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ILLEGAL DRUGS
The use of illegal drugs and the abuse of legal medicines can have serious,
sometimes deadly, physical effects on the user. These effects can occur
even the firest time the drug is used. (give example of Len Bias)
Many drug users become addicted. Addiction is a physical or mental need
for a drug or other substance. Some frequently abused addictive drugs
will be discussed next.
Stimulants
Stimulants speed up the central nervous system. They cause an
increase in respiratory and heart rates, high blood pressure, dilated
pupils, and decreased appetite. In addition, users of stimulants may
experience irritability, sweating, headaches, blurred vision, euphoria,
dizziness or sleeplessness. Stimulants can be swallowed, smoked,
inhaled, and injected. Two very powerful stimulants are amphetamines
and cocaine.
Amphetamines are used to treat narcolepsy, a disease that is
an uncontrollable need to sleep, as well as in some cases of brain damage
resulting from senility. Amphetamines also have been prescribed for
weight control. Medical use of amphetamines has declined in recent
years because of their limited effectiveness and potential for tolerance.
Some people use amphetamines illegally to stay awake and alert. Others
use them to feel high and euphoric, improve athletic performance, or lose
weight. Some even try to offset the effects of depressants by taking
amphetamines.
Methamphetamine. Methamphetamine is an amphetamine that has
been used medically in treating narcolepsy, Parkinson's disease, and
obesity. In addition to the physical effects of amphetamines,
methamphetamine may cause severe emotional and violent reactions.
Methamphetamine is produced synthetically in "street" laboratories.
This illegal form of methamphetamine is sometimes called crank, speed,
or ice. Its availability has made its use very widespread. It can be
smoked, injected, snorted or sniffed up the nostrils, or even swallowed.
The effects of this drug are long-lasting. Seizures and death also can
result.
Cocaine
Cocaine is a white powder that is an extract of the coca bush that
grows in the mountainous regions of South America. About a century ago,
cocaine was used as in ingredient in a well-known soft drink. In the 18th
and 19th centuries, cocaine was used as a local anesthetic. In recent
years, other medicines that are more effective and with fewer side effects
have almost eliminated cocaine's use for medicinal purposes.
Cocaine is a powerful, short-acting stimulant that affects the central
nervous system. Its effects, which include increased heart rate, blood
pressure and respiration, can last from 20 minutes to several hours. The
feelings of confidence that come from cocaine use are often followed by a
letdown. Regular use can lead to depression, edginess, and weight loss.
Physiological dependence occurs because the user wants to avoid the
letdown feeling. As cocaine use increases, so does the danger of paranoia,
hallucinations, and psychological dependence.
When cocaine is snorted, the drug is absorbed into the blood
through the mucous membranes of the nose. Cocaine constricts the tiny
blood vessels in this area, reducing the blood supply to the membranes
that line the nose, causing them to become dry. Repeated cocaine use
can cause tissue damage in the nose and even holes in the nasal septum,
the wall dividing the two halves of the nose.
Cocaine use can result in malnutrition and especially among those
with cardiac problems, an increase in the risk of heart attack. Even in
healthy individuals who are not heavy users of cocaine, the drug may
disturb the electrical impulses of the heart and cause death. An
additional risk of cocaine use is the possibility of being infected with HIV
when injecting cocaine with a shared needle.
Crack. Crack is a form of cocaine that can be smoked. Through
illegal processing, cocaine can be converted into lumps or rocks. This
process is called Freebasing. Freebasing is dangerous in itself because it
involves the use of powerful solvents that can result in injury or death
from an explosion or fire. Crack is highly addictive. Because it is
smoked, its effects are felt within a few seconds. The physical effects of
crack include dilated pupils, increased pulse rate, elevated blood pressure,
insomnia, loss of appetite, hallucinations, paranoia, and seizures. Crack
users may develop a sore throat, hoarseness and lung damage. Using
crack can cause death by cardiac or respiratory failure.
Depressants
Depressants are drugs that slow down the body’s functions and
reactions. They cause the heart rate and blood pressure to drop.
Breathing and brain activity slow down. Two main types of depressants
are barbiturates and tranquilizers. Dangers of using depressants include
poor coordination, slurred speech, drowsiness, poor judgment, confusion
and addiction.
Narcotics
Narcotics are drugs that act on the central and parasympathetic
nervous systems to slow down body functions. At one time, the term
"narcotics" referred only to those drugs that were made from the opium
poppy and were called "opiates". Narcotics also are used as analgesics, or
medicines used to relieve pain.
Some medicines made from opium have valuable medical uses in
relieving pain and suffering. For example, morphine is used to relieve
pain, and codeine is used to stop severe coughing. Both cause drowsiness
and can result in physiological dependence. Drugs made from opium can
cause stupor or sleep and can result in coma or death.
Narcotics can be natural or synthetic (made from laboratory
chemicals). Narcotics are powerful addictive drugs capable of causing
both physiological and psychological dependence. Withdrawal can result
in loss of appetite, irritability, tremors, panic, cramps, nausea, chills and
sweating.
Heroin
Heroin is a narcotic made from morphine and has no medical use.
It is an illegal drug. Heroin is a strong central nervous system
depressant. Its use slows breathing and pulse rate. Coma or death may
occur with large doses. Tolerance develops very quickly with this drug.
Heroin is usually injected and so the risk of hepatitis and HIV infection
through the use of contaminated needles is ever present.
Withdrawal from heroin is extremely painful and the chances of full
recovery are not great. Treatment often involves methadone, a synthetic
narcotic. Methadone blocks the craving for heroin. Its effects last 24 to
36 hours. Methadone also is addictive and must be closely monitored by
qualified medical personnel.
