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posticon Info on Drugs (inc. Tobacco)


In this section you will find information on the following drugs (in alphabetical order):

Amphetamines (speed)
Anabolic Steroids
Barbiruates
Cannabis
Cocaine
Ecstasy
GHB
Heroin
Inhalants
LSD
Methodone
Mushrooms
Tobacco
Tranquilisers



Last edited by loopylady, 1/6/07, 10:37


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1/6/07, 10:36 Link to this post   
 
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Re: Info on Drugs (inc. Tobacco)


Amphetamines (speed):

What are they?

Amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, and methamphetamine are collectively referred to as amphetamines. Their chemical properties and actions are very similar. These drugs stimulate the central nervous system - that is, they increase activity in the brain.
 
Medicinal uses

Amphetamine was first marketed in the 1930s 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.

Medical use of amphetamines was common in the 1950's and 1960's when they were widely used to combat mild depression and cause weight loss. However, due to their side effects and addictive properties they fell out of favour and the majority of brands were removed from the market. Doctors have now considerably reduced their prescription.

Used properly, amphetamines increase alertness and physical ability. They are prescribed to counter the effects of narcolepsy, a rare disorder marked by episodes of uncontrollable sleep, and to help children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Abuse of amphetamines
 
Prescription amphetamines (i.e. legally manufactured medicines) are sometimes stolen, acquired by obtaining false prescriptions forms or by conning a doctor into writing a prescription. These drugs then enter the black market in their tablet or capsule form. They have a number of slang names (often related to their appearance) such as 'black beauties', 'black bombers', 'black 'n whites', 'blues' etc. but are no longer common as a drug of abuse because of the reduced use of such medications in recent years.

 The most widespread type of amphetamine on the street is a white powder called Amphetamine Sulphate. It's manufactured in illicit laboratories and then adulterated so the final product usually contains between 6% and 10% amphetamine. The other 90% can comprise of just about anything, from baking powder to laxatives. Amphetamine Sulphate costs between 5 and 10 pounds sterling a gram.

Amphetamine Sulphate can be swallowed, sniffed up the nose (snorted) or injected. Slang names include 'sulphate', 'wizz', 'speed', 'Billy Wiz' etc.

How do they work?

Amphetamines speed up the nervous system and cause adrenalin to be released. This increases the heart and respiration rates, increases blood pressure and decreases appetite.

In a sense, Amphetamines (by causing a release of adrenalin) mimic the "fight or flight response". This is a natural survival mechanism of man/womankind that operates in a dangerous situation - such as the approach of a hungry lion (or headmaster, police officer, tax inspector etc. - depending on your situation!). At such times the body will automatically go into 'fight or flight' mode. Adrenalin floods the system, this increases heart and respiration rates so that oxygenated blood can be rushed to the muscles. Mental alertness is increased. The digestive system shuts down to leave more blood for muscle use. The man or woman is now physically ready to fight the lion - or run like hell!

What effect do they have?

When injected, amphetamines take effect immediately. Swallowing or sniffing powdered amphetamines leads to onset of effects after 10-40mins. Prescription amphetamines may take effect after various lengths of time as some are designed as short-acting and some as time-release medicines. The effect of a single dose of amphetamines generally lasts about 3-6hrs, although that of pharmaceutical time-release capsules last for longer.

An amphetamine user may experience a temporary boost in self-confidence and feel far more energetic than usual. It's common for users to talk a lot and they often display a lot of physical activity - repeatedly getting up, walking around etc. - hence the slang terms "speed" and "speeding" for the drug and its use. When under the influence of amphetamines, users find relaxation difficult and sleep impossible. They will have little or no appetite, although amphetamines simply postpone the need for rest and food, they do not replace it.

Side effects

As amphetamine users tend not to eat or sleep and burn off a lot of energy by physical activity, the body becomes exhausted - both physically and mentally - after a long period of amphetamine use. As a result users often feel fatigued and depressed for a few days after using amphetamines and may also feel irritable, anxious and restless. Other side effects include blurred vision, sleeplessness, and dizziness.
Many women who use amphetamines find that their periods become irregular or even stop.

To maintain the desired effect, regular users have to take increasing doses. When they eventually stop they are likely to feel very depressed and lethargic. High doses, especially if frequently repeated, can produce delirium, panic attacks, hallucinations and feelings of paranoia.

Consequences of amphetamine abuse

Consequences for health

Amphetamines are psychologically addictive. Users often become dependent on the drug to avoid the depression experienced when the drug's effect wears off. This dependence can lead a user take larger doses of amphetamines - and more often - in order to maintain a "high". Of course, this can also lead to users taking other - more powerfull - drugs.
Regular amphetamine users who take high doses may develop delusions, hallucinations and feelings of paranoia. In addition, heavy amphetamine use can damage blood vessels and cause heart failure, especially among people with existing high blood pressure or heart trouble, or amongst those who over-exert themselves while using the drug.

Legal consequences

Amphetamines are Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act. It is illegal to produce, supply or possess them.

Info from: http://www.recovery.org.uk/druginfo/index.html

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Anabolic Steroids

What are they?

Steroids are drugs derived from hormones. Anabolic steroids are one group of these drugs.
Anabolic steroids - or more precisely, anabolic/androgenic steroids - belong to a group known as ergogenic, or so-called 'performance-enhancing,' drugs. They are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, a natural male hormone. 'Anabolic' means growing or building. 'Androgenic' means masculinizing or generating male sexual characteristics.

Medicinal uses

Anabolic steroids are used in small quantities by physicians for treating some types of anaemia, thrombosis, some breast cancers, osteoporosis, endometriosis and hereditary angioedaema, a rare disease involving swelling of some parts of the body.

How do they work?

Anabolic steroids are designed to mimic the body-building traits of testosterone - by increasing protein production within cells - while minimizing its masculinizing effects. There are several types, with various combinations of anabolic and androgenic properties.
These drugs also appear to increase blood volume and glycogen (blood sugar), and to inhibit the natural process whereby muscles cells that are no longer required are eliminated.

Abuse of anabolic steroids

The abuse of anabolic steroids by a small minority of athletes is relatively new. They were first developed in 1958 and although it was soon realized these drugs had unwanted side effects, it was too late to halt their spread into the sports world.

Early users were mainly bodybuilders, weightlifters, discus, shot put or javelin throwers -all competitors who rely heavily on physical bulk and strength. During the 1970's demand grew as athletes in other sports sought the competitive edge that anabolic steroids seemed to provide.

The abuse of anabolic steroids is not confined to males. Professional and amateur female athletes-track and field competitors, swimmers and bodybuilders may also abuse them.

