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Amphetamines | Cocaine | Marijuana | Opiates | PCP Amphetamine and MethamphetamineAmphetamine, commonly referred to as "speed", was first marketed in the 1930's as Benzedrine in an over-the-counter inhaler to treat nasal congestion. By 1937, amphetamine was available by prescription in tablet form. During World War II, amphetamine was widely used to keep soldiers alert and both dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine) and methamphetamine (Methedrine) became readily available. Until recent years, amphetamines were commonly prescribed for weight loss. But due to a high potential for abuse and addiction, they are now reserved for limited treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy (attacks of uncontrollable sleepiness), and Parkinson's disease. Because amphetamines increase alertness, energy, and a sense of well-being, they are sometimes used illicitly by truck drivers, shift workers, students, and athletes. They are also commonly abused as appetite suppressant. Amphetamines are found in a wide variety of shapes and forms and also have a wide variety of sources. Thus, even experienced users may be unable to tell which drug they have actually taken. Amphetamines are found in both
prescription form and in illicitly manufactured forms. Prescription
amphetamines are usually found in
the form of tablets or capsules - in a variety of shapes and colors.
Methamphetamine is an addictive stimulant drug that strongly activates certain systems in the brain. Methamphetamine is closely related chemically to amphetamine, but the central nervous system effects of methamphetamine are greater. Both drugs have some medical uses, primarily in the treatment of obesity, but their therapeutic use is limited.
More information >> http://www.drugabuse.gov/Infofax/methamphetamine.html CocaineCocaine is a powerfully addictive drug of abuse. Once having tried cocaine, an individual cannot predict or control the extent to which he or she will continue to use the drug.
More information >> http://www.nida.nih.gov/DrugPages/Cocaine.html MarijuanaMarijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. A dry, shredded green/brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, it usually is smoked as a cigarette (joint, nail), or in a pipe (bong). It also is smoked in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, often in combination with another drug. Use also might include mixing marijuana in food or brewing it as a tea. As a more concentrated, resinous form it is called hashish and, as a sticky black liquid, hash oil.
The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). The membranes of certain nerve cells in the brain contain protein receptors that bind to THC. Once securely in place, THC kicks off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the high that users experience when they smoke marijuana. More information >> http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofax/marijuana.html OpiatesOpiates are commonly prescribed because of their effective analgesic or pain relieving properties. Many studies have shown that, properly managed, medical use of opiate analgesic drugs is safe and rarely causes clinical addiction, which is defined as compulsive, often uncontrollable use. Taken exactly as prescribed, opiates can be used to manage pain effectively. Among the drugs that fall within this class - sometimes referred to as narcotics - are morphine, codeine, and related drugs. Morphine is often used before or after surgery to alleviate severe pain. Codeine is used for milder pain.
Opiates act by attaching to specific proteins called opioid receptors, which are found in the brain, spinal cord, and gastrointestinal tract. When these drugs attach to certain opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord they can effectively block the transmission of pain messages to the brain. In addition to relieving pain, opiate drugs can affect regions of the brain that mediate what we perceive as pleasure, resulting in the initial euphoria that many opiates produce. They can also produce drowsiness, cause constipation, and, depending upon the amount of drug taken, depress breathing. Taking a large single dose could cause severe respiratory depression or be fatal. Opiates may interact with other drugs and are only safe to use with other drugs under a physician's supervision. Typically, they should not be used with substances such as alcohol, antihistamines, barbiturates, or benzodiazepines. These drugs slow down breathing, and their combined effects could risk life-threatening respiratory depression. Chronic use of opiates can result in tolerance to the drugs so that higher doses must be taken to obtain the same initial effects. Long-term use also can lead to physical dependence - the body adapts to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced abruptly.
More information >> http://www.drugabuse.gov/Infofax/heroin.html Phencyclidine (PCP)PCP (phencyclidine) was developed in the 1950s as an intravenous anesthetic. Use of PCP in humans was discontinued in 1965, because it was found that patients often became agitated, delusional, and irrational while recovering from its anesthetic effects. PCP is illegally manufactured in laboratories and is sold on the street by such names as "angel dust," "ozone," "wack," and "rocket fuel." "Killer joints"and "crystal supergrass" are names that refer to PCP combined with marijuana. The variety of street names for PCP reflects its bizarre and volatile effects.
