Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Heroin
Marijuana
The parts of the brain that control emotions, memory, and judgment
are affected by marijuana. Smoking it can not only weaken short-term
memory, but can block information from making it into long term
memory. It has also been shown to weaken problem solving ability.
Alcohol
Cocaine
Effects of amphetamines
Tolerance and dependence
Withdrawal
Treatment options
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Hepatitis and HIV
Amphetamines
Reducing the risks Australian Drug Foundation © 2005
This information has been adapted from the pamphlet How Drugs Affect You:
Amphetamines, produced by the Australian Drug Foundation. For single
copies of this pamphlet contact the DrugInfo Clearinghouse on telelphone
1300 85 85 84 or email druginfo@adf.org.au (Victoria only). Multiple
copies are available through the ADF Bookshop.
Amphetamines are a whole family of related drugs—each with its own recipe
—and are taken in different ways. They can be in the form of powder, tablets,
capsules, crystals or red liquid.
Pictures of amphetamines
People use amphetamines for different reasons. Some use the drugs to get
"high" and dance all night. Others use the drugs to help stay awake for long
periods of time, to improve performance in sport or at work, or to boost their
self-confidence. Amphetamines can reduce tiredness and increase endurance.
Street names
Common names for amphetamines are "speed", "up", "fast", "louee", "goey",
"whiz", "pep pills", "uppers". Crystal methamphetamine is also known as
"ice", "shabu", "crystal meth", or "glass".
Effects of amphetamines
Immediate effects
Impure amphetamines
In greater quantities
Effects of overdosing
Due to the unknown strength and mix of street amphetamines, some users
have overdosed and experienced strokes, heart failure, seizures and high
body temperature. Some have died as a result. Injecting runs a greater risk of
overdosing due to large amounts of the drug entering the blood stream and
quickly travelling to the brain.
Coming down
Long-term effects
Malnutrition
Amphetamines reduce appetite, resulting in people being less likely to
eat properly.
Psychosis
Frequent heavy use can cause "amphetamine psychosis". Symptoms
may include paranoia as well as delusions, hallucinations and bizarre
behaviour. These symptoms usually disappear a few days after the
person stops using amphetamines.
Reduced resistance to infections
Regular amphetamine users often don’t eat or sleep properly and are
generally run down, so their resistance to infections is reduced.
Violence
People who use amphetamines regularly or in high quantities may
suddenly become violent for no apparent reason.
Brain damage
There is some evidence that amphetamine use may damage brain
cells. This damage can result in reduced memory function and possibly
other impairments in thinking.
Withdrawal
Treatment options
For referral to a treatment service, contact the alcohol and drug information
service in your state or territory.
More on treatment
If amphetamines are used close to birth the baby may be unsettled and may
be over-active and agitated. Babies of mothers who regularly use
amphetamines may also experience withdrawal symptoms in the first few
weeks after birth.
Not much is known about the effects of amphetamines on the mother during
breastfeeding. There is evidence that babies feed poorly and may be irritable.
See your doctor or other health professional if you are taking or planning to
take any substances while pregnant or breastfeeding, including prescribed
and over-the-counter medications.
To find out where to obtain clean needles and syringes, search the Better
Health Channel service directory or contact the alcohol and drug information
service in your State or Territory.
For tips on how to reduce the risks of using amphetamines, contact the
alcohol and drug information service in your State or Territory.
What to do in a crisis
Cannabis
Wednesday 20 September, 2006
What is cannabis?
Effects of cannabis
Cannabis and psychosis
Medicinal use of cannabis
Tolerance and dependence
Withdrawal
Treatment options
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Cannabis sativa plant
Reducing the risks Australian Drug Foundation © 2005
This information has been adapted from the pamphlet How Drugs Affect
You: Cannabis, produced by the Australian Drug Foundation. For single copies
of this pamphlet phone 1300 85 85 84 or email druginfo@adf.org.au (Victoria
only). Multiple copies are available from the ADF Bookshop.
What is cannabis?