It's not only athletes who may use anabolic steroids. It may be an 18-year-old who loathes his skinny body. Or a 15-year old in a hurry to reach maturity, or a person who wants more muscle power to do their job.
Increasing numbers of adolescents are turning to steroids for cosmetic reasons.

Anabolic steroids are usually taken in pill form. Some that cannot be absorbed orally are taken by injection. The normal prescribed daily dose for medical purposes usually averages between 1 and 5 milligrams. Some athletes may take up to hundreds of milligrams a day, far exceeding medically recommended dosages.
Until recently most anabolic steroids that were abused were lawfully manufactured drugs that were diverted to the black market through theft and fraudulent prescriptions.
 
What effect do they have?
 
Athletes who have used anabolic steroids report a significant increases in lean muscle mass, strength and endurance, but no studies have shown that these drugs enhance performance.

Consequences of steroid abuse

For men

Men who take large doses of anabolic steroids typically experience changes in sexual characteristics. Although derived from a male sex hormone, the drug can trigger a mechanism in the body that can actually shut down the healthy functioning of the male reproductive system. Some possible side effects are:
Shrinking of the testicles
Reduced sperm count
Impotence
Baldness
Difficulty or pain in urinating
Development of breasts
Enlarged prostate

For women

Females may experience 'masculinization' as well as other problems such as:
Growth of facial hair
Changes in or cessation of the menstrual cycle
Enlargement of the clitoris
Deepened voice
Breast reduction

For both sexes

For both men and women, continued use of anabolic steroids may lead to health conditions ranging from merely irritating to life-threatening. Some effects are:
Acne
Jaundice
Trembling
Swelling of feet or ankles
Bad breath
Reduction in HDL, the 'good' cholesterol
High blood pressure
Liver damage and cancers
Aching joints
Increased chance of injury to tendons, ligaments, and muscles
Many athletes report 'feeling good' about themselves while on a steroids regimen. Yet large mood swings are commonly seen, ranging from periods of aggression to bouts of depression when the drugs are stopped.
Addiction
Long-term steroids users seem to experience many of the characteristics of classic addiction: cravings, difficulty in ceasing steroids use and withdrawal symptoms.
It appears that abusers can develop a psychological, if not physical, dependence on anabolic steroids. A classic symptom of this is that users tend to overlook or simply ignore the physical dangers and moral implications of taking illegal substances.

Certain delusional behavior that is characteristic of addiction can occur. Some athletes who 'bulk up' on anabolic steroids are unaware of body changes that are obvious to others, experiencing what is sometimes called reverse anorexia.

Legal consequences

At present it is legal to possess anabolic steroids in the UK. However, it is an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act to supply anabolic steroids to another person. Under present UK law the penalties for supplying anabolic steroids are the same as those for supplying any Class B controlled substance.
The International Olympics Committee banned steroids use by all athletes in its member associations in 1975. Since then most major amateur and professional organizations have put the drugs on their list of banned substances. Such bans do not carry any legal penalties.

Info from: http://www.recovery.org.uk/druginfo/index.html

Last edited by loopylady, 1/6/07, 10:42


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Barbiturates
 
What are they?

Barbiturates are central nervous system depressants. They act in a similar manner to alcohol and slow down many areas of the brain. Drugs of this class are known as sedative/hypnotics, in that they can be used as sedatives to calm people and also (at higher doses) as hypnotics to assist sleep.
 
Medicinal uses

Through the early 1900's barbiturates were prescribed widely for anxiety and insomnia and were also used in conjunction with amphetamines to treat depression. Prescription of barbiturates increased markedly in the late 1950's and 1960's, when up to 500,000 people in the UK were estimated to be taking them, with nearly one quarter of these patients dependent upon them. Their widespread availability resulted in many deaths through accidental overdose and they were a common agent for suicide.

Concern about the addiction potential of barbiturates and the ever-increasing numbers of fatalities associated with them led to the development of alternative medications. With the discovery of a 'safer' alternative - the benzodiazepines - (see Tranquillisers) the medicinal use of barbiturates for treating anxiety and insomnia has been greatly reduced since the 1970's. Nevertheless, phenobarbital is still widely used as an anti-convulsant to control Epilepsy and other barbiturates are occasionally used to treat depression.

Abuse of barbiturates

Unlike many other drugs of abuse, barbiturates are rarely produced in clandestine laboratories. Generally, legitimate pharmaceutical products are diverted to the illicit market through forged prescriptions etc., although many barbiturates are also illegally imported from foreign manufacturers.

Barbiturates are generally nicknamed "barbs" or "downers" by drug abusers - or called other names, often based on the color of the capsule, such as "reds" or "yellows". Barbiturates that used to be very commonly abused included amobarbital (Amytal), pentobarbital (Nembutal), and secobarbital (Seconal). As they are not prescribed much these days, these drugs have only a limited presence in the illicit drug market, where they may be available as capsules and tablets or sometimes in a liquid form or suppositories.

Barbiturate sleeping pills are most often abused for their intoxicating effect. Abusers will usually swallow the drug, often with alcohol to increase the inoxicating effect. However, they are also sometimes injected by opening the capsules and dissoving the contents in water. Small particles of undissolved material used as 'bulk' within the capsules can block or damage veins.

How do they work?

Barbiturates work by enhancing the action of a brain neurotransmitter (a chemical messenger) that is in charge of inhibiting parts of the brain sometimes. For example, when we go to sleep, some areas of the brain are inhibited, as they are not needed. As barbiturates facilitates the activity of one of the main inhibiting neurotransmitters (Gamma ammino butyric acid - GABA), they have an impact on many aspects of the body including mood, locomotion, co-ordination and even breathing.

What effect do they have?

The effects of barbiturates are, in many ways, similar to the effects of alcohol. Small amounts produce calmness and relax muscles. This combination of sedation and reduced anxiety are features which made this type of drug popular as drugs of abuse.

Moderate doses will cause drowsiness, confusion, inability to concentrate, loss of co-ordination, tremors and slurred speech. These effects make it dangerous to drive a car or operate machinery as at these doses judgement is very seriously impaired.

Large doses of barbiturates produce depressed pulse rate, dilated pupils and shallow breathing. As vital life processes (such as heart and breathing rates) may be inhibited, such doses may easily cause unconsciousness and death.

Consequences of barbiturate abuse

Consequences for health

The use of barbiturates with other drugs that slow down the body, such as alcohol, multiplies their effects and greatly increases the risk of death. Overdose deaths can occur when barbiturates and alcohol are used together, either deliberately or accidentally.
Depending on the dose, frequency and duration of use, tolerance and/or physical and psychological dependence on barbiturates can develop very quickly.
As a user becomes tolerant to barbiturates, the margin of safety between an effective dose and a lethal dose becomes very narrow. So to obtain the same level of intoxication, a drug abuser who is tolerant to barbiturates may raise his or her dose to a level that can produce coma and death.
Dependence (or addiction) to barbiturates can occur within a very short time and long-term barbiturate users will require hospitalisation in order to safely undergo the withdrawal effects from such drugs.

