Drugs

Drugs are around us all the time. Some drugs are legal and some are illegal. The standard advice is ‘just say no’, and for us to avoid the people and situations where drugs are on offer. This isn’t always realistic.

There are many dangers associated with using drugs:

If you are choosing to take drugs you need to find out the facts about them first.
Individuals may react differently to any drug - you can never be sure of how a drug will affect or harm you.
Drugs are unpredictable. There is no way of knowing exactly what is in a street drug.
Mixing drugs (including alcohol) is unsafe since the effects of some drugs can be altered. Many drug combinations can be deadly.
Drugs can have a serious effect on physical and/or mental health.

An obvious way to avoid the problems of using drugs is not to use them at all.

Different drugs have different effects, some drugs make people feel relaxed whilst other drugs can make people feel confident, excited or change the way they see things. Some drugs can therefore be divided in to groups which explain their effects as follows;

STIMULANTS – These are drugs that act on the central nervous system and increase brain activity often giving the user energy and an increased heart rate. Drugs that fall in to this group are cocaine, crack, ecstasy, speed. Poppers and tobacco.
DEPRESSANTS – These are drugs that act on the central nervous system and slow down brain activity often making the user feel relaxed and sometimes drowsy. Some users make also experience dizziness and sickness. Drugs that fall into this group are alcohol, cannabis, solvents, GHB and tranquillisers.
HALLUCINOGENS – These are drugs which act on the mind. They distort the way the user sees and hears things. Users have been known to see things which are not really there and this can be a very frightening experience. Drugs that fall in to this group are LSD, magic mushrooms and ketamine. Cannabis and ecstasy have also given users hallucinogenic effects.
ANALGESICS – These are drugs which have a painkilling effect. The drug which falls in to this group is heroin.
ANABOLIC STERIODS – These drugs increase the growth of muscle in the user. Body builders and athletes have been known to use anabolic steroids to enhance their performance. The use of anabolic steroids in sports is not allowed and users who test positive can riun a sporting career.

So now we are familiar with the drug groups above, we can now have a closer look at the individual drugs and their effects!

ANABOLIC STEROIDS (AKA ‘Noids)

Users say that anabolic steroids make them feel more aggressive and this helps them to train harder
By doing exercise, the anabolic steroids can help the user to build muscle
The use of anabolic steroids helps the user to recover quicker from the effects of a lot of exercise
The use of anabolic steroids carries lots of health risks and can stop young people from growing properly
If people use anabolic steroids, they increase their chance of heart attack and liver failure
Anabolic steroids can only be sold by law by a pharmacist to someone who has been prescribed them by a doctor. Although possession is not illegal without a prescription, SUPPLY is against the law and CLASS C penalties apply.

CANNABIS (AKA skunk, draw, blow, hash, weed, puff, ganja)

Cannabis is a natural substance and it comes from the Cannabis Sativa plant
It comes as leaves, stalks and seeds called GRASS or as a solid dark lump called RESIN. It can also be in the form of a sticky oil
Skunk is a common grass form of cannabis which is very strong
Cannabis can make users relaxed and talkative
Cannabis can make users feel tired and hungry
Eating cannabis takes longer for the effects to start working which often makes it harder for the user to control the amount they use
Cannabis can affect the users short-term memory and concentration
It can affect the users co-ordination and impair driving skills
Smoking cannabis on a regular basis can cause breathing problems and other diseases such as lung cancer
Users can become paranoid and anxious during and after using cannabis
Using cannabis can trigger underlying mental health problems
Cannabis is a CLASS B drug

COCAINE (AKA coke, Charlie, snow)

Cocaine is a powerful stimulant which can make the user feel a sense of well-being and confident
Cocaine is a white power which is normally snorted up the nose
The effects of cocaine normally last around 30 minutes but users often crave more cocaine after this
After using cocaine, users may feel tired and depressed and this could result in the user wanting to use more cocaine to stop these unpleasant feelings
Cocaine use can cause heart problems and chest pain
Users may find their habit expensive and hard to control
Regular/large amount of use can leave users feeling anxious, restless and paranoid
Snorting cocaine may permanently damage the inside of your nose
Users have died from an overdose of cocaine
Cocaine is a CLASS A drug