Cannabis is a drug that comes from Indian hemp plants such as Cannabis
sativa and Cannabis indica. The active chemical in cannabis is THC (delta-9
tetrahydrocannabinol).
A non-potent form of cannabis (Indian hemp) is used to produce fibres for use
in paper, textiles and clothing.
THC
THC is absorbed into the bloodstream through the walls of the lungs (if
cannabis is smoked), or through the walls of the stomach and intestines (if
eaten). The bloodstream carries the THC to the brain, producing the "high"
effects. Drugs that are inhaled get into the bloodstream quicker than those
eaten.
Street names
Effects of cannabis
The effects of any drug (including cannabis) vary from person to person. It
depends on many factors, including an individual’s size, weight and health,
how the drug is taken, how much is taken, whether the person is used to
taking it and whether other drugs are taken.
Immediate effects
Small doses of cannabis can have effects that last 2–4 hours after smoking.
These effects include:
Other common immediate effects include increased heart rate, low blood
pressure and reddened eyes.
In greater quantities
Larger quantities of marijuana make the above effects stronger, and also
tend to distort a person’s perceptions.
confusion
restlessness
feelings of excitement
hallucinations
anxiety or panic, or detachment from reality
decreased reaction time
paranoia.
Long-term effects
Respiratory illness
Marijuana cigarettes have more tar than tobacco, placing cannabis
users at an increased risk of respiratory illness such as lung cancer and
chronic bronchitis. Cigarette smokers who also smoke cannabis have
an even greater risk of respiratory disease.
Reduced motivation
Many regular users have reported that they have less energy and
motivation, so that performance at work or school suffers.
Brain function
Concentration, memory and the ability to learn can all be reduced by
regular cannabis use. These effects can last for several months after
ceasing cannabis use.
Hormones
Cannabis can affect hormone production. Research shows that some
cannabis users have a lower sex drive. Irregular menstrual cycles and
lowered sperm counts have also been reported.
Immune system
There is some concern that cannabis smoking may impair the
functioning of the immune system.
There is some evidence that regular cannabis use increases the likelihood of
psychotic symptoms occurring in an individual who is vulnerable due to a
personal or family history of mental illness. Cannabis also appears to make
psychotic symptoms worse for those with schizophrenia and lowers the
chances of recovery from a psychotic episode.
Cannabis has been used medicinally for many centuries. There is evidence to
suggest it is useful in providing relief from nausea and vomiting caused by
chemotherapy, wasting and severe weight loss, pain, glaucoma, epilepsy and
asthma.
With regular use, people can develop a mild tolerance to cannabis. This
means they need to take more and more to get the same effect.
Heavy and frequent use of cannabis can cause physical dependence. Physical
dependence occurs when a person’s body has adapted to a drug and is used
to functioning with the drug present.
Withdrawal
Treatment options
More on treatment
If cannabis is used during pregnancy the baby may be born smaller and
lighter than other babies. Low birth weight can be associated with infections
and breathing problems. There is also some evidence that cannabis use
during pregnancy may affect the baby's behaviour.
See your doctor or other health professional if you are taking or planning to
take any substances while pregnant or breastfeeding, including prescribed
and over-the-counter medications.
Cocaine
What is cocaine?
Cocaine use in Australia
Effects of cocaine
Dangers in method of use
Cocaine and other drugs
Tolerance and dependence
Withdrawal
Treatment options
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Cocaine and the law
Cocaine and driving
Cocaine and social problems
Reducing the risks
What to do in a crisis
This information has been adapted from the How Drugs Affect You: Cocaine
pamphlet produced by the Australian Drug Foundation. For single copies of
this pamphlet phone 1300 85 85 84 or email druginfo@adf.org.au (Victoria
only). For multiple copies telephone 1800 069 700 see the ADF catalogue
(review copies are available).
What is cocaine?
How is it used?
‘Crack’ is a very pure form of freebase cocaine sold in the form of small
crystals or rocks. Crakc is smoked in pipes or in cigarettes, mixed with
tobacco or marijuana. Crack has rarely been seen in Australia .
