Cannabis (marijuana, grass, dope, pot, puff, weed)

Cannabis is usually smoked with tobacco. It is available in the form of

resin dried and chopped leaves and less community oil. The main active
compound in cannabis is THC.
The effects of the drug are varied and include:
 Paranoia. • Laughter
 Euphoria • Persistent ideas
 Vivid sensations • Imagery and hallucinations

These effects will vary depending on the person, the environment and the
potency and amount of the drug used.

Cocaine (Charlie, coke, snow)

Cocaine is most commonly found as a white crystalline powder, and is
usually snorted but is occasionally made into a solution and injected.

UThe effects of cocaine are similar to amphetamines and crack in that they
create physical and mental arousal. When cocaine is snorted the effect is
almost immediate and then peaks and fades within 15 – 30 minutes. This
often results in users repeating their use almost every 20 minutes or so in
order to maintain the desired effect.

Heroin (scag, smack, gear)

Heroin is one of a group of drugs called opiates that are derived from the
opium poppy. It usually comes as an off white or brown powder.
Heroin is usually smoked (‘chasing the dragon’), snorted or prepared for
injection. Heroin is a powerful pain killer and has euphoric qualities. The
combined effects make heroin a very effective escapist drug.
Effects include:
 Sense of wellbeing • Feeling warm and
content
 Drowsy and untroubled • Sense of calm
 Absence of worry, anxiety or pain • Feeling of pleasure

Ecstasy (xtc. Adam & Eve, doves, pills)

Ecstasy mainly comes in tablet form but can come in capsules or powder.
The tabrets can come in a number of different colours and often display a
logo.
Ecstasy affects the body’s temperature regulation with excessive dancing
this can lead to overheating and dehydration-and in some cases death. It
recommended that users take small, regular sips of water but no more than
a pint of water an hour as deaths have also been related to users taking in too much water, which is very
dangerous to the blood.

Inhalants
The term inhalants refers to the various substances that people typically take
only by inhaling.
These substances include:
 Solvents (liquids that become gas at room temperature)
 Aerosol sprays • Gases
 Nitrites (prescription medicines for chest pain)
Most inhalants affect the central nervous system and slow down brain
activity.
Long-term effects of
inhalant use may include:
Liver and kidney damage
Hearing loss
Bone marrow damage
Loss of coordination and limb spasms (from nerve
damage)
Delayed behavioralHallucinogens development (from brain problems)
Brain damage (from cut-off oxygen flow to the brain)

Narcotics
Also known as “opioids.
Opioids are a class of drugs that attach to opioid receptors in the brain and
other parts of the body. The different types. Trusted Source include natural,
synthetic, and semisynthetic. Some opioids have medical uses, while others
do not.
The effects of opioids on the brain result in euphoria, reduced pain, and
suppressed breathing. These symptoms occur as opioids attach to and
activate opioid receptors in brain nerve cells.
Long-term opioid use can cause opioid use disorder. It may also produce
changes in the brain that harm cognition, the ability to think. Treatment of opioid misuse may involve
medication-assisted therapy using drugs that bind to the same opioid receptors in the brain.

Solvents are rapidly absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream and
quickly distributed to the brain and other organs.
The users initially feel slightly stimulated and after successive inhalations feel
less Inhibited and less in control. Hallucinations may occur and loss of
consciousness. Sudden death syndrome is a risk, although rare it more
commonly occurs amongst young people when using air conditioning
coolants, butane, propane and some aerosols. These cause the heart to beat
rapidly and erratically resulting in cardiac arrest
Long term users can suffer from:
weight loss disorientation irritability depression
muscle weakness in-attentiveness lack of coordination
Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines are prescription only medicines under the Medicines Act.
They can be abused and bought illegally on the black market.
They are usually prescribed for short term treatment of anxiety and
sleep problems. When taken at low doses tolerance does not develop to a
great extent, but when people use large amounts their tolerance can develop
rapidly and there is a danger of dosage increase.Withdrawal symptoms can last
from several days to several weeks, and in some extreme cases, months.
These withdrawal symptoms include:

 Anxiety •. depersonalisation
 Insomnia • heightened sensory awareness
 panic • depression
 hallucinations. • a risk of seizures with abrupt withdrawal

Hallucinogens
As the name suggests, hallucinogens change how we perceive the world
around us. Hallucinations and changes to how the mind interprets external
stimuli are trademarks of hallucinogens. Colors, sounds, movement and time
are all experienced in an altered state of mind. Hallucinogens can even lead
to dissociation, otherwise known as an out-of-body experience.
Hallucinogens tend to have the most variation in how it impacts the user in
regards to how significant the changes to reality are. LSD, mescaline and
psilocybin, or magic mushrooms, are common hallucinogens consumed in the
United States.

Alcohol is considered a drug because it depresses the central nervous system

and can disrupt mental and motor skills. It can also damage internal organs
when used excessively. Unhealthy alcohol use can be harmful physically,
emotionally, and economically.
The effects of alcohol
Alcohol can lessen tension, reduce inhibitions, and ease social interactions.
But drinking too much can:
 Be physically and psychologically addicting
 Cause impaired memory, coordination, and judgment
 Damage the heart, liver, and nervous system
 Lead to birth defects
People who abuse alcohol also put themselves and others at risk if they drive or operate machinery after
drinking too much.