Illegal Drugs

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Illegal Drugs
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Categories of Drugs

• Stimulants
• Depressants
• Narcotics
• Hallucinogens
• Inhalants
• Steroids
• Marijuana
• Designer Drugs

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StimulantsDrugs that speed up the central
nervous system

• Examples
• Amphetamines
• Methamphetamines
• Cocaine
• Nicotine
• Caffeine
• Speed

• Effects
• Increased heart respiratory rates
• High BP, dilated pupils
• Paranoia anxiety
• Decreased appetite
• Headaches blurred vision
• Dizziness Sleeplessness
• Irregular heartbeat
• Shaking or trembling
• Loss of coordination
• Hallucinations delusions
• Stroke, heart failure, death

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Amphetamines

• Stimulants that have an effect similar to that of
  the sympathetic nervous system.
• Some people use these drugs to stay awake
  alert, to lose weight, to offset the effects of
  depressant drugs, and for euphoria.
• Euphoria- these temporary highs come at great
  cost to a persons physical mental well-being.
• Tolerance to amphetamines can easily develop.
• Physical dependence also can result.
• User can experience exhaustion depression as
  the effect of the drug wears off.

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Methamphetamines

• Stimulant that has been used medically in
  treating certain diseases, including Parkinsons
  disease and obesity.
• Other names crank, speed, ice
• Effects Paranoia, Violence, Death

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CocainePowerfully addictive stimulant

• Psychological Effects
• irritability, increased energy, aggressiveness,
  anxiety, depression, paranoia, and mood
  disturbances.
• Adverse Physical Effects
• stroke/heart attack, increased heart rate,
  respiratory arrest, decreased appetite, dilated
  pupils, increased temp. BP, restlessness,
  auditory hallucinations, nasal damage.

• Long Term Effects
• addiction, death related to cardiac arrest or
  seizure, organ damage, and malnutrition.

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DepressantsDrugs that tend to slow down the CNS

• Most commonly used psychoactive drugs.
• Examples
• 1. Barbiturates
• 2. Tranquilizers
• 3. Methaqualone
• 4. Alcohol

• Effects
• Calmness, relaxed muscles, impaired judgment
  (small dose)
• Slurred speech, staggering gait, altered
  perception, loss of motor coordination,
  depression, coma, death (lg. dose)
• Long-Term seizures, hallucinations, physical
  psychological dependence
• Highly addictive

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Types of Depressants

• Barbiturates drugs that induce sleepiness. Use
  can result in mood changes, more sleep than
  normal, even a coma. Combined w/ alcohol, they
  can be fatal.
• Tranquilizers depressants that reduce muscular
  activity, coordination, and attention span.
• Ex Diazepam(Valium)- used medically to
  relieve anxiety, muscle spasms, panic attacks.
• Methaqualone originally prescribed to reduce
  anxiety and to help w/ insomnia.
• Ex Serious effects include rapid dependence,
  headaches, diarrhea, dizziness, convulsions, and
  coma.

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Narcotics

• Drugs derived from the opium plant that have a
  sedative effect.
• Examples
• 1. Morphine
• 2. Heroin
• 3. Opium
• 4. Codeine

• Effects
• Drowsiness
• Slow breathing heart rate
• Produce psychological physical dependence
• Stupor or sleep so deep that depresses
  respiration can result in coma or death.

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Morphine

• Sometimes used to reduce severe pain, for
  example, in terminal cancer patients.
• It can act as an appetite suppressant, cause
  severe constipation, and lead to addiction.

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Codeine

• Weaker than morphine
• Sometimes used in cough medications to stop
  coughing.
• It can lead to dependence and abuse.

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HeroinMade from morphine and has no accepted
medical use

• Effects
• Slows breathing pulse rate
• Coma death can occur w/ lg. doses
• Tolerance develops quickly
• Pregnant women who use heroin risk babies who are
  born addicted, causing retardation and delayed
  growth.
• Withdrawal from this drug is very painful.
• Withdrawal symptoms include diarrhea, insomnia,
  bone and muscle pain, vomiting, cold flashes, and
  leg movements.
• 2.4 million people in the U.S. are abusers.

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Hallucinogens

• Examples
• PCP
• LSD
• Mescaline

• Effects
• Interfere w/ senses
• Hallucinations
• Slurred speech
• Vomiting
• Loss of motor control
• Produce aggressive violent behavior

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PCP (Angel Dust)

• Effects
• Violent or bizarre behavior
• Increased aggressiveness
• Hallucinations illusions
• Increased HR BP
• Feel distant detached from their surroundings
• Paranoia, fearfulness, anxiety
• Impaired muscle coordination
• Sensations of touch pain are dulled

• Other Facts
• Overdoses can occur
• Most PCP-related deaths are caused by the
  strange, destructive behavior that the drug
  produces in the user.
• PCP can make the user feel strong and powerful.
• This feeling has resulted in tragic deaths,
  serious accidents, terrible acts of violence.

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LSD (Acid)

• Important Facts
• Comes in a tablet, capsule, sometimes liquid
  form.
• It is colorless, tasteless, odorless.