Barbiturate overdose is a factor in nearly one-third of all reported drug-related deaths. These include suicides and accidental drug poisonings. Accidental deaths sometimes occur when a user takes one dose, becomes confused and unintentionally takes additional or larger doses. With barbiturates there is less difference between the amount that produces sleep and the amount that kills. Furthermore, barbiturate withdrawal can be more serious than heroin withdrawal.

Legal consequences

Barbiturates are Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act. It is illegal to produce, supply or possess them.

Info from: http://www.recovery.org.uk/druginfo/index.html

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Cannabis:

What is it?

Cannabis is a Central Nervous System depressant obtained from the plant Cannabis sativa, which grows in many parts of the world. It is available for use as a drug in three main forms: as the dried leaves and buds, known as grass or marijuana, as a solid resin (hashish or hash) which is collected from the buds and flower heads, and also as a thick liquid prepared from the flowers or resin (hash oil).
Hashish is made by taking the resin from the leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant and pressing it into cakes or slabs. It is usually stronger than herbal cannabis.
Cannabis resin found in the UK comes from a variety of sources.
Herbal cannabis has become more popular in recent years.

Medicinal uses

Cannabis has been used as a herbal medicine in many countries of the world for a very long time. It has been used as a mild sedative or painkiller and for treatment of insomnia and gastric upsets. In the UK it was legally prescribed up until 1928.
The beneficial effects of cannabis as a mild analgesic and sedative which may relieve the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, hypoglycaemia and other disorders is widely attested. In some cases it has found use as a medication for the terminally ill, where other treatments have failed to relieve distress. However its possession or use in the UK is nevertheless illegal at present and doctors are not able to prescribe cannabis in any form.

Cannabis use

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the UK, with up to 3 million consumers per year. It is most commonly smoked, usually by mixing it with tobacco and rolling it up with cigarette papers into a cannabis cigarette (called a 'spliff', 'joint', 'jay' etc.). However, it can also be smoked with or without tobacco in various forms of pipes or smoking devices such as 'bongs' or 'water pipes'. Smoking Cannabis produces fairly instant intoxication, the effects lasting from 1 to 3 hours depending on the potency of the drug and the amount used.

Cannabis can also be taken orally, either eaten direct or mixed with food preparations, such as cakes, biscuits (hence 'hash cookies') or hot drinks. Taking Cannabis orally means that the active ingredients are absorbed slowly into the bloodstream and take an hour or two to produce their strongest effect, which may then last for 2 to 6 hours, again depending on potency and amount ingested.

What effect does it have?

The effects of cannabis depend upon the amount used, its potency, the circumstances and the expectations/mood of the user.
The most common (and desired) effects are talkativeness, cheerfulness, relaxation and greater appreciation of sound and colour. Cannabis users frequently report perceiving an enhanced performance for tasks involving creativity (art, music etc.), although no scientific evidence indicates that the drug improves hearing, eyesight or skin sensitivity. Many users also experience a compulsion for binge eating (known as the 'munchies').

Some immediate physical effects of cannabis use include a faster heartbeat and pulse rate, bloodshot eyes, and a dry mouth and throat. Studies of cannabis's mental effects show that the drug can impair or reduce short-term memory, alter sense of time and reduce the ability to do things which require concentration, quick reactions and/or effective co-ordination.

A common bad reaction to marijuana is an acute anxiety attack. People describe this reaction as an extreme fear of "losing control," which causes panic. The symptoms usually disappear in a few hours.

High doses of cannabis can cause hallucinations and sensory distortions which can be very scary. Those who use the drug when anxious or depressed may find these conditions made worse. Panic and paranoia could then result.

Young cannabis users

Over the past few years there appears to have been an increase in cannabis use among young people. Several factors appear to be involved:

Public, government and media attention given to heroin, cocaine and ecstasy in recent years may have led some adults and young people to assume that cannabis is of less concern.
Many of today’s parents may have experimented with cannabis earlier in their lives and could now be uncomfortable about warning their children against its use.
Some of those arguing for legalization have promoted the idea that cannabis is "no big deal," or that its use may even have some benefits.
Today’s youth are often told that using drugs - including cannabis - is "cool" and they may come to believe that it's OK to "have a blow" - or whatever. These messages reach them from many sources, such as some rap and rock music videos, marijuana-emblem clothing and other products, and positive references to its use in various media.
Cannabis availability is at an all-time high.
 
Consequences of cannabis use

Health

There is no conclusive evidence at present that long-term use of cannabis causes lasting damage to physical or mental health. However, some recent studies have found that prolonged heavy cannabis use does cause physical damage to the brain and short-term memory loss has been reported in several investigations.
A long-term health risk arises from the common method of cannabis use. Smoking any substance over a long period of time is a bad idea and frequent inhalation of cannabis smoke can lead to bronchitis or other chest related disorders and may cause lung cancer.

Some women have found that heavy cannabis use can make their periods irregular, whilst cannabis smoked with tobacco during pregnancy produces the same risks to the mother and child as smoking cigarettes.

The fact that cannabis use does not represent an immediate serious risk to a persons health does not make this a harmless drug, or make the damage that can result from its use any less significant than harm caused by other illicit drugs:

Cannabis is a drug that impairs:

-It impairs co-ordination and may contribute to such potentially fatal events as accidents in the home, at work or while driving a motor vehicle.

-It impairs attention and memory, reducing the user’s ability to concentrate, solve problems, learn and retain new information.

-It impairs development of healthy social relationships, possibly alienating and isolating young people from bonding with mentors and positive role models and peers.

-It could also impair a young person’s ability to make good decisions. Statistics show that young people who use cannabis are more likely than those who don’t to use other illicit drugs or engage in other dangerous behavior.

Dependence

Cannabis is not physically addictive but as with many other drugs, including alcohol, some cannabis users do develop a psychological dependence on the drug. They may have difficulty limiting their cannabis use or they may need more of the drug to get the same effect. These cannabis users may develop problems with their jobs and personal relationships that are directly attributable to their drug use. Obtaining and using the drug can become a central aspect of their lives.
Cannabis use may lead on to use of other drugs, including those that are physically addictive.

Among teenagers, those who smoke cigarettes are more likely to drink alcohol. Those who smoke and drink are more likely to use cannabis. And those who use all three are more likely to use other illicit drugs.
Long-term studies show that use of other illicit drugs among youth almost never occurs unless they have first used cannabis.
Using cannabis places youth in the company and influence of those who use and deal in illicit drugs and may encourage other dangerous and illegal activities.

