Drugs

=About Illegal Drugs=

Not all drugs are bad, there are many available at your local pharmacy for medicinal use. These can be proscribed by a doctor, or some can just be purchased over the counter. It depends on the drug. Even some of these drugs can be abused though, if you don't use them properly. An accidental overdose can harm your body, or even kill you. You could also become dependent on some drugs. As long as you follow the doctors directions and the directions on the drug you don't have anything to worry about.

Some drugs though are manufactured illegally just for recreational use. Users get high when they put the drugs into their body. The use of drugs can have both short term and long term damages on a persons body, and they impair your mind and your senses, so you could get hurt or killed.

Narcotics
Narcotics are drugs derived from the opium plant that have a sedative affect. Some commonly abused Narcotics are morphine, heroin, opium itself, and codeine. These drugs cause drowsiness, and sleep. It slows down respiration which could cause death. Morphine and codeine are used as medical drugs for pain, but they can be abused. Heroin is made from morphine and has no medical use, it is made just to get a high. Heroin is highly addictive and tolerance develops quickly. It is usually injected into the body through needles. Heroin used to only be found in the inner city, and was used by only hard core drug addicts. Now it is found most everywhere and is even used by young teens.

Hallucinogens
Hallucinogens are drugs that alter the mind, and users may see or hear things that are not really there. They alter moods, thoughts, and sense perceptions. The most common hallucinogens are PCP, LSD, and mescaline. PCP or angel dust is one of the most dangerous drugs there is. it is created synthetically and it is very powerful. It dulls the sense of touch and pain, and makes users feel powerfull. This feeling often results in violent and dangerous acts. LSD or acid it a potent mood altering chemical. it is usually a pill, it also comes in a liquid form that is tasteless, colorless and odorless. Its users often have 'trips' where they see or hear unusual things. these trips can be very scary or even painful to the user. Mescaline is similar to LSD and comes from the peyote cactus.

Depressants
The most commonly abused depressant is alcohol, but others include barbiturates, tranquilizers, an methaqualone. Depressants are drugs that slow down the central nervous system. They relax muscles and relieve feelings of tension and worry, and eventually sleep. Thease effects don't last though, and when the user comes back the feelings they were trying to relieve just come back worse. They alter senses and perception Users often have bad withdrawals after coming off most depressants, and so they need to use them again.

Stimulants
Stimulants are drugs that speed up the central nervous system. They give a temporary high followed by a complete crash. It is easy to become dependent on stimulants and it is hard to get off them. Tolerance to stimulants develops quickly and the user needs more and more to get the same high. Some examples are nicotine, which is the addictive drug found in tobacco products and coffee. Methamphetamine which is created in labs using household products. Meth can be smoked, snorted, injected or swallowed. It's users can be violent, paranoid and unpredictable. Cocaine and cocaine's smokable form, crack. Cocaine is a white powder made from the coca bush, which grows in South America. It is usually snorted but it can be injected. Crack is made from cocaine in labs. Both forms give an immediate, long lasting high, and can damage body tissues and the heart.

Here is a great site about drugs, with real stories, videos and information about quitting.- [|Partnership for a Drug Free America]

Opium- Narcotics, Acid/LSD -Hallucinogen, Barbiturates -Depressant, Crystal Meth -Stimulant

I got most of my information from my book, Glencoe Health. I also used the Partnership for a Drug Free America site.

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