Like other illegally manufactured drugs, such as ‘speed’, there are no controls
on factors such as the strength and hygiene of cocaine. Cocaine may be
mixed, or ‘cut’, with other substances such as sugar, baking soda and talcum
powder to increase profits. This increases the risk of experiencing harmful or
unpleasant effects.
Cocaine was used as a local anaesthetic for eye, ear and throat surgery.
Recently cocaine has been replaced with synthetic anaesthetics (e.g.
lidocaine), but it continues to have limited use in certain surgical procedures.
Street names
C, coke, flake, nose candy, snow, dust, white, white lady, toot, crack, rock,
freebase
4.4 per cent of Australians reported having used cocaine at some stage
in their life.
Of those who had ever used cocaine, the average initiation age was
22.6.
1 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2002 2001 National Drug
Household Survey First Results, AIHW, Canberra
Effects of cocaine
The effects of any drug (including cocaine) vary from person to person. It
depends on many factors, including an individual’s size, weight and health,
how much and how the drug is taken, whether the person is used to taking it
and whether other drugs are taken. It also depends on the environment in
which the drug is used-for example, whether the person is alone, with others
or at a party.
Immediate effects
Many people have experienced the following effects shortly after taking
cocaine:
When inhaled, the effects of cocaine peak after 15 to 30 minutes, and then
diminish.
In greater quantities
Using large quantities of cocaine repeatedly over a period of hours can lead
to:
extreme agitation
anxiety
paranoia
hallucinations
dizziness
nausea and vomiting
tremors
unpredictable violent/aggressive behaviour
loss of concentration
loss of coordination
loss of interest in sex
loss of ambition and motivation
heart pain
heart attack
paranoid psychosis
increased body temperature
rapid, irregular and shallow breathing.
Overdose
The dosage and method of use that can cause cocaine overdose varies from
person to person. The effects of overdose are very intense and, generally,
short in nature. Although uncommon, deaths have been recorded from
cocaine overdose due to:
seizures
heart attack
brain haemorrhage
kidney failure
stroke
repeated convulsions.
Long-term effects
People who have used cocaine over longer periods tend to take cocaine in
high quantities-‘binges’ interrupted by ‘crashes’.
A ‘binge’ is where the drug is taken repeatedly over several hours or days.
The person may attempt to end the binge by taking a depressant drug such
as alcohol, benzodiazepines or heroin. The binge is followed by the ‘crash’-a
period characterised by intense depression, lethargy and hunger.
restlessness
nausea
hyper-excitability
insomnia
weight loss
psychosis
paranoia
exhaustion
hallucinations
depression/inability to experience pleasure (anhedonia).
Dangers in method of use
Repeated snorting damages the lining of the nose and nasal passages,
and can also damage the structure separating the nostrils.
Cocaine is often mixed with substances that are poisonous when
injected. This may cause collapsed veins, abscesses and damage to
the heart, liver and brain. In addition, because people who use cocaine
often don’t know the exact purity and strength of the drug they are
taking, chances of overdose and death are also increased.
If injected into the skin, either by intent or accident, cocaine causes
severe vasoconstriction, which may prevent blood flowing to the
tissue, potentially resulting in severe tissue damage. This can occur
after just one injection of cocaine.
There is increased risk of transmission of blood-borne viruses and
infections such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
Smoking cocaine can cause breathing difficulties, chronic cough, chest
pain and lung damage.
Call the alcohol and drug information service in your State or Territory to find
out where to obtain clean needles and syringes.
Cocaine is often mixed with other drugs to enhance its desirable effects or to
help the person cope with the undesirable effects of cocaine. These
substances may include alcohol, cannabis, heroin or benzodiazepines. The
consequences of mixing cocaine with other substances are often
unpredictable. Mixing cocaine with alcohol produces a substance in the blood
called ‘cocaethylene’, which can be more toxic to the body than the cocaine
itself. Injecting cocaine and heroin at the same time can affect the area of the
brain that controls breathing, increasing the chances of coma and death.
Generally, health risks increase when mixing cocaine with other drugs,
especially when large quantities are taken.
