[Excerpt from the University of Michigan Health System site]
| Amphetamines | Crack | LSD | Tranquilizers |
| Barbiturates | Ecstasy | Marijuana | |
| Caffeine | Inhalants | Methadone | |
| Cocaine | Heroin | Steroids |
Amphetamines create an intense alertness and euphoria, making them desirable to people who need to stay awake for long periods of time, such as students and truck drivers. The stimulating effect of this drug is what creates the opportunity for abuse. The drug is usually taken in pill form, with names like "bennies," "uppers," or "black beauties." Amphetamines can also be injected. Chronic abusers typically choose injection because it produces faster and stronger effects. The side effects include loss of appetite, increased heart rate and blood pressure and a dry mouth. Large doses can create insomnia, anxiety, dizziness and aggressive behaviour. Chronic abuse results in exhaustion from lack of sleep, malnutrition from the extreme loss of appetite, as well as paranoia, depression and suicidal tendencies. Because many abusers inject the drug, they also risk contracting HIV disease and hepatitis from shared or infected needles.
Barbiturates are a class of prescription drugs that depress the central nervous system. They also reduce the user's heart and breathing rate and blood pressure as the dose is increased. For medical purposes, barbiturates are often prescribed to induce sleep. Barbiturates also play a role as anesthetics and slow-acting barbiturates are used as sedatives and to control some types of seizures. But, they can be addictive and abused. Excessive doses can cause depression, slurred speech, slowed reflexes and confusion. The addictive cycle begins when a person depends on barbiturates to feel good, to sleep or to deal with stress. As the body develops a tolerance, the user must increase the dose to achieve the same "high." Overdose can be fatal. Mixing alcohol and barbiturates can also be deadly because of the combined depressant effect on the heart and lungs. Withdrawal from barbiturates is said to be sometimes more intense than withdrawal from heroin. Users should never try to quit "cold turkey," and should only attempt withdrawal under the supervision of a doctor.
Caffeine is a drug that has been around for centuries and is found naturally in coffee and cocoa beans, tea leaves and cola nuts. It acts as a stimulant, increasing heart and breathing rate, blood pressure, alertness and enhancing the senses. Caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, chocolate, many soft drinks, diuretics, pain relievers, weight control aids, stimulants and some cold remedies. It is relatively harmless if used in moderation but large amounts can cause anxiety, sweating, irritability, nervousness and irregular heartbeats. Caffeine also acts as a mild diuretic as it increases the flow of urine and can be addictive. A sudden abstinence, even after moderate use, can cause withdrawal symptoms including headache, extreme nervousness, insomnia and in some cases, nausea and vomiting. These symptoms usually do not last long and can be minimized if you slowly reduce your caffeine intake instead of abruptly stopping. There are plenty of decaffinated products to help you through the transition.
Cocaine is a white powder substance derived from the leaves of the South American coca plant. This potent drug stimulates the central nervous system, giving the user a temporary feeling of euphoria and energy. Side effects include an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and body temperature. Users also have insomnia and loss of appetite. Meaured in grams, the cost of cocaine has been decreasing in recent years. The most common way to use cocaine is to inhale it, called "snorting." It can also be dissolved and injected. In 1986, "crack" - an inexpensive smokeable form of cocaine - became readily available to anyone, regardless of income or social status. Crack is smoked, which creates an intense high very quickly. This "high" is followed by an extreme period of depression which is relieved by using more crack. Cocaine in any form can be highly addictive, and can quickly escalate to the point where a person's life is ruled by the desire to use the drug. Cocaine can also be deadly, causing seizures, strokes and heart attacks, even in young people with healthy hearts. It also takes a psychological toll on users, causing cocaine psychosis characterized by erratic, violent or paranoid behavior. This psychosis seems to appear earlier on in those who smoke crack cocaine. Withdrawal symptoms can include severe fatigue and depression. There is no safe social use of cocaine.
Crack is cocaine freebase that has been manufactured from cocaine by the dealer rather than by the user. The result is small chips that resemble white pebbles. These so-called "rocks" of ready-to-smoke freebase may be sold for as little as $5 dollars each, and are two to 20 times purer than cocaine. The low price, ease of use, high purity, intense effect and extremely addictive nature of crack portray a frightening scenario of increasing cocaine use and addiction, particularly among adolescents.