Physical safety

Tests have clearly proved that, while under the influence of cannabis, users cannot perform tasks involving concentration and manual dexterity - such as driving a car - as well as normal. Driving whilst under the influence of cannabis is dangerous, both for the individual concerned and for other road users. Recent evidence has shown that 20% of car drivers killed in road accidents in the UK were under the influence of illicit drugs. As cannabis is by far the most commonly used illicit drug, it must play a role in these deaths.
Some estimates suggest that more road accidents are caused by cannabis use than by alcohol.

Legal consequences

Cannabis is now a Class C drug. It was reclassified in January 2004.

This does NOT mean that it is now legal to use cannabis.
It is illegal to grow, produce, supply or possess cannabis, except under special UK Home Office licence. It is also an offence to allow a premises to be used for growing, producing, supplying or using cannabis. Although a first offence possession of a small amount of cannabis may only be given a police caution these days, it is nevertheless a criminal offence.

Under new (2004) police guidance (applying to England and Wales), there is a presumption against arrest for adults for simple possession of cannabis, but not for young people.
For adults - most offences of cannabis possession would likely result in a warning and confiscation of the drug – unless there are aggravating factors, such as smoking in a public place or repeat offending, which may lead to arrest and prosecution.
For young people under 18 - for a first offence of cannabis possession, young people under 18 will be arrested, taken to a police station and given a formal warning or reprimand. Further offences will lead to a final warning or charge.

The act of supplying cannabis - and this may involve nothing more than giving the drug to a friend - is a more serious offence and the maximum punishment is 5 years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

Info from: http://www.recovery.org.uk/druginfo/index.html

Last edited by loopylady, 1/6/07, 10:43


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Cocaine:

What is it?

Cocaine is a powerful Central Nervous System stimulant. It's a chemical derived from the leaf of the Erythroxylon coca bush, which grows primarily in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.
 
Medicinal uses

Cocaine was first extracted and identified in the mid-19th century and was then used in patent medicines and tonics to treat a wide variety of symptoms - real or imagined. Because of its stimulating effect, many people in the late 19th century took cocaine, even though some doctors recognized that users quickly became dependent. It later found common usage as a local anesthetic for minor surgery but this role today is fairly limited as synthetic anesthetics are more widely used. Cocaine has no other medicinal application.

Abuse of Cocaine
 
In the 1970's and 1980's the high cost of cocaine and its rarity in the illicit marketplace meant that it was regarded as a drug of wealthy people such as rock stars or film stars. In the 1990's it has become relatively inexpensive and easier to buy. The street price of cocaine in the UK is (as of mid-1999) as low as 40 Pounds Sterling per gram and its low cost, easy availability and (false) reputation as a non-addictive drug has led to widespread use among young people, where 9% of those aged 20-24 who were asked in 1998 said they had taken it.

Cocaine is generally sold on the street as cocaine hydrochloride - a fine, white crystalline powder, soluble in water, known by slang names such as "coke", "C", "Charlie" etc. It is often cut with inert substances such as talcum powder or fine sugar; with other local anesthetics such as procaine and benzocaine, or other stimulants such as amphetamines. Nevertheless, street cocaine has become purer in recent years and today averages around 60% or more pure.

Cocaine in powder form is usually sniffed, or "snorted", up the nose through a rolled-up bank note or any other similar type of tube, after a line of the powder (about the size of a large matchstick) has been spread out on a smooth surface - commonly a mirror. To experience cocaine's effects more rapidly and to heighten their intensity, some users inject the drug directly into their veins.
 
Pure cocaine is a chemical 'base'. A base can combine with an acid - in this case hydrochloric acid - to form a salt. Cocaine hydrochloride is a salt of cocaine. This powdered form of cocaine is soluble in water and so can be snorted, where it dissolves into the blood system via small capillaries in the nostrils, or injected into a vein.

The cocaine hydrochloride salt can be changed back into its base form by a fairly simple chemical process. This is called 'free basing' and is potentially dangerous because the solvents used are highly flammable. The resulting form of cocaine is called 'free base' - or crack - and takes the shape of relatively large crystals. It's pure cocaine (i.e. without the hydrochloride) and as it is not soluble in water, it must be smoked in order to be taken. It's called 'Crack' because it makes a crackling noise as it is smoked.

Crack is absorbed into the body much faster than when cocaine powder is snorted and therefore it takes effect very quickly. It's a very powerful form of cocaine and is highly addictive. It has become fairly common in the UK since the mid 1980's.

How does it work?

Cocaine - like most drugs - acts on neurotransmitters in the body. These are chemical messengers that send signals between one nerve cell and an adjacent one. Some neurotransmitters switch nerve cells on - or speed them up, some switch nerve cells off - or slow them down. If any chemical - such as a drug - interferes with these neurotransmitters, this can have all sorts of consequences.

Cocaine interfers with the normal action of at least two neurotransmitters, one is Seretonin and the other is Dopamine. When cocaine is taken - in any form - brain activity speeds up, as does heart rate and breathing rate. Blood pressure increases and so does body temperature. Physical symptoms of cocaine use may include chest pain, nausea, blurred vision, fever and muscle spasms. These symptoms result from an overworked heart and high blood pressure.

What effect does it have?

Generally, cocaine produces feelings of mental well-being and exhilaration. A user may feel energetic, talkative and mentally alert - especially to sensations of sight, sound, and touch. At the same time cocaine inhibits appetite and the desire for sleep. In some respects the effect of cocaine is grossly similar to that of amphetamines and like those drugs, cocaine use can produce anxiety or panic attacks. The after-effects of cocaine can include tiredness and depression. Excessive doses can sometimes cause death from heart failure.

Short-term effects

When cocaine is snorted, its euphoric effects appear soon after it is taken, peak in about 15-30 minutes and disappear completely within one half to two hours. As the 'high' is short-lasting, this often encourages users to repeat the dose in order to maintain the effect. It's common for cocaine users to take cocaine again after about half an hour or so after they last took some. Many repeated doses taken over a short period can lead to extreme states of agitation, anxiety or paranoia.
The compulsion to repeat cocaine use is even more evident when the drug is taken as crack. The effects of crack cocaine occur and peak immediately the drug is smoked and begin to fade shortly afterwards. Crack users commonly repeat the dose at short intervals in an attempt to maintain the 'high'.

When large amounts of cocaine are taken (several hundred milligrams or more) the 'high' is intensified up to a point, but such doses can also lead to bizarre, erratic and violent behavior. These users may experience severe tremors, vertigo, muscle twitches and paranoia.