Tolerance
Initial tolerance to cocaine develops rapidly with continual heavy use. After
this initial level is reached, people who use cocaine don’t appear to develop
tolerance for increasing amounts. Regular users may in fact develop a
‘reverse tolerance’, whereby they experience the effects of the drug more
intensely. Tolerance to cocaine may not be obvious due to the tendency to
mix cocaine with other drugs such as heroin and alcohol.
Dependence
A person who has become dependent upon cocaine may find it difficult to
stop using it. Those who have stopped using cocaine may be prone to
relapse.
Withdrawal
agitation
depression
intense craving for the drug
extreme fatigue.
lack of motivation
inability to feel any pleasure
nausea/vomiting
shaking
irritability/agitation
muscle pain
long, but disturbed sleep.
Treatment options
More on treatment
Pregnancy
Research indicates that effects of cocaine use during pregnancy may cause
bleeding, miscarriage, premature labour and stillbirth.
Cocaine increases the heart rate in both the mother and baby, and the supply
of blood and oxygen to the baby is reduced. This means the baby is more
likely to be small and grow slowly both before and after birth. If cocaine is
used close to birth, the baby may be born intoxicated, showing symptoms of
hyperactivity and agitation. Withdrawal symptoms can occur in the babies of
mothers who use cocaine regularly. These include sleepiness and lack of
responsiveness.
Breastfeeding
It is likely that cocaine will reach the baby through breast milk. The effect this
has on the baby will depend on factors such as the amount and strength of
cocaine used, and the time between using cocaine and feeding the baby.
Symptoms may include the baby being irritable, unsettled and difficult to
feed.
See your doctor or other health professional if you are taking or planning to
take any substances while pregnant or breastfeeding, including prescribed
and over-the-counter medications.
At present in Victoria, penalties range from a $2000 fine and/or one year’s
imprisonment for cultivation (if the court is satisfied that the offence is not
related to trafficking), $3000 and/or one year’s imprisonment for
possession/use (not relating to trafficking) to fines of up to $250 000 and/or
25 years’ imprisonment for commercial trafficking.
It is illegal for anyone to drive under the influence of any drug (including
cocaine). Breaking this law carries penalties including disqualification from
driving, heavy fines and/or imprisonment. Due to the nature of its
psychological and physical effects, it is dangerous to drive a vehicle after
taking cocaine. If cocaine is combined with other drugs, such as alcohol, the
risk of accident is further increased.
Cocaine users can become preoccupied with purchasing, preparing, using and
recovering from the effects of use of cocaine, neglecting other areas of their
life. All areas of a person’s life, including family, work, and personal
relationships, can be affected by drug use. For example, arguments over drug
use can cause family and relationship problems that may lead to break-up.
Some effects of cocaine, such as anxiety, paranoia and irrational behaviour,
may further exacerbate these problems.
For further ‘tips’ on how to reduce the risks of using cocaine, call the alcohol
and drug information service in your State or Territory.
What to do in a crisis
Call an ambulance. Dial 000. Don't delay because you think you or the
person might get into trouble. Ambulance officers are not obliged to
involve the police.
Stay with the person until the ambulance arrives. Find out if anyone at
the scene knows mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR).
Ensure the person has adequate air by keeping crowds back and
opening windows. Loosen tight clothing.
If the person is unconscious, don’t leave them on their back—they
could choke. Turn them on their side and into the recovery position.
Gently tilt their head back so their tongue does not block the airway.
If the person has stopped breathing, give mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation. If there is no pulse, apply CPR.
Provide the ambulance officers with as much information as you
can-how much cocaine was taken, how long ago, and any pre-existing
medical conditions.
Arrange with friends before cocaine is taken about what to do in a
crisis
Heroin
Wednesday 20 September, 2006
What is heroin?
Effects of heroin
Tolerance and dependence
Withdrawal
Treatment options
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Heroin, hepatitis and HIV
Heroin
Australian Drug Foundation © 2005
This information has been adapted from the pamphlet How Drugs Affect
You: Heroin, produced by the Australian Drug Foundation. For single copies of
this pamphlet phone 1300 85 85 84 or email druginfo@adf.org.au (Victoria
only). Multiple copies are available from the ADF Bookshop.
