Commonly%20Abused%20Drugs

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Commonly Abused Drugs
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Depressants

• A psychoactive drug that slows brain and body
  reactions is called a depressant.
• Depressants slow body functions by decreasing
  heart and breathing rates and lowering blood
  pressure.

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Depressants- Barbiturates

• Barbiturate are also called sedative-hypnotics
• Small doses barbiturates are sedatives- they
  relax a person
• High doses barbiturates are hypnotics- they
  induce sleep
• High potential for abuse
• Abusers walk slowly, slur their speech, and react
  more slowly to their environment.
• Withdrawal can be fatal

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GHB

• Gamma Hydroxybutyrate GHB G Liquid X Liquid
  E GBH Gamma-oh Blue Verve
• GHB is most notorious for a few cases where it
  has been given to unsuspecting individuals, it is
  more commonly used as a recreational intoxicant
  like alcohol, as a sleep-aid, or as a supplement
  by body-builders
• One of the major concerns with GHB is that the
  recreational dosage range is narrow and even
  small overdoses can cause temporary unrousable
  unconsciousness (a type of coma) and large
  overdoses (poisonings) can be life-threatening.

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GHB

• GHB is illegal to possess or sell in the United
  States. It became schedule I (federally) in
  March, 2000 though it was scheduled in many
  states between 1997 and 1999.
• GHB was developed in the early 60s as a human
  anesthetic, but was discontinued due to unwanted
  side effects. It's use as a sleep aid and body
  building supplement in the 80s and as a
  recreational psychoactive in the 90s led to it
  being scheduled in the U.S. in March of 2000.

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CNS Depressants

• A CNS depressant is a sedative that slows the
  activity of the central nervous system (CNS).
• This class of drugs used to be called
  tranquilizers
• Slow nerve activity, relax muscle tension, lower
  alertness, and cause drowsiness.
• Doctors may prescribe CNS depressants to treat
  anxiety, sleep disorders, muscle spasms, and
  convulsions.
• Long-Term Abuse blood and liver disease

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Depressants-Opiates

• An opiate is any drug made from psychoactive
  compounds contained in the seed pods of poppy
  plants.
• Some opiates can be produced in a laboratory.
• In small doses, opiates act to dull the senses,
  relieve pain, and induce sleep.
• Morphine and codeine, for example, are used in
  some prescriptions medications to reduce severe
  pain.

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Depressants- Opiates

• There is a growing concern in the use of
  opiate-containing painkillers or cough syrups for
  a high.
• Larger than recommended doses
• Dangerous or life-threatening side effects
• Heroin is an illegal opiate made from morphine in
  a laboratory
• Heroin is highly addictive

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Stimulants

• A stimulant is a drug that speeds up activities
  of the central nervous system.
• Stimulants increase heart rate, blood pressure,
  breathing rate and alertness.
• Prescribed to treat sleep disorders and
  behavioral disorders such as ADD and ADHD

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Stimulants-Amphetamines

• Are a prescription drug that are sometimes sold
  illegally as speed or uppers.
• Produces feelings of well-being and high energy.
• Effects wear off quickly and user feels
  depressed.
• The down often leads to taking another- and
  another-dose.

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Stimulants-Methamphetamine

• Even more powerful than Amphetamines.
• AKA Meth, Crank, Crystal or Ice
• Produces a rush or high
• After drug wears off the user may become shaky,
  confused, anxious, irritable or violent.
• Meth users ultimately become paranoid and
  psychotic due to brain damage.
• Meth may also cause strokes and deadly
  convulsions.

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Stimulants- Cocaine

• Powerful but short acting stimulant
• Abusers sniff drug into nose, smoke it, or inject
  it directly into their bloodstream
• Highly addictive, tolerance develops quickly
• Users often experience depression when coming
  down
• Overdose of cocaine, which can be caused by even
  a small amount, may result in seizures, heart
  failure, or respiratory failure.
• Overdose can be fatal

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Stimulants- Crack

• A process known as free-basing changes cocaine
  into a concentrated, smokable form known as
  crack.
• Strongest form of cocaine
• Short but powerful effects produced by crack
  occur within eight seconds after it is smoked.

