What do you know about drugs?
Amphetamines
Amphetamines are stimulants that
accelerate functions in the brain and body. They come in pills or
tablets. Prescription diet pills also fall into this category of
drugs. Street names are speed, uppers, dexies, bennies
etc.
Swallowed or snorted, these drugs hit users
with a fast high, making them feel powerful, alert, and energized.
They pump up heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure, and
they can also cause sweating, shaking, headaches, sleeplessness and
blurred vision. Prolonged use may cause hallucinations and
intense paranoia.
Cocaine and Crack
Cocaine is
a white crystalline powder made from the dried leaves of the coca
plant. Crack is named from the crackling noise it makes when
heated. The Street Names for Cocaine are coke, snow, blow,
nose candy, white and big C. Crack can be called freebase or
rock. Cocaine is inhaled through the nose or injected. Crack
is smoked.
Cocaine is a stimulant that gives users a
quick, intense feeling of power and energy. Cocaine also elevates
heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.
Injecting cocaine can give you hepatitis or AIDS if you share
needles with other users. Snorting can also put a hole inside the
lining of your nose.
Cocaine and crack can stop your breathing or
give you fatal heart attacks. Using either of these drugs even once
can kill you.
Medicines
Several over-the-counter and
prescription medicines
contain the ingredient dextromethorphan (also called DXM). If taken
in large quantities, these medicines can cause hallucinations, loss
of motor control, and "out-of-body" (or disassociative)
sensations.
Large doses cause fever, confusion, impaired
judgment, blurred vision, dizziness, paranoia, excessive sweating,
slurred speech, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, irregular
heartbeat, high blood pressure, headache and lethargy.
In some cases seizures, brain damage, and even death can
result.
Ecstasy
Ecstasy comes
in powder, tablet, or capsule form. Street names are
XTC, X, Adam, E, Roll. Ecstasy can be swallowed or
snorted. This drug combines a hallucinogenic with a stimulant
effect, making all emotions much more intense.
Common experiences are tingly skin sensations,
cramps, blurred vision, sweating, nausea and an increased heart
rate. More extreme effects are paranoia, anxiety, and
confusion. Ecstasy also raises the temperature of the body. This
increase can sometimes cause organ damage or even death.
Heroin
Heroin comes
from the dried milk of the opium poppy, that is also used to create
painkillers called narcotics such as codeine and morphine. Heroin
can range from a white to dark brown powder to a sticky, tar-like
substance. Heroin is injected, smoked, or inhaled (if it is
pure).
Heroin gives euphoric (high) feelings,
especially if it's injected. This high is often followed by
drowsiness, nausea, stomach cramps, and vomiting. With
long-term use, heroin ravages the body. It is associated with
chronic constipation, dry skin, scarred veins and breathing
problems.
Users who inject heroin often have collapsed
veins and put themselves at risk of getting deadly infections such
as HIV, hepatitis B or C, and bacterial endocarditis (inflammation
of the lining of the heart) if they share needles with other
users.
Inhalants
Inhalants
are substances that are sniffed to give the user an immediate rush
or high. They include household products like glues, paint
thinners, dry cleaning fluids, gasoline, felt-tip marker fluid,
correction fluid, hair spray, aerosol deodorants and spray
paint.
Inhalants make you feel giddy and confused, as
if you were drunk. Long-time users may suffer loss of hearing and
sense of smell. Inhalants are the most likely of abused
substances to cause severe toxic reaction and death.
LSD
LSD
(which stands for lysergic acid diethylamide) is a
lab-brewed hallucinogen and mood-changing chemical. LSD is
odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Street names are acid,
blotter, doses, microdots. Capsules and liquid forms are
swallowed, but it can also be impregnated onto paper and
licked.
Hallucinations such as seeing colours, hearing
sounds with other delusions such as melting walls and a loss of any
sense of time. Once you go on an acid trip it may last 12 hours or
even longer! Bad trips may cause panic attacks, confusion,
depression, and frightening delusions. Physical risks include
sleeplessness, mangled speech, convulsions, increased heart rate
and coma.
Marijuana or cannabis
Marijuana
or cannabis resembles green, brown, or grey dried
parsley with stems or seeds. A stronger form of marijuana called
hashish (hash) looks like brown or black cakes or balls. Marijuana
is often called a gateway drug because frequent use can lead to the
use of stronger drugs. Street names are pot, weed, blunts,
chronic, grass, reefer, herb and ganja. Marijuana
is usually rolled in paper and smoked.
Users may experience mood swings that range
from stimulated or happy to drowsy or depressed. Marijuana also
elevates heart rate and blood pressure. The drug can also
make some people paranoid or cause them to hallucinate.
Marijuana is as tough on the lungs as
cigarettes. Regular smokers suffer coughs, wheezing, and
frequent colds.
Useful links
If you are concerned you may have a drug
problem visit
direct.gov
If you want to know about drug
classifications and the penalties for possession and
use
If you want general information, support and
advice then talk to
Frank
Look at this site
for helpful advice and facts
For local help with drugs visit bridgegate
There is also a
Peterborough Drug & Alcohol Team