Download Depressants - White Ribbon Association

Some well-known depressant
drugs are:
Cannabis
Weed, Skunk, Draw, Dope
Cannabis is a naturally occurring
drug which makes users feel
chilled out and relaxed. However,
it can also cause users to hear and
see things which aren’t really
there which can result in paranoia
and anxiety.
Heroin
Smack, H, Horse, Brown
Heroin comes from the opium
poppy which has been used for
hundreds of years originally as pain
relief and to treat sleeplessness.
Heroin is very addictive so the risk
of overdose is high.
GHB
Liquid Ecstasy, GBL, Geebs
GHB creates a feeling a euphoria
but also causes users to lose their
inhibitions making them very
vulnerable. GHB can cause
unconsciousness, coma and
even death
Tranquillisers
Rohypnol, Downers, Benzos
Tranquillizers are usually
prescribed to people with anxiety
or insomnia for short term use.
They can cause memory loss and
are very addictive.
Help and
information
If you think you or someone you
know may have a problem with
drugs, you are affected by
someone else’s drug use, or you
would just like more
information, there are many
organisations who can help:
Depressants
Drug Awareness
Talk to Frank
www.talktofrank.com
Addaction
www.addaction.org.uk
Narcotics Anonymous
www.ukna.org
Release
www.release.org.uk
Re-solv (solvent abuse)
www.re-solv.org
Produced by the
White Ribbon
Association®
©2016
www.white-ribbon.org.uk
@whiteribbonasso
Information correct as of March 2016
What you
need to know
What are
depressants?
Depressants (sometimes called
downers or sedatives) are drugs
which slow down the activity of
the central nervous system.
What effect do
they have on
the body?
What effect do
they have on
the brain?
Like most other drugs,
depressants have short term
and long term effects.
Depressant drugs,
particularly cannabis, have long
been linked with mental health
problems.
When a person uses a
depressant drug, it has a
calming effect on the body
making the person feel relaxed,
and slows down the brain’s
normal function.
Overall, they slow down the
way the body works, so users
could become disorientated,
lose co-ordination and have
reduced levels of awareness.
Alcohol is the most widely used
legal depressant drug.
They can cause speech to slur,
as well as lowering blood
pressure and slowing down
breathing and heart rate.
Some depressant drugs are also
prescription medicines are
given for pain relief or to treat
conditions such as anxiety.
Some depressant drugs can
even make it difficult to go to
the toilet.
In the long term, using
depressant drugs could lead to
breathing problems, difficulty
sleeping and feeling sick.
Mixing drugs is incredibly
dangerous as they may interact
in completely different ways.
Taking two types of
depressants can increase their
negative effects.
They can cause depression and
chronic tiredness. In high doses,
depressant drugs have been
linked with irritability, paranoia
and even suicidal thoughts.
There is also a high risk of
addiction with depressant
drugs, and the brain can soon
begin to crave more and more.
Continued heavy use can lead to
overdosing and possibly death.