Longer-term effects

If cocaine is taken over a period of time, users experience the drug's long-term effects. The euphoric 'high' is gradually replaced by restlessness, extreme excitability, insomnia, and paranoia - and eventually hallucinations and delusions. These conditions are very similar to amphetamine psychosis and paranoid schizophrenia, although they disappear in most cases after cocaine use is ended.
While many of the physical effects of heavy continuous use are essentially the same as those of short-term use, the heavy user may also suffer from mood swings, loss of interest in sex, weight loss and insomnia.

Tolerance

Tolerance to any drug exists when it becomes necessary to take higher doses to achieve the same effects once reached with lower doses. At present there is no evidence to suggest tolerance to cocaine's stimulant effect occurs. Users may keep taking the original amount over extended periods and still experience the same euphoric effects. However, some users do increase their dosage in an attempt to intensify and prolong the effects.
 
Consequences of cocaine use

Physical dependence

At present, it's unclear if physical dependence upon cocaine hydrochloride can occur. However, when some regular heavy users stop taking the drug, they experience a powerful negative reaction, which may indicate physical dependence.
Crack cocaine does produce a strong physical dependency. With regular heavy use increasingly unpleasant symptoms occur. Euphoria is replaced by restlessness, over-excitability and nausea. With continued use this can lead to paranoid psychosis. Regular users may appear chronically nervous, excitable and paranoid. Confusion as a result of exhaustion, due to lack of sleep, is common.

Psychological dependence

Psychological dependence exists when a drug is so central to a person's thoughts, emotions, and activities that it becomes a craving or compulsion. Among heavy cocaine users, an intense psychological dependence can occur; they suffer severe depression when the supply of cocaine runs out, which lifts only when they take it again. Experiments with animals have suggested that cocaine is perhaps the most powerful drug of all in producing psychological dependence.
When not taking cocaine, many regular users complain of sleep and eating disorders, depression and anxiety, and the mental craving for the drug often compels them to take it again.

Consequences for health

Death from a cocaine overdose can occur from convulsions, heart failure, or the depression of vital brain centres that control breathing.
Chronic cocaine snorting often causes stuffiness, runny nose and eczema, and commonly damages the nasal membranes and the structure separating the nostrils.
Severe respiratory tract irritation has been noted in some heavy users of crack cocaine.
Users who inject the drug not only risk overdosing but also getting infections from unsterile needles and hepatitis or AIDS from needles shared with others.
The risk to mental health of using cocaine is high. As mentioned above, regular use can lead to anxiety, paranoia and psychosis - which can sometimes produce permanent mental health problems.

Legal consequences

Cocaine in any form is a Class A drug. It is illegal to produce, supply or possess it. It is also illegal to allow premises to be used for the supply, production or consumption of cocaine. Penalties are high.
Cocaine is not a cheap drug and it is expensive to maintain a regular intake. Many regular users resort to crime of one kind or another to fund their drug use. Obviously, such behaviour can result in a criminal record or imprisonment.

Info from: http://www.recovery.org.uk/druginfo/index.html

Last edited by loopylady, 1/6/07, 10:44


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Ecstasy:

What is it?

Ecstasy is an hallucinogenic stimulant. It is a man-made drug with both hallucinogenic and amphetamine-like properties. The chemical name for ecstasy is 3,4 Methylenedioxymethylamphetamine - or MDMA in short form. It's chemically similar to two other synthetic drugs, MDA and methamphetamine.
 
Medicinal uses
 
None.

Use of Ecstasy

Ecstasy has only been used as a drug of abuse in the UK since the mid 1980's. It is now very common and is taken regularly by many thousands of people. It's mainly associated with the dance culture or disco scene and so is often perceived as a 'party' drug, or a 'weekend' drug, unlike for example heroin or amphetamines, which are usually taken more regularly.
This perception can give rise to a false understanding that ecstasy is safe to use. This is simply not true - as the long term effects are largely unknown.

Ecstasy is seen in tablet or capsule form, or very rarely as a powder. Slang jargon includes 'E', 'Eccies', 'Love Doves', 'Disco biscuits' etc., although tablets are sold under a variety of so-called 'brand names' and are often embossed with a logo. A single dose costs 10-15 Pounds Sterling.

The type of tablets available changes from week to week and counterfeit tablets are common. According to police analysis, half of all Ecstasy tablets seized contained no MDMA (the active ingredient). Some tablets contained LSD, amphetamine, MDA, and Ketamine, others had no drug content whatsoever.

How does it work?

Ecstasy interferes with the concentration and action of seretonin in our brains. Serotonin is a 'messenger substance' or neurotransmitter that affects the peripheral and central nervous systems. It acts through 'receptors' that are located on the outside walls of cells. Amongst other things it's involved in the regulation of mood, sleep, sexual behaviour, temperature and appetite.
Ecstasy acts to increase the natural level of seretonin. The result is a change of mood, repression of libido and appetite, mental stimulation and increased body temperature.

What effect does it have?
 
Ecstasy produces a relaxed, euphoric state without marked hallucinations.
It takes effect 20-40 minutes after taking a tablet and wears off after about 3-4 hours. The peak effects are felt 60 to 90 minutes after taking the drug.
A user first feels rushes of exhilaration which can be accompanied by nausea.
Sensations of sight, sound and touch are enhanced. Music - particularly when it contains a strong repetitive rhythm - exerts a powerful influence on the user..
Users report that the experience is very pleasant and highly controllable. Even at the peak of the drug's effect, people can easily bring themselves down to deal with an important matter.
The effect that makes Ecstasy different from other drugs is the sensation of understanding and accepting others (it should be remembered that this is a drug-induced sensation and does not correspond to reality!). Users feel as though interpersonal barriers have disappeared and are likely to feel uninhibited.
Side effects
Many of the side effects users encounter with Ecstasy are similar to those found with the use of amphetamines and cocaine. They include increases in heart rate and blood pressure, nausea, blurred vision, faintness, chills and sweating. Psychological problems such as confusion, depression, insomnia, severe anxiety, paranoia, and psychotic episodes can occur.
 
Consequences of ecstasy use

Consequences for health

Ecstasy is not physically or psychologically addictive. However, the drug can often take on great importance in the lives of users.
A major risk to health from taking ecstasy is hyperthermia - or heatstroke. Some people who have died after taking this drug died as a result of the body overheating, which can cause failure of vital organs.
Overheating is particularly likely to occur when the drug is taken at a music venue or disco, where the user is dancing. The stimulant effect of ecstasy can enable people to dance vigorously for long periods, leading to exhaustion and heatstroke. When an ecstasy user dances to music with a repetitive rhythm, it seems that the person can 'lock in' to that repetition and simply go though the same movements over and over again for hours. This is a bit like Pavlov's dog - a reflex reaction. It is particularly dangerous as the user may be unaware of impending heatstroke.