• Effects
• False sense of security and power
• Hallucinations
• Panic, anxiety, and accidental suicide due to
  hallucinations
• Altered states of perception and feeling
• Flashbacks or Bad Trips
• Increased BP, HR, and body temperature

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Mescaline

• Can lead to Bad Trips, or frightening imagined
  phenomena
• May lead to vicious stomach cramps and vomiting
• Other Effects Increased HR, BP, and body
  temperature, weakness, tremors

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Inhalants

• Definition substances with breathable fumes
  that are sniffed and inhaled to give a
  hallucinogenic or mind-altering high.
• Examples glue, spray paints, aerosols,
  lighter fluid, and gasoline.

• Immediate Effects nausea, sneezing, coughing,
  nosebleeds, fatigue, lack of coordination, loss
  of appetite
• Heavy use can result in liver kidney damage,
  hearing loss, limb spasms, and permanent brain
  damage!!
• A PERSON CAN GO INTO A COMA FROM A SINGLE USE AND
  BE IN A VEGETATIVE STATE, OR RESPIRATOR, FOR THE
  REST OF HIS/HER LIFE!!

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Steroids

• When used as medicine, these substances help
  build muscles in patients with chronic diseases.
• Steroids are used illegally to improve
  performance or to increase muscle size and reduce
  body fat.
• Steroid use is more common in males but use is
  high among competitive body builders athletes.

• Effects
• Mood swings, violent aggressive behavior
• High BP, acne, baldness, increased risk for HD
  and liver damage, increased growth of body
  facial hair, stroke from clogged arteries.
• Males depression, decrease in sperm production
  testicle size.

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MarijuanaMost widely used illicit drug in the
U.S.

• Definition cannabis that is smoked, eaten, or
  drunk for intoxicating effects.
• Effects alters your senses, coordination,
  reaction time and can interrupt your ability to
  make rational and healthful decisions.

• Other Effects
• Lowers body temp. but increases HR BP
• Stimulates appetite
• Affects memory- more difficult to recall things
  to pay attention
• Harms to immune system
• Lack of energy
• Paranoia

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Marijuana

• Other Effects Cont
• Male decrease sperm production
• Female can result in stillbirths, decreased
  birth weight, and a condition in the infant
  similar to Fetal
• Alcohol Syndrome

• Important Facts
• CANNABIS SMOKE CONTAINS MORE CANCER-CAUSING
  CHEMICALS THAN CIGARETTE SMOKE!!
• DAMAGES THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM!!

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Designer Drugs

• Definition synthetic substances meant to
  imitate the effects of narcotics and
  hallucinogens
• Symptoms of Designer Drugs include uncontrollable
  tremors, drooling, impaired speech, paralysis,
  and irreversible brain damage.

• Examples
• MDMA Ecstasy
• Rohypnol
• GHB

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Ecstasy

• Combination of a stimulant hallucinogen
• May give a short-term feeling of euphoria but can
  result in confusion, depression, paranoia,
  psychosis, increases in HR and BP, and even
  long-term brain damage.
• Designer Drugs several hundred times stronger
  than the drugs they are meant to imitate.

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GHBClub Drug Often Used As An Alternative To
Ecstasy

• Form clear liquid, white powder, tablet or
  capsule.
• Used as a Date Rape drug b/c of its
  disinhibiting and unconscious causing effects.
• Effects begin 10-20 min. after ingestion can
  last for up to 4 hours.

• Effects
• Low Dose Drowsiness, slows HR breathing rate,
  sedates the body, reduces social inhibitions,
  euphoria, nausea, headache, vomiting
• High Dose loss of consciousness reflexes,
  seizures, coma, severe respiratory depression,
  death

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Rohypnol

• Form small, white, round tablet
• Tasteless odorless
• Often used as a Date Rape drug
• Dissolves quickly in carbonated beverages
• When mixed w/ alcohol, these drugs can increase
  the effects this mixture can cause death.

• Effects
• Begin 20-30 min. after ingestion and can last up
  to 8 hours.
• Psychomotor impairment can last up to 12 hrs.

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More Effects of Rohypnol

• Low Dose Decreased BP, confusion, loss of
  coordination, dizziness, drowsiness, anxiety
• High Dose Respiratory depression, coma, death

• Long Term Effects
• Anterograde Amnesia, which is memory loss while
  under the influence
• Seizures weeks after the drug is taken.

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Signs of Drug Abuse

• Talking about trying a drug
• Giving up friends who do not use drugs
• Getting into trouble
• Showing no interest in activities
• Rebelling against authority
• Having glassy eyes and a blank stare
• Stumbling, slurred speech
• Hiding Drugs
• Lying about drug use

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Risk Factors for Drug Use

• Difficult family relationships
• Negative self-esteem
• Unable to resist peer pressure
• Economically disadvantaged
• One or more biological family member who

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Resistance Skills

• Use Assertive Behavior
• Give Reasons For Saying No!!
• Use Nonverbal Behavior To Match Verbal Behavior
• Avoid Being In Situations In Which There
• Will Be Pressure To Use Drugs
• Avoid Being With People Who Use Drugs

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Statistics

• By the time a youth graduates from 12th grade,
  there is a 50 chance that he/she has tried an
  illicit substance at least once.
• 1 out of every 4 graduating seniors uses an
  illicit substance on a current or past-month
  basis. 1 in 5 uses marijuana regularly.
• MDMA (Ecstasy) has been one of the most rapidly
  rising drugs of abuse among youth in recent yrs.
• Marijuana remains the most widely used illicit
  drug.
• Inhalants are more frequently used by the
  youngest students.