What is heroin?
Heroin can range from a fine white powder to off-white granules or pieces of
brown "rock". It has a bitter taste but no smell and is generally packaged in
"foils" (aluminium foil) or small, coloured balloons.
More pictures of heroin
How is it made?
When the seedpod of the opium poppy is cut, a sticky resin (opium) oozes
out. This resin is refined to produce opium. Opium takes its name from the
opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, which grows in many parts of the world—
commonly in Asia and the Middle East, but also in the United States and
Australia.
For centuries, opium has been used by many cultures as a medicine and as a
recreational drug. Morphine, codeine and pethidine are still widely used for
medical purposes.
how it is manufactured
the ingredients used (for example, morphine and codeine)
what the final products is diluted ("cut") with.
How is it used?
Heroin is most commonly injected into a vein. It is also smoked ("chasing the
dragon"), added to marijuana or tobacco cigarettes, or snorted.
Street names
smack, skag, dope, H, junk, hammer, slow, gear, harry, horse, black tar, china
white, Chinese H, white dynamite, dragon, elephant, homebake, poison.
Effects of heroin
Immediate effects
In greater quantities
The immediate effects intensify and last longer with higher quantities of
heroin. The following effects are also likely to occur:
Overdose
Using a large quantity of heroin can cause death. Breathing becomes very
slow, the body temperature drops and the heartbeat becomes irregular.
Apart from overdosing, the major problem with short-term use of any opiate
is the way it is used. For example, injecting heroin can result in skin, heart
and lung infections, and diseases like hepatitis and HIV.
Long-term effects
In its pure form, heroin is relatively non-toxic to the body, causing little
damage to body tissue and other organs. However, there are some long-term
effects, including dependence, constipation, menstrual irregularity and
infertility in women, loss of sex drive in men, intense sadness and cognitive
impairment.
Many of the other long-term problems may be the result of other factors,
such as the person's poor general care of the self, drug impurities and
contaminants and blood-borne viruses.
People who are physically dependent on heroin find that their body has
become used to functioning with the drug present.
Withdrawal
Treatment options
Methadone
A synthetic opioid that can be used as a substitute for heroin. The intention is
to reduce the impact that heroin has on the lives of people who are
dependent on heroin by reducing the harms associated with injecting an
expensive illicit drug of unknown strength and purity.
More on methadone
Buprenorphine
More on buprenorphine
Naltrexone
More on naltrexone
More on treatment
Using heroin while pregnant can affect foetal development. Heroin use has
been associated with an increased risk of miscarriage and premature birth,
and babies may be born smaller than average and may be prone to illness.
The substances that are cut with heroin may also cause problems during the
pregnancy and affect the developing foetus.
Injecting heroin can increase the risk of both the mother and baby becoming
infected with blood-borne viruses, such as hepatitis and HIV. Heroin can pass
through the placenta to the foetus, and after birth the baby can experience
heroin withdrawal, known as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). Most
babies can be comforted with supported care, but some babies with severe
NAS may need to be treated with medication to help with the withdrawal.
Pregnant women who want to stop taking heroin need to be very careful.
Sudden withdrawal from heroin may harm the baby and increase the risk of
miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth.
Sharing needles, syringes and other injecting equipment can greatly increase
the risk of contracting blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C
and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus—the virus that causes AIDS).
The alcohol and drug information service in your state or territory can provide
information on where to obtain clean needles and syringes.
For tips on how to reduce the risks of using heroin, call the alcohol and drug
information service in your state or territory.
Call an ambulance. Dial 000. Don’t delay because you think you or
your friend might get into trouble. Ambulance officers are not obliged
to involve the police.
Stay with the person until the ambulance arrives. Find out if anyone at
the scene knows mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR).
Ensure adequate air by keeping crowds back and opening windows.
Loosen tight clothing.
If the person is unconscious, don’t leave them on their back — they
could choke. Turn them on their side and into the recovery position.