Although many discos provide 'chill-out' rooms for dancers to cool off in, the availablility of such facilities does not make the act of taking ecstasy safe. Some users have died from drinking fluid in excess to combat the overheating caused by ecstasy and made worse by dancing.

A few ecstasy users have died from brain haemorrhages, which have been caused by the increased blood pressure and heart rate associated with this drug. Some others have died from unknown reasons after taking ecstasy.
 
The long-term effects of ecstasy use are not yet known. Ecstasy's chemical cousin, MDA, destroys cells that produce serotonin in the brain. These cells help to regulate aggression, mood, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain. Methamphetamine, also similar to Ecstasy, damages brain cells that produce dopamine. It is quite possible that ecstasy can also damage brain cells.
Scientists have found that ecstasy makes the brain's nerve branches and endings degenerate. It also makes them regrow abnormally - failing to reconnect with some brain areas and connecting elsewhere with the wrong areas. These reconnections may be permanent, resulting in damage to various brain functions, changes in emotion, learning or memory.

Legal consequences

Ecstasy is a Class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act. It is illegal to produce, supply or possess it. The offense of supply - in the eyes of the law - can be committed by giving a single tablet to another person. Penalties are high.

Info from: http://www.recovery.org.uk/druginfo/index.html

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GHB:

What is it?

GHB or as it is often known 'GBH' has an anaesthetic effect. Its chemical name is Gamma Hydroxybutyrate. It's usually seen as a colourless, odourless, salty-tasting liquid.
 
Medicinal uses
 
GHB has been used in Europe as a general anesthetic, a treatment for insomnia and narcolepsy (a daytime sleeping disorder), an aid to childbirth (increasing strength of contractions, decreasing pain and increasing dilation of the cervix) and a treatment for alcoholism and alcohol withdrawal syndrome.
Prior to 1990 GHB was available as an over-the-counter pill or powder in the USA, sold mostly in health food stores. It was banned as such in 1990 by the FDA because of deaths or serious illnesses related to its use and is now illegal for any person to produce or sell GHB in the USA.
GHB is not prescribed or made available in the UK because of its side effects.

How does it work?

GHB is found naturally in every cell in the human body. Some scientists believe it acts as a neurotransmitter, although the jury is still out on this. It is very similar to another natural chemical in our brains called Gamma Amino Butyric Acid, or GABA. GABA is a neurotransmitter in our brain that slows down or inhibits certain activities. GHB is thought to act like GABA, perhaps indirectly affecting the same receptors.

Abuse of GHB
 
GHB is easily made from fairly common chemicals and it's often manufactured in 'kitchen-sink laboratories'. As such, the potency varies, since it will be home made to various strengths. It's sometimes available as a powder or in a capsule, but most commonly seen as a liquid. In this form, GHB is sold in small bottles (30-40ml) which would be enough for about two or three doses. Bottles cost between 10 and fifteen pounds sterling. It is usually drunk although rarely it is injected.

GHB first appeared on the UK club scene in 1994, starting with London gay venues and is now becoming more generally available in discos and raves etc.

Body builders have also been known to use the drug, as it is supposed to assist the production of muscle-building growth hormones by the body, but there is no evidence to support this claim.

What effect does it have?
 
The effects of GHB can generally be felt within five to twenty minutes after ingestion. They usually last no more than one and a half to three hours, although they can be indefinitely prolonged through repeated dosing. The effects of GHB are very dose-dependent. Small increases in the amount taken lead to significant intensification of the effect.

The effect of GHB at lower doses are a cross between alcohol and the hypnotic sedative Methaqualone Hydroxide (mandrax) that was popular in the 1970's but is no longer prescribed. Inhibitions are lowered in a similar fashion to moderate doses of alcohol.
Most users find that low doses of GHB induces a pleasant state of relaxation and tranquility. Frequent effects are placidity, sensuality, mild euphoria and a tendency to talk. Anxieties and inhibitions tend to dissolve into a feeling of emotional warmth, wellbeing and pleasant drowsiness. The 'morning after' effects of GHB appear to lack the unpleasant characteristics associated with alcohol and other relaxation-oriented drugs.

At higher doses this mild sedative effect gives way to the anaesthetic action of GHB and users experience giddiness, loss of emotional control and interference with mobility and verbal coherence.

Consequences of using GHB

Consequences for health

The foremost risk to health with using this drug is that you never know what you are getting. Too much GHB can be deadly. Most of it is made at home by amateur chemists and may or may not be pure. Toxic compounds left behind by kitchen sink chemistry can - at best - burn mouths and throats.
Although it's an anaesthetic, at low to moderate doses GHB works as a sedative rather than a painkiller. It is the sedative effect that drug abusers are looking for. The problem is, the amount of GHB you need to take to feel the sedative effect is very close to the amount needed for anaesthesia - and this is very close to the amount that can cause seizures or coma. Also, as it's a homemade drug, purity will vary and a user could easily take a higher dose than he or she intended. It's a risky business.

Physical side effects and possible damage to health occur mainly when GHB is taken in a dose sufficient for the anaesthetic properties of the drug to start to operate. This can cause nausea, drowsiness, amnesia, vomiting, loss of co-ordination, respiratory problems and occasionally unconsciousness. After excessive use, seizures and coma can occur.

It is not yet clear if users can become tolerant to GHB or become psychologically or physically dependent upon it. However, it seems probable that tolerance and/or psychological dependence could occur in some individuals and a withdrawal syndrome has been reported that may last 3-12 days including insomnia, anxiety and tremor. Little is known of the drug's long term effects on physical health or emotional well-being.

As a sedative drug, there is a very serious risk of overdose or damage to health if GHB is taken with other depressants - such as alcohol. Drinking alcohol with GHB could easily lead to respiratory failure or coma.

Legal Consequences

In July 2003, GHB became controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) and is now categorised as a Class C drug. The maximum penalty for possession is 2 years in prison. The maximum penalty for possession with intent to supply is 14 years in prison.

Info from: http://www.recovery.org.uk/druginfo/index.html

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Heroin:

What is it?

Heroin is an opiate. Pure heroin is a white powder with a bitter taste which is made from the milky 'sap' of the opium poppy (see right). This plant is grown as an illicit crop in countries across the Middle East, Asia and South America.
Heroin is a powerful pain killer which depresses the Central Nervous System. This produces a feeling of relaxation, security and well being.

Medicinal uses

Although opium has been known and used as a sedative and intoxicant in some cultures for several thousand years, heroin is a relatively new substance. It was first synthesized from morphine in 1874 in Germany and given the name heroisch - meaning 'powerful'.

