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Mga Depressant
Mga Depressant
Pinapataas din ng mga drogang ito ang panganib ng mataas na blood sugar
(dami ng asukal sa dugo), diyabetes, at pagtaas ng timbang (naiulat na
nagkaroon ng pagkakataong hanggang 100 libra ang naidagdag sa
timbang).
Ang isa pang bagay na dapat mong malaman ay ang pagsunog ng natuyong
mga dahon at mga ubod at ang paglanghap ng usok ay tiyak na hindi
“natural” at tulad ng paghithit ng sigarilyo, ay maaaring mapanganib sa
inyong katawan.
Ang marijuana ay halo ng tuyong dahon, mga tangkay, mga bulaklak at mga buto
ng halamang hemp. Kadalasang ito ay berde, kulay kahoy o gray.
Ang hashish ay kulay balat, kulay tsokolate o itim na resin na pinatuyo at siniksik
para maging mga bara, stick o bola. Kapag hinithit, parehong ang marijuana at
hashish ay may partikular na matamis na amoy.
Ang marijuana ay maaaring hithitin bilang sigarilyo (joint), pero puwede ring
hithitin gamit ang isang dry pipe (pipa) o isang water pipe na kilala sa tawag
na “bong. Maaari rin itong ihalo sa pagkain at kinakain o pinapakuluan bilang
tsaa. Tinatawag ang mga itong “edibles” at tinatalakay pa nang detalyado sa
booklet na ito. Minsan, ang mga gumagamit nito ay nagbubukas ng tabako
at tinatanggal ang laman nito, at pinapalitan ito ng pot—tinatawag na
“blunt.” Ang mga joint at blunt ay minsang nahahaluan ng ibang mas
malalakas na droga, tulad ng crack cocaine o PCP (phencycldine, isang
malakas na hallucinogen).
Kapag nilanghap ng isang tao ang usok mula sa isang joint o isang pipa,
kadalasang nararamdaman niya ang epekto nito sa loob lamang ng ilang
minuto. Ang agarang pakiramdam—mabilis na tibok ng puso, mas
mababang antas ng koordinasyon at balanse, at isang “mala-panaginip,” at
hindi makatotohanang lagay ng isipan—ay nakakarating sa sukdulan sa loob
ng 30 minuto.3 Ang panandaliang mga epektong ito ay kadalasang nawawala
sa loob ng dalawa hanggang tatlong oras, pero puwede silang tumagal,
depende sa kung gaano karami ang ginamit ng tao, depende sa kalakasan
ng THC at kung mayroon bang ibang drogang naihalo.
STIMULANTS
Cocaine
Cocaine is one of the most well-known stimulants in the world. A highly addictive drug, it
is made from and named for the South American coca plant. Cocaine usually comes in
the form of a fine white powder, though the popular “crack” form comes as crystallized
rocks. Cocaine and crack cocaine can be used via a multitude of methods; the most common
form of ingestion for powdered cocaine is snorting the drug, and the most common
method for crack cocaine is to smoke it.
Excitability
Dilated pupils
Runny nose
Weight loss
Nosebleeds
The average age for initial use of cocaine appears to be getting lower. A survey
conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in 2016 showed that 1.4 percent
of 8th graders surveyed had tried cocaine in their lifetime, while 0.8 percent had used
the drug within the past year and 0.3 percent in the last month. A comparison to the
results from 12th graders in the same survey showed increased use with advanced age,
with the lifetime use rate at 3.7 percent, past-year use at 2.3 percent, and past-month
use at 0.9 percent.
Oftentimes, childhood use of a substance translates into adult use. In fact, according
to NIDA, adolescents who use drugs are more likely to develop substance use disorders
than those who begin using drugs as adults. Since the brain is still developing
throughout the teen and early adult years, it is particularly vulnerable to the formation
of addiction during this time. Per 2015 NIDA information, more than 16 percent of
surveyed adults 26 or older had used cocaine in their lifetime.
Use of cocaine may initially start as simple experimentation, but it can quickly snowball
into consistent abuse due to its addictive nature. According to the Foundation for a Drug-
Free World, continued use of the drug can lead to increased tolerance. This means that
more of the drug is required over time to produce the desired effects. Prolonged use
can result in side effects, such as loss of appetite and sleep deprivation. People often go
on cocaine binges, during which they may not sleep or eat for days at a time due to the
suppressed appetite and lack of desire for sleep that often come with use of the drug.
Polydrug use, or the use of cocaine in conjunction with other substances, is common.
Most often, users mix cocaine with alcohol in an effort to heighten the high from
cocaine or to lessen negative effects of alcohol, such as dizziness or extreme
intoxication. Cocaine is also often combined with heroin in a “speedball.”
As with all polydrug abuse, combining substances increases the risk of adverse effects
exponentially and the potential for overdose. Oftentimes, the effects of one substance
mask certain effects of the other substance, making it more difficult to detect overdose.
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant, more commonly known simply as
“meth.” It is usually found in either powder or crystal form, and it can be used in a
multitude of fashions, from smoking the drug to injecting it intravenously. Its popularity
as a recreational drug is due to the initial rush of euphoria that accompanies it.
However, once that initial rush has passed, emotions generally get more negative, with
feelings of anger and fear being common during the “crash.”
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, medical issues that can arise due to
methamphetamine use include:
Extremely high body temperatures that can result in fainting
Severe itching
Broken teeth and dry mouth, commonly referred to as “meth mouth” due to poor dental
hygiene and nutrition associated with use of the drug
Cognitive issues
Users of methamphetamine can easily overdose, which can lead to extreme physical
problems and death.
While abuse of these drugs is most common among teens and young adults, once
addiction takes hold, that use often continues for years. Students who are dependent on
these drugs to manage robust schedules often continue to rely on them as adults to
manage heavy workloads, family responsibilities, and busy social calendars.