Hallucinogens
Hallucinogens alter mood, thought and the senses, including sight,
touch, smell, and hearing. Hallucinogens first became popular drugs
during the 1960s. These drugs include synthetic products and naturallyoccurring substances. Hallucinogens have no medical use and are often
unpredictable in their effects on the individual. Furthermore, users often
mix these drugs with other drugs, and serious medical problems result.
PCP
Phencyclidine (PCP), also known as angel dust, is a powerful
hallucinogen. It is prepared synthetically. PCP primarily affects the
central nervous system. depending on the dosage, PCP can cause
stimulation or depression. The unpredictable nature of PCP makes it a
dangerous psychoactive drug. Users of this drug report severe loss of
orientation with their surroundings and distortions in time, space, and
feeling along with a highly dangerous inability to feel pain. Emotions are
altered, sometimes bringing on very hostile and violent reactions. Most
PCP-related deaths are caused by the strange, destructive behavior the
drug produces in the user.
Using PCP repeatedly makes it difficult to remember specific facts;
it impairs speech, sometimes causing the user to stutter. Judgment and
concentration are impaired long after the user has stopped taking the
drug. Long-term users may experience anxiety, depression and violent
behavior. Serious mental problems have also resulted from PCP, causing
users to need psychiatric and sometimes, institutional care.
The effects of PCP are widely unpredictable and vary from person to
person. Once taken, PCP remains in the body long after the initial effect
has worn off. A flashback may occur at a later time. A flashback is a
reoccurrence of a drug effect without taking any more of the drug. These
effects can include panic, confusion, suspicion and lack of control.
Flashbacks also can repeat unpleasant physical and visual feelings.
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is probably the drug responsible for
initiating an awareness of hallucinogens in American society. LSD
severely distorts perception, causing users of the drug to attempt to do
impossible feats that often end in disaster. Use of LSD and the resulting
tragedies--deaths from a false sense of security or hallucinations--received
much publicity.
During the 1960s and 1970s, LSD was tried in different types of
therapy. It proved to be unpredictable and unreliable and therefore no
longer has medical use.
Marijuana
Marijuana is the common name for the Indian hemp plant, “
Cannabis”. The leaves and flowers of this plant are smoked, chewed, or
eaten for their intoxicating effects. Because of potentially dangerous
effects, marijuana is an illegal drug under the state and federal laws.
The chemical in marijuana responsible for its psychoactive effect is
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Scientists test the strength of a
sample of marijuana by measuring how much THC is contains. When THC
enters the blood, some is stored in fatty tissue. Because of this, it takes
at least 30 days for the body to excrete it. The highest concentration of
fat cells in the body is in brain cells, liver, lungs, kidneys and
reproductive organs.
Mariujuna acts like a hallucinogen, although it also has effects
similar to stimulants and depressants. It lowers body temperature, but
increases the heart rate and blood pressure, and has a stimulating effect
on the appetite. Marijuana effects sight, touch and sound. Perception of
time is also affected. Marijuana users often develop psychological
dependence on the drug, wanting the euphoric feelings that they
experience.
Hashish is the dark brown resin collected from the tops of the
Cannabis plant. Hash is stronger than marijuana because it contains
more THC, so when used, its effects are more pronounced. Like
marijuana, hash is an illegal drug.
Inhalants
Inhalants are substances that give off fumes that are sniffed and
inhaled to give a hallucinogenic effect. Most inhalants are products that
were never designed to be taken into the human body, such as gasoline,
glue and aerosols. Inhalants are extremely dangerous. In fact, many are
labeled poisonous. Most inhalants depress the CNS and cause effects
similar to those of alcohol. Immediate effects include nausea, sneezing,
coughing, nosebleeds, fatigue, lack of coordination and loss of appetite. A
person who regularly sniffs an inhalant has trouble with balance and finds
it hard to talk. Judgment is impaired. Heavy use of inhalants can result
in fatigue, liver and kidney damage, changes in bone marrow, and
permanent brain damage. High concentrations can cause suffocation.
Accidental death can occur.
Designer Drugs
Designer drugs are synthetic substances chemically similar to drugs
listed in the controlled substances schedule. Designer drugs are made by
street "chemists" who alter the molecular structures of drugs by using
more common chemicals to make them. This is done in hopes of avoiding
the highly technical chemical definitions of illegal drugs.
These drugs are also called "analogs" because they are substantially
similar in their chemical makeup and produce similar effects to the drugs
listed in the controlled substances schedules.
MDMA, Adam and Ecstasy (X-TC) are all slang names for a designer
drug similar to methamphetamine. Ecstasy acts as both a stimulant and
hallucinogen. It causes feeling of euphoria and results in long-term
damage to brain cells. Side effects also include increased blood pressure
and heart rate, confusion, and severe anxiety.
Anabolic Steroids
Anabolic steroids are synthetic derivatives of the male hormone
testosterone. When used as a medicine, steroids help build muscles in
individuals who suffer from chronic diseases. Anabolic steroids also have
been used to treat bone diseases, burns, and hormonal imbalances, and to
protect blood cells during treatment for cancer. Side effects of steroid
use include high blood pressure, acne, increased risk of liver damage,
heart disease and stroke.
Anabolic steroids are used illegally by some athletes to enhance
performance. Because steroids help the body synthesize protein for
tissue development and muscular growth, athletes who use them recover
more quickly from injuries after practice or a game. Steroid use also
increases aggressiveness and strength. Because of their dangerous nature
and several serious side effects, steroids are illegal unless specifically
prescribed by a physician.