Heroin was not extensively used in medicine until around the beginning of this century. At that time it then received widespread acceptance from the medical profession as a sedative and anaesthetic as shown by the poster at right. Physicians remained unaware of its potential for addiction.
When the dangers of heroin came to be appreciated many governments around the world took steps to control its manufacture and it came under very strict prescription controls.

Today heroin does not have many legitimate medical applications, as synthetic sedatives and anaesthetics have replace the opium-based compounds that were used in the past.
   
Abuse of Heroin

Illicit heroin comes in the form of a powder which may vary in color from white to dark brown because of impurities left from the manufacturing process or the presence of adulterants. The powder can be sniffed or dissolved in water and injected. It can also be smoked by mixing with tobacco or heating on tin foil and inhaling the fumes, or swallowed after being wrapped in paper.

Heroin on the streets is usually diluted with other substances - ranging from lactose to paracetemol. However, the amount by which the drug is 'cut' varies from purchase to purchase or day to day and so its purity in any particular locality can vary enormously - depending pretty much on the mood of the dealers. Many deaths have resulted from overdosing on a batch of unusually pure heroin.

Sniffing or smoking heroin is likely to be more appealing to new users because it eliminates both the fear of acquiring syringe-borne diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis, and the initial distaste regarding self-injection.

What effect does it have?
 
All opiates tend to relax the user and kill pain to some degree. Heroin is the most powerful opiate and when it is injected, the user feels an immediate 'rush' of relaxation and well-being. Physical pain is completely removed - and so is emotional pain.

It can be hard for non-users to understand the attraction of drugs - particularly heroin - but a major reason why any individual may feel drawn to use heroin again after an initial experience is that it produces such a powerful sense of security and tranquility. It produces a state of mind where all cares and worries seem far removed. Nothing matters. Perhaps it's like being in the womb.
The best description this writer has ever found is:

"But with heroin, ahhh. You can just sit in a sewer all day and be soooo happy and feel soooo good"
("Junk" - Melvin Burgess, 1996 Penguin Books)

Of course, these pleasant sensations have nothing to do with reality. No matter how good a user may feel, the reality is the sewer - or whatever other situation exists - and this is usually quite unpleasant - hence the need to escape from it.

Side effects from heroin use - particularly for new users - include restlessness, nausea and vomiting. The user may go 'on the nod' or 'gouch out' - going back and forth from appearing fairly alert to almost falling asleep. The pupils of the eye are reduced to pinpricks.

Tolerance

If heroin is used regularly over a period of time then a tolerance to the drug builds up. It makes no difference what method of taking heroin a person may employ - and regularly can mean using many times each day, or only two or three times each week.
Users have to take larger amounts of heroin in order to get the same effect as previously. Tolerance can build up quite quickly - over a matter of weeks - although it continues to increase as long as a user takes heroin regularly.
If a person is abstinent from heroin for a time, their tolerance to the drug decreases. If they should use heroin again in the same amounts as previously, an overdose could easily occur.
 
Consequences of heroin use

Risks to physical health

One of the most obvious risks of taking heroin is that of overdose. This can occur whatever method is used to take the drug, although intravenous injection is most dangerous in this respect as the whole dose is delivered directly into the blood system.
Heroin is a Central Nervous System depressant and when it's taken vital functions such as higher brain activity, breathing and heart rate are inhibited - or slowed down. If a large dose is taken - or the heroin is exceptionally pure - the user may become comatose and the skin feel cold and clammy. Breathing becomes shallow and intermittent and death may occur.
Other physical health risks related to heroin use are associated with the means of taking the drug. Users who inject heroin might often employ contaminated needles or syringes. This can lead to severe blood infection and damage the heart.
In case anyone thinks this is a joke, it's how this writers best friend died. He (my mate Keith) got septicaemia from an unsterile needle. This damaged the valves of his heart and he nearly died shortly after. He had to have operations to put in plastic heart valves and a pacemaker. He lived for a few years after that but then his heart gave out.
That's reality.

Injecting heroin - or any drug - in situations where shared needles are used, perhaps accidently, leaves the users open to infection from the HIV virus that causes AIDS. Hepatitis B or C, both of which are serious infections, can be spread in this way and are common among intravenous heroin users.

Another immediate physical danger associated with heroin use exists if the drug is combined with other substances. Other depressant drugs, such as alcohol, benzodiazepines and barbiturates are particularly dangerous as they are all CNS depressants. As heroin is also a powerfull CNS depressant, the combined effect of mixing these drugs can depress breathing or heart rate to such an extent as to cause respiratory failure or heart failure.

Dependence

Physical and psychological dependence upon heroin is likely to occur, especially if a person uses a lot of the drug or even uses it occasionally over a long period of time. The method of taking heroin makes no difference here - a person who sniffs or smokes heroin can become dependent on the drug just as easily as a person who injects it.

Heroin use can result in a powerful physical addiction.
Coming off the drug can be very difficult because withdrawal symptoms - although lasting for only a few days - are fairly severe. Abstinence can bring on symptoms such as chronic diarrhoea, muscle cramps, vomiting, insomnia, sweating, anxiety, and tremors. The prospect of going through such a painfull withdrawal puts many heroin users off the idea of trying to stop using the drug.
Once the physical withdrawal is over, a craving for the drug may still persist for a long time and relapses are common. Generally speaking, a heroin user who wishes to stop using the drug completely needs a strong support network to help him or her overcome the craving for the drug.

Social consequences

It costs a lot of money to maintain a regular intake of heroin. Many regular users resort to crime of one kind or another to fund their drug use. This has serious implications for our society as the social costs of drug-related crime are enormous. An estimate of the size of the problem was provided in research by the UK Home Office in 1997, which found that 20 percent of all people arrested in Britain were on heroin.

Effect on pregnant women

Researchers estimate that nearly half of the women who are dependent on heroin suffer anaemia, heart disease, diabetes, pneumonia or hepatitis during pregnancy and childbirth. They have more spontaneous abortions, breech deliveries, caesarean sections, premature births and stillbirths.
Infants born to these women often have heroin withdrawal symptoms which may last several weeks or months. Many of these babies die.

Legal consequences

Heroin is a Class A drug. It is illegal to supply or possess it. Penalties are high.
(Drugs similar to heroin, such as morphine, opium, methadone, dipapanone and pethidine are also Class A drugs. Codeine and dihydrocodeine (DF118) are Class B drugs unless they are prepared for injection when they become Class A drugs.)

Info from: http://www.recovery.org.uk/druginfo/index.html

---
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Inhalants:

What are they?

Inhalants are chemicals that produce mood-altering vapors. Many people don't usually think of inhalants as drugs because most of them were never meant to be used that way. There are more than a thousand different commercial products that can be abused for their mood-altering properties.
They can be divided into three main categories:
Volatile gases and solvents - such as cigarette lighter gas, cleaning fluids, spray paint, paint thinner, correction fluid, nail polish remover, petrol and glues.