Crack smoking causes the drug to be quickly absorbed in the bloodstream. After a typical dose, the user will experience intense euphoria almost immediately, accompanied by a rise in blood pressure, pulse, body temperature, and respiratory rate. The euphoria produced by smoking is quite short-lived, however, ending 5 to 7 minutes after inhalation. Once the high is gone, depression sets in and the person frequently experiences intense cravings for more of the drug. After awhile, it becomes impossible to achieve a high, and users need crack just to alleviate their depression. Because the effects of the drug are so short-lived and the cravings are almost continuous, many users turn to crime to try and keep up with their habit.
Ecstasy is a street name for the drug "M.D.M.A." It is a designer drug, which means it is a synthetic chemical designed to produce effects similar to those of other drugs. Because they are often much stronger than the drugs that they copy, the risk of overdose from designer drugs is greater. Ecstasy may also contain contaminants due to the illicit manner in which they are developed. It was developed in 1914 as a "diet pill," but was never marketed as such. In 1985, the Drug Enforcement Agency banned Ecstasy, but it is still available from the illicit drug trade. Ecstasy comes in capsules or in a powder form which can be inhaled or injected. It acts as a depressant, as a mild hallucinogen, produces anxiety, and can result in respiratory failure. Animal studies have shown that the drug causes brain damage in rats. Users risk liver damage, psychosis, exhaustion and an irregular heartbeat. In 1986, Ecstasy was classified as a drug of potential abuse.
Inhalants can be a variety of vaporous substances from laughing gas to glue. They are volatile substances which first stimulate, then depress the central nervous system, breathing and other body functions. The immediate effects depend upon the substance inhaled and can include euphoria lasting minutes or hours, hallucinations, dizziness, confusion and nausea. The medical substances used as inhalants include the prescription drug, amyl nitrate, which is used for heart patients, and its non-prescription counterpart, butyl nitrate, a deodorizing product also called "Rush" or "Locker Room".
Nitrous oxide, nicknamed "laughing gas," is used by dentists. Airplane glue, paint thinner, nail polish, typing correction fluid and other household substances can also be abused as inhalants. Because some of these substances are so readily available, inhalant users are more likely to be children and teenagers. Inhalants can be dangerous and cause death from heart or respiratory failure. Death can occur after first-time use. Long term side effects can include permanent damage to organs like the lungs, liver, kidneys, and the nervous system, including, vision, weight and memory loss, seizures, and the ability to think clearly. Inhalants can produce both physical and psychological dependence.
Heroin can be a white to dark brown powder or a tar-like substance that is either injected, inhaled or smoked. It slows the pulse and breathing rate, causes a drop in blood pressure, and relaxes the muscles. A person who is high on heroin may therefore exhibit poor coordination, have slowed reflexes, watery eyes and nose, dilated pupils and slurred speech. Users also have a loss of appetite. Aside from the danger of becoming addicted, a primary risk of using heroin is that of overdosing, particularly if one injects the drug into a vein, which is called, "mainlining."
Injection itself poses risks. Whether a person injects directly into a vein or just puts the needle under the skin (called "skin popping"), improper techniques can cause serious infections which may result in the loss of a limb or even death. A user whose syringe is faulty or who out of carelessness injects some air into the vein may die in as little as a few seconds when a tiny bubble reaches the brain. There is also the possibility of contracting HIV disease by sharing infected needles. Heroin withdrawal can be severe, sometimes even fatal. Withdrawal symptoms range from severe cold-like symptoms to include anxiety, insomnia, tremors, delirium and convulsions.
LSD is a synthetic drug that causes the user to experience hallucinations and highly unpredictable effects including difficulty in speaking, a feeling of paralysis and a confused sense of time. LSD is taken by mouth and came into popular use in this country during the mid-sixties. We are seeing a slight increase in usage among high school students. The mind-altering effects of LSD can produce "bad trips," in which the user experiences panic, fear, paranoia and physical feelings of nausea and dizziness. There is also the risk of "flashbacks" of the LSD effects even a year or more after the person last used the drug. LSD has not been found to produce either physical or psychological addiction. There is a debate as to whether LSD can cause psychosis in certain people. Psychosis is a mental illness characterized by losing contact with reality. Medical researchers are trying to determine if LSD produces psychosis or merely triggers the mental state in a person already predisposed to mental illness.