PCP is addicting; that is, its use often leads to psychological dependence, craving, and compulsive PCP-seeking behavior. It was first introduced as a street drug in the 1960s and quickly gained a reputation as a drug that could cause bad reactions and was not worth the risk. Many people, after using the drug once, will not knowingly use it again. Yet others use it consistently and regularly. Some persist in using PCP because of its addicting properties. Others cite feelings of strength, power, invulnerability and a numbing effect on the mind as reasons for their continued PCP use. People who use PCP for long periods report memory loss, difficulties with speech and thinking, depression, and weight loss. These symptoms can persist up to a year after cessation of PCP use. Mood disorders also have been reported. PCP has sedative effects, and interactions with other central nervous system depressants, such as alcohol and benzodiazepines, can lead to coma or accidental overdose. More information >> http://www.drugabuse.gov/Infofax/pcp.html
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Though prescription amphetamines can be found on the street,
typical street amphetamine is manufactured in illicit laboratories.
This
form of the drug has a higher potential for abuse and addiction
than the prescription forms. Illicit amphetamine is found in varied
colors,
but is normally a white crystalline powder that is sniffed. It
is also commonly converted to a liquid form and injected.
Methamphetamine is made in illegal laboratories and has a high potential
for abuse and dependence. Street methamphetamine is referred
to by many names, such as "speed," "meth," and "chalk." Methamphetamine
hydrochloride, clear chunky crystals resembling ice, which can be
inhaled by smoking, is referred to as "ice," "crystal," and "glass."
The major routes of administration of cocaine are sniffing or snorting,
injecting, and smoking (including free-base and crack cocaine). Snorting
is the process of inhaling cocaine powder through the nose where
it is absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. Injecting
is the act of using a needle to release the drug directly into the
bloodstream. Smoking involves inhaling cocaine vapor or smoke into
the lungs where absorption into the bloodstream is as rapid as by
injection.
"Crack" is the street name given to cocaine that has been
processed from cocaine hydrochloride to a free base for smoking.
Rather than requiring the more volatile method of processing cocaine
using ether, crack cocaine is processed with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate
(baking soda) and water and heated to remove the hydrochloride, thus
producing a form of cocaine that can be smoked. The term "crack" refers
to the crackling sound heard when the mixture is smoked (heated),
presumably from the sodium bicarbonate.
There is great risk whether cocaine is ingested by inhalation (snorting),
injection, or smoking. It appears that compulsive cocaine use may
develop even more rapidly if the substance is smoked rather than
snorted. Smoking allows extremely high doses of cocaine to reach
the brain very quickly and brings an intense and immediate high.
The injecting drug user is at risk for transmitting or acquiring
HIV infection/AIDS if needles or other injection equipment are shared.
Marijuana
smoke has a pungent and distinctive, usually sweet-and-sour odor.
There are countless street terms for
marijuana including pot, herb, weed, grass, widow, ganja, and hash,
as well as terms derived from trademarked varieties of cannabis,
such as Bubble Gum®, Northern Lights®, Juicy Fruit®,
Afghani #1®, and a number of Skunk varieties.
Other examples are synthetic opiates that can be prescribed to alleviate
pain and include oxycodone (OxyContin-an oral, controlled release
form of the drug); propoxyphene (Darvon); hydrocodone (Vicodin);
hydromorphone (Dilaudid); and meperidine (Demerol), which is used
less often because of its side effects. In addition to their effective
pain relieving properties, some of these drugs can be used to relieve
severe diarrhea (Lomotil, for example, which is diphenoxylate) or
severe coughs (codeine). The synthetic opiate drugs are not detected
in the standard five-panel drug test; only morphine and codeine are
detected in the standard five-panel test.
Heroin is a highly addictive drug, and its use is a serious problem
in America. Recent studies suggest a shift from injecting heroin
to snorting or smoking because of increased purity and the misconception
that these forms of use will not lead to addiction.
Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance
extracted from the seedpod of the Asian poppy plant. Heroin usually
appears as a white or brown powder. Street names for heroin include "smack," "H," "skag," and "junk." Other
names may refer to types of heroin produced in a specific geographical
area, such as "Mexican black tar." Use of heroin is detected
by the presence of morphine in the drug test. 
PCP is a white crystalline powder that is readily soluble in water
or alcohol. It has a distinctive bitter chemical taste. PCP can be
mixed easily with dyes and turns up on the illicit drug market in
a variety of tablets, capsules, and colored powders. It is normally
used in one of three ways: snorted, smoked, or eaten. For smoking,
PCP is often applied to a leafy material such as mint, parsley, oregano,
or marijuana.