Gently tilt their head back so their tongue does not block the airway.
If breathing has stopped, give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. If there is
no pulse, apply CPR.
Provide the ambulance officers with as much information as you can—
how much heroin was taken, how long ago, and any pre-existing
medical conditions.
Plan what to do in a crisis.
Effects
Alcohol acts on the brain and can produce addiction. Short-term
effects: The more a person drinks in one sitting, the more pronounced
short-term effects become. Small amounts (1-2 drinks) generally
produce pleasant feelings. Larger amounts produce depressant
effects on the brain. Judgment, reaction time, speech and motor
control are increasingly impaired with increasing amounts of alcohol.
Drunk drivers kill about 23,000 Americans a year. Very large amounts
of alcohol can cause death from overdose by reducing the number of
messages the brain sends to the chest muscles that regulate
breathing. The drinker stops breathing and dies. Long-term effects:
Over time, alcohol can produce tolerance, physical dependence and
addiction. Alcohol can cause many kinds of cancer and can
permanently damage the brain. In severe cases, alcohol destroys the
part of the brain where short-term memory occurs, making it
impossible to learn anything new. Women should not drink during
pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the leading, preventable cause
of mental retardation in the United States.
Legal Status
In the United States, it is legal to produce and sell alcohol to adults
and legal for adults to buy it. It is illegal to sell alcohol to those under
age 21, and illegal for them to buy it.
Cocaine Cocaine and crack come from the leaves of the coca plant, which
grows primarily in South America. Cocaine is processed into a white
powder which people snort or melt and inject. Crack is further
processed into a substance that can be smoked
Effects
Cocaine acts on the brain and is a highly
addictive drug. Because crack is smoked,
and allows high doses to reach the brain
rapidly, crack is even more addictive. Both forms of the drug trap a
chemical called dopamine in the spaces between the brain's nerve
cells in a part of the brain called the reward system. Dopamine
stimulates and restimulates these nerve cells, making the user feel
intense pleasure. The brain responds to the overabundance of
dopamine by destroying some of it, making less of it, and shutting
down the cells' receptors so they can no longer receive dopamine's
messages. The person consumes more cocaine more often in an
effort to re-experience the pleasure felt at first use, gradually losing
control over his or her cocaine-taking behavior and becoming
addicted.
Addicts are preoccupied with getting their drug, and most of their
thoughts and behaviors are directed to that end.
Cocaine interferes with judgment and produces exaggerated feelings
of well-being and confidence. High doses can produce paranoia, and
users can become aggressive and violent. In rare cases, cocaine can
produce death, after first use or after prolonged use. Death occurs
from cardiac arrest (the person's heart stops beating), or seizures
followed by respiratory arrest (the person stops breathing). Pregnant
mothers should never use any drug during pregnancy. Scientists
are trying to understand the precise effect of cocaine on the
developing fetus. They know that a mother who is addicted to drugs
does not take care of herself properly, that her fetus does not
receive adequate nutrition needed to develop properly, and that
addicted mothers rarely care for their newborns properly.
Legal Status
Cocaine is a Schedule II drug in the U.S. Controlled Substances Act. It
is illegal to grow, process, sell or use cocaine or crack. However,
because cocaine has limited use in medicine as an anesthetic,
doctors may use it in surgery.
Heroin Heroin is one of several highly addictive drugs derived from the
opium poppy plant, along with morphine, opium, Dilaudid, and
others. People inject opiates, snort them or take them by mouth.
Effects
Scientists first began to understand how drugs act on the brain with
the discovery of the opiate receptor. Why would the human nervous
system have a receptor for an illegal drug? This question led
scientists to the discovery of two natural substances in the brain,
which they named endorphins and enkephalins, that bind to this
receptor and relieve pain. Opiate drugs such as heroin fit into this
receptor, change the way the brain works, and produce addiction.
Heroin may depress the body's ability to withstand infection. It
produces euphoria, drowsiness, respiratory depression, constricted
pupils and nausea. It is the drug most often associated with the
transmission of HIV/AIDS because most users inject the drug, often
with used, contaminated needles.