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Hallucinogens

• Are drugs that distort perception, thought, and
  mood.
• Hallucinogens overload the brain with sensory
  information, causing a distorted sense of
  reality.
• Illegal and have no medical use.
• Frightening and unpredictable mood swings,
  abusers cannot tell what is real, memory loss and
  personality changes.

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Hallucinogens- LSD

• Lysergic Acid Diethylamide LSD or Acid
• It can either stimulate or depress the CNS
• User may see colorful visions
• Can have frightening episodes known as bad
  trips.
• User may have a flashback unexpected
  reoccurrence of a bad trip
• May happen years later

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Hallucinogens- Psilocybin

• AKA Mushrooms or Shrooms
• Chemical found in certain mushrooms
• Ingested
• Effects are similar to LSD but not as strong
• Similar-looking but deadly mushroom is sometimes
  mistaken for psilocybin.
• In 1968 possession of psilocybin mushrooms was
  made illegal in the United States.

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Hallucinogens- PCP

• Phencyclidine PCP or Angel Dust
• Once used as an anesthetic, or painkiller for
  large animals. Only available illegally now.
• Users may smoke it with marijuana, inject, sniff
  or eat it.
• Eliminates pain, users may injure or kill
  themselves unintentionally
• Some abusers develop schizophrenia
• Effects remain log after drug use ends,
  flashbacks may occur

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MDMA Ecstasy

• Psychedelic Amphetamine- Stimulant/Hallucinogen
• MDMA was first synthesized in the 1890s and later
  patented by Merck pharmaceuticals on December 24,
  1912, but it wasn't until the mid 1970s that
  articles related to its psychoactivity began
  showing up in scholarly journals.
• In the late '70s and early '80s MDMA was used as
  a psychotherapeutic tool and also started to
  become available on the street. Its growing
  popularity led to it being made illegal in the
  United States in 1985 and its popularity has
  continued to increase since then.

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MDMA Ecstasy

• Many users also experience some level of
  post-MDMA depression, often starting on the
  second day after the experience and lasting for
  up to 5 days.
• Negative effects can include overheating, nausea,
  vomiting, jaw-clenching, eye-twitching, and
  dizziness, as well as depression and fatigue in
  following days. After frequent or heavy use, some
  users report bouts of dizziness or vertigo which
  gradually subside after cessation of use.

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Marijuana

• The leaves, stems, and flowering tops of the hemp
  plant.
• AKA Pot, weed, dope or grass
• Smoked in a joint or blunt, mixed with food
  and eaten.
• It also comes in a more concentrated resinous
  form called hashish, and as a sticky black liquid
  called hash oil.

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Marijuana

• Both sales and possession of cannabis are illegal
  in the United States and most countries, however
  many states have legalized the medical use of
  cannabis.
• Additionally, some states have decriminalized
  the possession of personal use quantities (under
  1/2 - 1 ounce) choosing to punish this with a
  fine rather than jail time.

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Marijuana- Medical

• Marijuana has many possible medical uses.
  Positive effects are claimed for ailments such as
  cancer, AIDS, and glaucoma. AIDS can cause a loss
  of appetite known as the "wasting syndrome" which
  can lead to drastic weight loss and weakness.
• Chemotherapy used in the treatment of cancer
  causes nausea resulting in an inability to keep
  down food. Marijuana's healing nature for these
  two illnesses is a result of it's ability to
  increase a person's appetite as well as relieving
  nausea allowing a patient to regain weight.
  Marijuana reportedly helps glaucoma patients by
  reducing occular pressure which can cause damage
  to the eye.

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Marijuana- History

• The cannabis plant has been used both medicinally
  and recreationally for thousands of years. It
  wasn't until the early 19th century that the use
  of cannabis spread from China and the Middle East
  to the population of Europe and then to America
  in the middle of the century.
• Cannabis was made illegal in the U.S. in 1937.

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Effects of Marijuana

• It is one of the most frequently abused
  psychoactive drugs. Its main ingredient changes
  the way information reaches and is acted upon by
  the brain.
• Side effects can include distorted perception-
  sights, sounds, time and touch.
• Difficulties thinking and problem solving
• Loss of motor coordination, increased heart rate,
  feeling of anxiety or paranoia
• May damage short-term memory