Crack Cocaine (AKA white, rocks, stone)

Crack is a smokeable form of cocaine
The effects are similar to cocaine but much more intense
The effects of crack can last as little as 10 minutes
Users crave more crack as they want the ‘high’ feeling to be repeated
Heavy use can lead to convulsions and potentially fatal heart problems
Smoking crack can seriously harm the lungs and cause chest pains
Crack is highly addictive and makes the use difficult to control
After using crack, users may feel restless, having trouble sleeping and feel sick
Heavy crack users may take heroin to curb the ‘come down’ from crack, which then could result in the user becoming addicted to heroin
Crack users have died from overdose
Crack cocaine is a CLASS A drug

ECSTASY (AKA e’s, doves, mitsibushis)

The Chemical name for ecstasy is MDMA
Ecstasy usually comes in different shapes, sizes and colour
The effects of ecstasy are unpredictable and can be different for every user
Ecstasy made be sold to a user but you can never be sure what is in the tablet
Ecstasy can make a user feel alert and close to people and their surroundings
Ecstasy can make your emotions more intense
The effects can last from anything from 3-6 hours
When ecstasy starts to work the user may start to sweat, their heartbeat increases and they may feel sick
Ecstasy use has been linked to liver and kidney problems
After using ecstasy, the user can feel depressed and tired, often for days after
Ecstasy affects the body’s temperature control
There have been ecstasy related deaths in the UK
Ecstasy is a CLASS A drug

SOLVENTS (Gases, glues and aerosols)

Solvents are sniffed or breathed into the lungs
Users often feel dizzy, giggly and dreamy
Users may hallucinate ( see or hear things they are not real)
After using solvents, users may feel drowsy and may suffer a headache
Solvent users can DIE, EVEN ON THEIR FIRST GO
Squirting solvents into the lungs may cause the body to produce fluid that floods the lungs – THIS CAN BE FATAL
Using solvents can cause sickness, black outs and fatal heart problems
Long-term use can lead to brain, liver and kidney damage
It is illegal for shopkeepers to sell solvents to under 18s, or to people who are buying it for others to inhale/abuse.

GHB (AKA Gammahydoxybutyrate)

GHB is a colourless liquid with no smell but has a salty taste
GHB can make users drowsy
The effects of GHB have been known to last for a day
Repeated hits of GHB could lead to sickness, stiff muscles, fits and collapse
GHB can badly burn the mouth if the product has been produced wrong
It is extremely dangerous to mix GHB with other drugs or alcohol, THIS CAN BE FATAL
The long term of effects of GHB are not yet fully known
GHB is a CLASS C drug

HEROIN (AKA as brown, smack, gear, h)

Heroin is a painkilling drug made from morphine which comes from the opium poppy
Heroin is normally a brownish colour in the UK, but in its pure form it is white, which is not commonly seen in the UK
Heroin is either snorted, smoked or injected
Heroin can make the user feel warm with a sense of well-being
Larger doses can make the user feel drowsy and relaxed
Heroin can make users sick when they take it
Heroin is very addictive, both mentally and physically which can lead the user to crave more and more of the drug
Users who form a habit may end up needing to take the drug daily in order to feel normal
Some users that start smoking or snorting heroin sometimes switch to injecting heroin
Injecting heroin can cause vein damage and other serious problems that could put the users life a risk
Users who share, put themselves at risk of blood borne viruses such as Hepatitis and HIV
Heroin use can lead to OVERDOSE and DEATH
Heroin is a CLASS A drug

KETAMINE (AKA special k, k)

Ketamine is an anaesthetic with painkilling and psychedelic effects
Ketamine has been used on humans and animals during operations
Ketamine comes in tablet and powder form
Ketamine has been known to make users feel detached from their body
Users have reported being physically unable to move when they have taken ketamine
Ketamine numbs the body and users risk serious injuries as they can not feel the pain
The effects of ketamine can be extremely scary
Excessive amounts of ketamine can cause breathing problems and heart failure
Ketamine is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS when mixed with other drugs, including alcohol
The long-term effects of recreational use of ketamine are still not fully known
Ketamine is a CLASS C drug