As heroin leaves the brain and body, users experience withdrawal
symptoms (often described as feeling like a severe case of flu.) They
include watery eyes, runny nose, yawning, loss of appetite, tremors,
panic, chills, sweating, nausea, muscle cramps, and insomnia. Blood
pressure, pulse, respiration, and temperature all elevate. People can
overdose on heroin, which reduces the number of messages the brain
sends to the chest muscles. The person's breathing slows, and, if the
dose is high enough, stops. Heroin use during pregnancy is
associated with low birth weight, stillbirths, placental abruptions, and
sudden death syndrome. Babies of addicts are born dependent on the
drug and must go through withdrawal as their first task in life.
Legal Status
Heroin is a Schedule I drug in the U.S. Controlled Substances Act. It is
illegal to grow, process, sell or use heroin. Morphine and other opiate
derivatives are in lower schedules because they have been approved
by the Food and Drug Administration as safe and effective for use in
medicine. They are potent pain relievers.
Ice Ice is methamphetamine that has been crystallized so it can be
smoked. Ice is a stimulant. It stimulates the central nervous system,
resulting in increased activity and alertness.
Effects
Physical effects of ice include: heart palpitations, blurred vision,
extended wakefulness, and damage to the brain, lungs and liver.
Methamphetamine can interfere with vision, judgment, coordination,
and reflexes, which may lead to automobile and other machinery
accidents. Effects of the drug may last from 2 hours to 20 hours
depending on how much is smoked. Behavioral effects include
violence, hallucinations, depression and psychosis.
Legal Status
Ice is made from methamphetamine which is a schedule II drug in the
U.S. Controlled Substances Act. It is illegal to produce, sell, or use
methamphetamine for nonmedical purposes.
Inhalants Inhalants are legal products abused by those who sniff or inhale them
for the purpose of getting high. Inhalants fall into three
categories: volatile solvents such as glue, gasoline, aerosols;
anesthetics such as nitrous oxide; and nitrites such as amyl and butyl
nitrite.
Effects
Inhalants act on the brain and destroy the outer lining of nerve cells,
making it impossible for those cells to communicate. Symptoms of
use include dilated pupils, blisters or rash around the nose or mouth,
chronic cough, nausea and headaches, disorientation, and a chemical
odor on breath. After only six months of use, the brain, lungs, nerves,
liver, kidneys and bones may be permanently damaged. More than
60 young people died from sniffing inhalants in 1993 in the United
States.
Legal Status
Legislation varies from state to state. In some states it is illegal to
inhale fumes intentionally for the purpose of intoxication
LSD LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is one of the major hallucinogenic
drugs and one of the most potent mood-changing chemicals. LSD is
sold on the street in tablets, capsules, or occasionally in liquid form. It
is odorless, colorless and tasteless and is usually taken by mouth.
Often it is added to absorbent paper, such as blotter paper, and
divided into small squares with each square representing a dose.
Effects
Effects are unpredictable and depend on the amount taken, the user's
personality, mood and expectations, and the surroundings in which
the drug is used. Physical effects include higher body temperature,
increased heart rate and blood pressure. Sensations and feelings
change much more dramatically than the physical signs. The user
may experience delusions and visual hallucinations which can cause
panic. Users refer to acute negative reactions to LSD as "a bad trip."
Many users experience flashbacks, a recurrence of certain aspects of
a person's drug experience without the user having taken the drug
again.
Legal Status
LSD is a Schedule I drug in the U.S. Controlled Substances Act.
Schedule I includes drugs with a high potential for abuse and no
accepted use in medicine.
Marijuana Marijuana Research Reports
Marijuana is derived from the cannabis plant, which grows in many
countries, including the United States. People put it in rolling papers
to make marijuana cigarettes, smoke it in bongs or pipes, or mix it in
baked goods or tea and eat or drink it. The cannabis plant also yields
hashish, a stronger form of marijuana, and hash oil, the strongest
form that has very high levels of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in
cannabis.