Throughout history marijuana has been used as an intoxicating drug. In this country, marijuana use became popular with young people during the 1960's. Its use peaked in the late '70s and it has been on the decline until recently. Marijuana continues to be a widely used illegal controlled substance in the United States. Marijuana is cultivated from the hemp plant and is most often smoked as a cigarette. It contains the mind-altering substance "THC," as well as hundreds of other chemicals. The more potent the "THC" content, the greater the effects and risks for the user. Users experience a sense of well-being and relaxation. This dreamy consciousness reduces their ability to think and communicate clearly.
Physical effects include an accelerated heartbeat, dry mouth, increased appetite and bloodshot eyes. Marijuana use also impairs perception of time, short term memory and it decreases reaction time making driving under its influence highly risky. There is also evidence that regular users can become psychologically and physically dependent on the drug. Because marijuana smoke contains more carcinogens than tobacco smoke and because marijuana users hold the smoke in the lungs for long periods of time -- a long-term effect of its use may be lung cancer. Research studies are investigating the possibility of a link between marijuana use and cancer.
Methadone is a synthetic narcotic that has been used since the 1950's as a method of treatment for heroin addicts. Methadone maintenance is a procedure in which an addict is given oral doses of methadone in a controlled clinic or hospital setting. The addict receives an increasing amount of methadone until reaching a dose regarded as sufficient to block the high that heroin gives should the addict try to return to the former habit. Unlike heroin, methadone is effective for a full 24 hours and can be administered only once a day. There also appears to be fewer ups and downs with methadone.
Methadone withdrawal produces only mild symptoms. Once the addict is brought up to the desired level, they receive this amount daily for an indefinite period of time. As long as they are on methadone, they will not feel the rush or euphoria from heroin. Possible side effects of methadone include a decrease in both circulatory and respiratory rates. Other side effects may include constipation, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Methadone maintenance is only available in specialized treatment programs
There has been lots of publicity in recent years about the illegal use of anabolic steroids, especially by professional athletes and weight lifters. Athletes use steroids because they promote muscle growth and they are used by men and women. Over two thirds of users begin by age 16 or younger. These drugs mimic the effects of the male hormone testosterone. But bulking up on steroids can have very serious and unhealthy consequences. Too much of the drug can damage the liver to the point of jaundice or liver failure. Steroid use has also been linked to increasing several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including elevating blood pressure. For a man using steroids, it can decrease the size of the testes, reduce sperm production and result in a diminished sex drive. In women, steroids can disrupt the menstrual cycle, create problems in ovulation, and cause masculine features. All of these side effects are reversible if the person stops taking steroids. Some women find that a few of these effects, like extra facial hair or a deeper voice, never go away. Another problem with steroids is that its use can change behavior, making a person more aggressive.
Tranquilizers are prescription drugs that depress the function of the central nervous system, relieve anxiety, calm the user and promote sleep. Drugs under the class name benzodiazepines (ben'-zo-die-AZ-ah-peens), have become the most prescribed for anxiety and sleep disorders. Examples include Valium (VAL-ee-um), Librium (LIB-ree-um) and Xanax (ZAN-AX). Valium was the most precribed from the late 1960s to the early 80's. Now Xanax is the most popular and has also been used to treat depression. Whatever the name, tranquilizers have the potential for abuse and addiction.
These drugs can be safe and effective if taken according to manufacturer's guidelines, in prescribed doses for short periods. It is possible, however, to become addicted, even when taking the drugs as prescribed for just a few weeks. The longer a person has been taking the drug and the higher the dose, the more difficult withdrawal may be. But withdrawal from some tranquilizers can be severe and should never be attempted without a physician's assistance. Withdrawal should be slow, with the dose being gradually reduced over a period of several weeks, and often much longer. Withdrawal symptoms may include convulsions, insomnia, delirium, agitation and anxiety. These symptoms may last for a few weeks, and can sometimes recur a year or more later.