Aerosols - such as hair spray, deodorants and other spray products that are abused more for the propellant gas than for the contents.

Nitrates - such as Amyl nitrite, which has medical applications for heart patients and Butyl nitrite, which is used in room odorizers.
 
Medicinal uses
 
Amyl nitrite was widely used in the past as a treatment for angina in heart patients and for diagnostic purposes. It is now rarely prescribed as a medicine as more effective compounds have been developed. Its availability to the public is controlled within the UK.

None of the other commonly abused inhalants, such as those examples listed above, have any medicinal application.

Abuse of inhalants

Young people are particularly likely to abuse inhalants because they are easily available, inexpensive and their abuse carries no criminal penalties. These factors make inhalants, for some young people, one of the first substances to be abused.

 Inhalant vapours can be sniffed or sucked in directly from an open container or aerosol, or from a rag soaked in the substance and held to the face. Alternatively, the open container, substance or soaked rag can be placed in a paper or plastic bag and the vapors inhaled from that.
Some sniffers strengthen the effect by sniffing from inside a plastic bag placed over the head. This is very dangerous because the user may suffocate and become unconcious or even die.

Once inhaled, the large surface of the lungs allows rapid absorption of the vapour into the bloodstream. The effect of inhalants on the brain is so fast that sniffing these substances can provide an 'instant high' - in a similar fashion to that of intravenous injection of other drugs.

A note on nitrates

Amyl nitrite was first prescribed for use in small sealed ampoules. When these were broken, they made a snapping sound and illicit users nicknamed these ampoules 'snappers' or 'poppers'. This slang is often used today.
Amyl and butyl nitrites are sometimes abused by nightclub customers who inhale the fumes for the rush whilst dancing. They are also popular as a sex drug, sometimes said to be used for its muscle relaxant properties, but more often for added stimulation at the time of orgasm. The purchase of Amyl nitrite is controlled but Butyl nitrite can be bought from sex and other speciality shops, or in clubs.

How do they work?
 
Although different in makeup, nearly all of the commonly abused inhalants produce effects similar to that of anesthetics, which act to slow down the body's functions. In general terms they are Central Nervous System depressants.
Various parts of the central nervous system are depressed by inhalants, with all sorts of consequences. For example, when the brain's speech centres are inhibited, this causes slurred speech; when the vision centres are affected this produces distorted vision; when the co-ordination centres are depressed this results in loss of balance and limb control.

The exception to this are Amyl and Butyl nitrites. These compounds widen blood vessels and make the heart beat faster. They exert a very short-lasting stimulant effect.

What effect do they have?
 
The effects of abusing inhalants such as solvents, glue and aerosols etc. resemble the effects of drinking alcohol. At low doses users may feel slightly stimulated - in a similar fashion to the alcohol user after, say two or three pints of beer. This is caused by depression of the higher brain centres, which produces an apparent stimulation by reducing anxiety and self-consciousness. An inhalant abuser may demonstrate increased self-confidence and loss of self restraint.
So inhalants can feel stimulating - but they're not - these effects are a result of the inhibition of normal brain activity.
At high doses, an inhalant abuser can lose consciousness as the brain activity that controls vital functions such as breathing and heartbeat becomes inhibited.

The effects of inhalants occur very quickly and disappear after a short time - say 15 to 30 minutes later. This means that an inhalant abuser is likely to keep repeating the inhalation in an attempt to maintain the 'high'. This can lead to near-continous use, with possible serious health risk or life-threatening consequences.

Inhalants cause distortion in perceptions of time and space. Many users experience headache, nausea or vomiting, slurred speech, loss of motor coordination and problems with breathing.

A characteristic 'glue sniffer's rash' around the nose and mouth is often seen on individuals who abuse inhalants. Clothes, skin and breath may smell of paint or solvents.

Nitrates

Sniffing nitrites makes the user light headed and giddy and produces a feeling of blood rushing to the head, a flush of warmth and heightened sensual awareness. These effects last only one minute or so at most. For this reason, Amyl and Butyl nitrites are regarded as 'party' or 'nightclub' drugs, rather than drugs of everyday abuse.

Some people get a bad headache after using nitrates. Repeated sniffing can cause the user to become dizzy or to possibly pass out. Some side effects include headaches, nausea, coughing and dizziness.

Consequences of inhalant abuse

Consequences for health

There is no safe way of abusing inhalants. People have died at the first sniff, or after using them for some time.
Short-term
Sniffing solvents or aerosol sprays can cause heart failure and instant death. Sniffing can cause death the first time or any time. Inhalants can cause death from suffocation by displacing the oxygen in the lungs. Inhalants can also cause death by depressing the central nervous system so much that breathing slows down until it stops.
Death from inhalants usually results from sniffing a very high concentration of inhalant fumes - i.e. sniffing from a bag where the vapours have been allowed to collect. Deliberately inhaling from a paper bag greatly increases the chance of suffocation.

When a person is under the influence of inhalants, sudden exertion can cause a muscle spasm in the throat or heart. This can cause death.

Inhaling gases straight from aerosol cans may freeze the back of the throat causing death through suffocation. The gases may also be toxic. In 1995 abuse of volatile substances caused 68 deaths - of these, more than 40 were caused by abuse of gas lighter fuel refills.

Long-term

Long-term abuse of inhalants can cause weight loss, skin problems, bronchitis, muscle fatigue, memory impairment, mood swings and loss of concentration.
Repeated sniffing of strong vapors over a number of years can cause permanent damage to the nervous system. In addition, long-term abuse of certain inhalants can damage the liver, kidneys, blood, and bone marrow. Glue and paint thinner sniffing in particular produce kidney abnormalities, while the solvents toluene and trichloroethylene cause liver damage.

Tolerance, which means the sniffer needs more and more each time to get the same effect, is likely to develop from most inhalants when they are used regularly.

Legal Status

Amyl nitrite can only be issued by pharmacists, but it is not illegal to possess this drug.
Butyl nitrite and all other inhalants referred to above - such as glues, paint thinners, aerosols etc. are freely available for sale to adults. However, it is an offence to sell some substances which can be used for intoxication - such as solvents, glues etc. - to people under 18 years old in the UK.
Such bans apply to shopkeepers etc. and are intended to prevent young people buying products that can be abused as inhalants. They are not easy to enforce and in any case many of the substances that can be used for inhalant abuse are present in every home.

It is not an offence for any person - of any age - to possess inhalants.

Info from: http://www.recovery.org.uk/druginfo/index.html

---
~*~ Bleed me dry of blood and tears ~*~
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