Effects
Marijuana contains chemicals that act on the marijuana receptor in
the brain. Scientists have recently identified the natural chemical,
anandamide, designed to fit the marijuana receptor. While scientists
do not know all of the drug's effects, several studies have established
that marijuana interferes with memory and learning. A new study
confirms that heavy (daily) marijuana use impairs critical skills
related to attention, memory and learning. In this study, "Heavy users
could not pay attention to the material well enough to register the
information in the first place so that it could be recalled and repeated
later," say the researchers in the Journal of the American Medical
Association (2/21/96).
Legal Status
Marijuana is a Schedule I drug in the U.S. Controlled Substances Act.
It is illegal to grow, sell, buy or use marijuana, hashish or hashish oil.
Synthetic THC capsules have been approved by the Food and Drug
Administration as safe and effective to treat the nausea that cancer
patients sometimes suffer with some forms of chemotherapy, and to
treat wasting in AIDS patients. Therefore, THC is in Schedule II
because it has accepted use in medicine. No form of the smoked drug
has been approved as safe or effective for any medical use.
PCP (phencyclidine) was originally developed as an anesthetic for humans
and large animals. Legal (prescription) use of PCP in humans was
discontinued in 1965. It is illegally manufactured in clandestine
laboratories and is sold as tablets, capsules and colored powders. PCP is
usually snorted, smoked or eaten.
Effects
PCP produces feelings of invulnerability and a numbing effect on the mind
that can often result in anger and rage. At high doses, there is a drop in blood
pressure, pulse rate, and respiration. PCP can cause effects that mimic
certain primary symptoms of schizophrenia.
Legal Status
PCP is a Schedule II drug in the U.S. Controlled Substances Act.
Tobacco Tobacco is a plant grown in the United States that is harvested and
processed into cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco and
snuff.
Effects
Tobacco contains nicotine, a drug that acts on the brain and rapidly
produces addiction. Scientists estimate that 90 percent to 95 percent
of tobacco users are addicted. Nicotine itself is toxic--high doses can
kill, but do so rarely. Its most destructive property is its ability to
addict users rapidly. Once addicted, smokers repeatedly expose their
brains and bodies to hundreds of toxic chemicals contained in
tobacco and tobacco smoke. The list of cancers that tobacco causes
is impressive, from cancers of the mouth, head and neck to cancers
involving most of the vital organs. Smoking also causes heart
disease, emphysema, and other lung diseases. Moreover, cigarette
smoke can also harm nonsmokers. Children whose parents smoke
suffer higher rates of bronchitis and other lung infections, and
nonsmoking spouses of smokers have higher rates of lung cancer
than those whose spouses do not smoke. Every year, tobacco kills
more than 400,000 Americans. This is more deaths than all
Americans killed in World War I, World War II, and the Korean and
Vietnam wars combined. Every year the tobacco industry loses 2
million smokers; 80 percent quit, the rest die. The industry recruits
teenagers to replace those losses.
Legal Status
In the United States, it is legal to produce tobacco in all forms and sell
it to adults, and it is legal for adults to buy and use tobacco. It is
illegal to sell tobacco to those under age 18 and illegal for them to
buy it. There's a good reason for this law. Research shows the longer
we can delay the onset of tobacco use among adolescents, the less
likely they are to become addicted to any drug. (The same is true for
alcohol.)
Other Rohypnol is Hoffman-LaRoche's registered trade name for
Drugs: flunitrazepam, a benzodiazepine agonist which is illegal in the U.S. In
Rohypnol other countries Rohypnol is used to treat severe sleep disorders and
serious psychiatric disorders. Rohypnol is known as the "date-rape
drug" because of its disinhibiting effect, especially when combined
with even a moderate amount of alcohol. It is often added to young
people's drinks without their knowledge at dance clubs, bars or
parties.
Effects
Slowing of psychomotor performance, sedation, amnesia, muscle
relaxation, restlessness, agitation and aggressiveness. Use may also
lead to physical and psychic dependence.
Legal Status
Rohypnol is currently listed as a Schedule IV drug. The DEA is
considering placing it in Schedule I because of increased availability
in the U.S. and increasing abuse.