Table of Contents

Drugs are any non-nutritional chemical that alters body function and produces physical, psychological and behavioral changes.

Children who have used tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana are 266 times more likely to use cocaine than a child who has not used them.

• 1 in 10 who experiment will develop an addiction.
• Alcohol and drug abuse contribute to 70% of all sexual abuse, including rape and incest.
• 70% of prescriptions for tranquilizers, sedatives and stimulants are written for women.

Types of drugs

Depressants those that ease tension and induce sleep.

Alcohol is a depressant, it slows down heart rate, impairs vision, and thinking ability, aids in weight gain, and with prolonged usage may cause liver, heart and central nervous system damage.

Stimulants stimulate the brain and central nervous system, block feelings of hunger and fatigue.

Speed is a stimulant, it stimulates the brain and central nervous system, blocks feelings of hunger and fatigue, raises heart rate and blood pressure, blocks synapses in the brain which cause hunger and fatigue which may lead to nutritional problems and dehydration, increases alertness and confidence but does not allow the body to rest or recover from normal daily activities.

Hallucinogens change perceptions, thoughts, moods, accompanied by hallucinations.

Marijuana is a hallucinogen, it produces changes in perception, thought and mood, raises heart rate, lowers blood pressure, pupils are dilated or red. It reaches the brain in 7 seconds if smoked and traces remain in body 4 to 6 weeks per use.

Narcotics opium and derivatives, pain relievers.

Inhalants

• Inhalants-- including glue, paint, and other regular household products-- are the third most abused substances among 12 to 14 year olds, following alcohol and tobacco.
• One of the greatest dangers is that while many youth admit to sniffing some toxic items, they do not consider this to be inhalant abuse. These products are easily available (free or inexpensive) legal and may give a pleasurable effect by depressing the central nervous system.
• People who abuse inhalants on a regular basis put themselves at risk for permanent and severe brain damage, this is because the human brain is composed of about one-third fatty tissue. Inhalant vapors react with these fatty tissues by literally dissolving them. Therefore, chronic inhalant abusers may permanently lose the ability to perform everyday tasks like walking, talking, and thinking.
• Because the chemicals in inhalants enter the lungs in such high concentrations they can have a more toxic affect than any other type of abused drug.

Marijuana

Daily use of one to three marijuana joints appears to produce approximately the same lung damage and potential cancer risk as smoking 5 times as many cigarettes.

Long term effects are increased risk of infertility, cancer and bronchitis.

LSD

• LSD is the most potent hallucinogenic substance known to man.
• LSD is absorbed easily from the gastrointestinal tract and rapidly reaches a high concentration in the blood.
• It is circulated throughout the body and subsequently to the brain.
• LSD is metabolized in the liver and is excreted in the urine in about 24 hours.

Ecstasy

The chemical name for ecstasy is "methylenedioxymethamphetamine" or "MDMA" for short , it does not occur in nature, and must be created in a complex laboratory process.

It can be inhaled, injected or swallowed .

Ecstasy catalyzes a powerful experience that takes many different forms. It can provoke any intense, energetic , spiritual high or lead to warm loving relaxation. It can connect people freely and openly with each other or promote deep inner thinking and analysis. Sensual, yet not necessarily sexual, beautiful and sometimes dangerous.

Ecstasy covers a wide range of human emotions, experiences and passions.

Side effects

Physical symptoms include:

• Jaw clenching
• Teeth grinding
• Eye wiggles
• Tightened muscles
• Sweating
• Chills
• Increased heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature
• Auditory effects
• Nausea
• Shaking
• Next-day sleepiness

It can cause toxic reactions in people with asthma, heart conditions, diabetes, epilepsy, psychosis or depression.

Cocaine

Cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs.

• The major routes of administration of cocaine are sniffing or snorting, injecting, and smoking (including free base and crack cocaine).
• Snorting is the process of inhaling cocaine powder through the nostrils where it is absorbed into the blood stream through the nasal tissues.
• Injecting is the act of using a needle to release the drug directly into the blood stream.
• Smoking involves the inhalation of cocaine vapor or smoke into the lungs where absorption into the blood stream is as rapid as an injection.

Cocaine is a strong central nervous system stimulant that interferes with the re-absorption process of dopamine, a chemical messenger associated with pleasure and movement. Dopamine is released as part of the brain's reward system and is involved in the "high" that characterizes cocaine consumption.

Physical effects of cocaine:

• Constricted peripheral blood vessels
• Dilated pupils
• Increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure

The duration of cocaine's immediate euphoric effects which include hyperstimulation, reduced fatigue and mental clarity, depends upon the route of administration. The faster the absorption the more intense the "high".

The faster the absorption, the shorter the duration of action. The "high" from snorting may last 15 to 30 minutes, while that from smoking may last 5 to 10 minutes. Increased use can reduce the period of stimulation.

• High doses of cocaine and or prolonged use can trigger paranoia.
• When addicted individuals stop using cocaine they often become depressed. This may lead to further use to alleviate depression.
• Cocaine related deaths are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures followed by respiratory arrest.

Crack Cocaine

"Crack" is the street name given to cocaine that has been processed from cocaine hydrochloride to a free base in order to smoke it. Rather than the more volatile method of processing cocaine using ether, "crack" cocaine is processed using ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water and by heating it to remove the hydrochloride thus producing a form of cocaine that can be smoked. The term "crack" refers to the crackling sound that is heard when the mixture is smoked (heated) presumably from the sodium bicarbonate.

Previous

Take the Self Test