concentration
Confusion
Depersonalization (It can be difficult for the person to distinguish between reality and the experience of a trip, so depersonalization can be part of that transition as someone stops using the drug)
Flashbacks

Euphoria (state of intense excitement)
Dilation of pupils
Perceptual changes, such as visual and auditory hallucinations.
Confusion and trouble concentrating
Headaches
Nausea
Fast or irregular heartbeat
Increased body temperature
Breathing quickly
Vomiting
Facial flushes, sweating and chills.
Changes in sense of time (e.g.: feels that time is passing by slowly)

- Persistent Psychosis
– Visual disturbances
– Thoughts in disarray
– Paranoia (unjustified suspicion and mistrust of others)
– Mood changes
- Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD)
– Recurring drug-induced hallucinations or other visual disturbances. These flashbacks frequently occur without warning and can occur anywhere from a few days to over a year after drug usage. These signs and symptoms are frequently misdiagnosed as a stroke or a brain tumour.

Misused Prescriptions of Drugs

Taking medication in a way or dose other than prescribed; taking someone else’s prescription, even if for a legitimate medical complaint such as pain; or taking a medication to feel euphoria are all examples of prescription drug misuse (i.e., to get high).
These types of misuse are referred to as nonmedical usage of prescription medications.
The three most abused medicine classes are:
1. Opioids are commonly used to relieve pain in the central nervous system.
2. Anxiety and sleep disturbances are treated using depressants (which include tranquillizers, sedatives, and hypnotics).
3. Stimulants are commonly used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
4. Dextromethorphan (DXM) are used as cough and cold treatments.

Effects of misused prescriptions of drugs (brain)

Prescription opioid pain relievers: attach to opioid receptors on cells, which are the same receptors that respond to heroin. These receptors are located on nerve cells in various parts of the brain and body, particularly in sections of the brain involved in pain and pleasure perception.
Prescription stimulant (Ritalin): cause a buildup of the brain neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, comparable to cocaine.
Prescription depressants (GHB and Rohypnol): make people feel calm and comfortable.
Dextromethorphan (DXM): When consumed in big doses, it can cause awareness to be distorted and time perception to be altered. It is also known to create hallucinations.

Effects of misused prescriptions of drugs (body)

Opioids (Oxycodone and Codeine): might make you drowsy, sick to your stomach, and constipated. Opioids can make it difficult to breathe properly when overdoses, to death.
Stimulants (Adderall or Ritalin): can make you feel paranoid. It can also raise your body temperature dangerously high and cause your heart to beat too quickly when it is consumed in big doses or in ways other than by ingesting a pill.
Depressants (Barbiturates): Slurred speech, shallow breathing, tiredness, dizziness, and loss of coordination. Seizures can occur in people who abuse antidepressants on a regular basis and then abruptly cease. Depressants, especially when taken with alcohol, can induce overdose and mortality at greater doses.
DXM: hot flashes, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lack of coordination, panic attack, seizures, slurred speech, high blood pressure, rapid eye movement, rash, feeling of floating.

street names:

Acid, Cid, Blotter, Heavenly Blue, Microdot, Purple Heart, California Sunshine, Tab, Dots

Withdrawal symptoms

Opioids:
Abdominal cramping
Diarrhea
Dilated pupils
Goose bumps
Nausea
Vomiting

Can drug use and addiction be prevented?

Drug use and addiction can be prevented or reduced through prevention initiatives including families, schools, communities, and the media.

Education and outreach are part of these program to educate individuals realise the dangers of drug usage.

People inject, sniff, snort, or smoke heroin. Some people mix heroin with crack cocaine, a practice called speed balling.