LSD ( AKA acid, tabs, trips, microdots)

LSD is a hallucinogenic drug which has a powerful effect on the mind
LSD usually comes in tiny squares of paper, often with a picture on one side
The effects of LSD can last as long as 8-12 hours
The effects of LSD can be different for every user and can be very scary
Once you take LSD, there is no way off stopping your ‘trip’
When users start hallucinating, accidents may happen due to what you are seeing and doing
Users may experience flashbacks of their ‘trip’ at some point after they have taken LSD
LSD can complicate mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia
LSD is a CLASS A drug

Magic Mushrooms (AKA shrooms, mushies)

Several types of magic mushrooms grow wild in the UK
They are other types of mushrooms that look similar but these are poisonous
Magic mushrooms have similar effects to LSD
Magic mushrooms are a hallucinogenic which means it changes the way the user sees and hears things
The effects of magic mushrooms last around 4 hours
Magic mushrooms often cause stomach pains, sickness and diarrhoea
Eating the wrong type of mushroom could cause poisoning and can even be FATAL
Users may experience a very scary ‘trip’ when using magic mushrooms
Magic mushrooms may also complicate mental health problems
Magic mushrooms are a CLASS A drug

Poppers (Alkyl Nitrate)

Poppers is a term used for a group of chemicals
Poppers come as a clear or gold coloured liquid
Poppers give the user a very quick intense ‘head-rush’, this is cause by a sudden rush of blood through the heart and brain
Users have described the feeling of ‘time slowing down’ when they have inhaled poppers
The effects fade 2 to 5 minutes after use
Poppers can make you feel faint and sick
Users often suffer from a headache afterwards
Regular use can cause skin problems around the nose and mouth
Poppers MAY BE FATAL IF SWALLOWED
The law around poppers is currently being review and is therefore complex at present. The use and possession of poppers is currently not illegal but if supplied to others as an inhalant you would be committing a civil offence and would be prosecuted by the Medicines Control Agency (part of the Department of Health).

SPEED (AKA whiz, billy, amphet)

As a street drug, speed is normally white, grey, yellowish or a pinky powder
Speed sometimes comes in tablet form
Speed is a stimulant
Users feel confident and have lots of energy
Speed can affect your appetite
Users often feel anxious and tense
After taking speed, users often feel depressed and tired and this can be for a couple of days or longer
Speed affects memory, concentration and sleep
High doses over a few days can cause panic and hallucinations
Long-term use can lead to mental addiction
Speed use puts a strain on the heart
Overdose of speed can be fatal
Use of speed can lead to mental illness such as psychosis
Speed is a CLASS B drug but if it is prepared for injection it becomes a CLASS A drug.

TRANQUILLISERS (AKA moggies, mazzies)

Tranquillisers are prescribed by GPs for treatment for anxiety, depression and sleep problems
Chemical and trade names of tranquillisers include diazepam, temazepam, valium
Tranquillisers calm down users as they relieve tension and anxiety
They can also make users drowsy and forgetful
Tranquillisers are extremely dangerous when mixed with alcohol
Users can become physical and mentally addicted to tranquillisers
Users trying to stop taking tranquillisers after a period of time may suffer panic attacks
Tranquillisers can only be prescribed by a doctor. They are controlled under CLASS C of the misuse of drugs act. It is illegal to possess tranquillisers without a valid prescription.

THE LAW

CLASS A
POSSESSION – 7 YEARS PRISON AND AN UNLIMITED FINE
SUPPLY – LIFE IMPRISONMENT AND AN UNLIMITED FINE

CLASS B
POSSESSION – 5 YEARS PRISON AND/OR A FINE
SUPPLY – 14 YEARS PRISON AND/OR A FINE

CLASS C
POSSESSION – 2 YEARS PRISON AND/OR A FINE
SUPPLY – 14 YEARS PRISON AND/OR A FINE