Drugs of Abuse

Steroids

Steroids promote muscle growth, but may also lead to loss of hair and acne as well as health complications such as risks of heart attack, liver problems, and strokes. Steroids are not addictive, but can cause psychological dependence.

Cocaine

Cocaine comes from coca plants and is a stimulant which speeds up brain activity and the nervous system. Cocaine causes increased energy, decreased appetite, and increased mental ability, but it is highly addictive. Other symptoms are disturbances in heart failure, nausea, respiratory failure, strokes, and seizures.

Dissociative Drugs

PCP users often display out of control or violent behaviour. High doses can result in convulsions, coma, high fever, or death. Ketamine users report terrifying feelings while on the drug. It is used as an anesthetic in veterinarians offices. Dextromethorphan can be found in cough suppressants, and taken at high enough doses, it can have similar effects to PCP or ketamine.

Alcohol

Ethyl alcohol can cause a temporary calming or drowsy effect, but it can be highly addictive. Alcohol causes people to loose their motor skills as well as reasoning, balance, speech, reaction time, and judgement. If taken in large enough doses, it can cause vomiting, nausea, lack of physical control, loss of consciousness, and possible death.

GHB and Rohypnol

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate has a relaxing effect as well as promotes muscle growth. When taken with other drugs, GHB can cause seizures, loss of conscious, coma, and death. Rohypnol treats anxiety disorders. It is not prescribed in the US and is only sold illegally in this country because, when mixed with other drugs, it can cause death. This can be a “date rape” drug because it is tasteless, colorless, and odorless. Victims may be physically unable to resist a person and cannot recall prior events the next day.

Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens cause hallucinations that make people feel, hear, and see things that are not actually there. They may also cause rapid mood swings. Physical effects are dilated pupils, high temperature, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth, and tremors.

Heroin

Heroin causes a momentary rush of pleasure followed by a few hours of drowsiness. It also causes vomiting, nausea, and severe itching. It is extremely addictive and effects after stopping heroin include, restlessness, bone and muscle pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, and cold flashes.

Inhalants

These chemicals can be found in aerosol sprays, cleaning fluids, glue, paint, pain thinner, gasoline, propane, nail polish remover, marker pens, and correction fluid. Inhalants cause immediate brain damage or sudden death.

Marijuana

Comes from Cannabis sativa (the hemp plant) and is the most commonly used drug in the United States. It causes a calm or euphoric feeling to the user, but it is soon replaces with sleepy or depressed feelings. Marijuana impairs memory as well as attention span, coordination, and balance, and gives the user a slow reaction time.

MDMA

MDMA is a stimulant and hallucinogen. It can cause both energizing effects as well as distortions in perception and time. It also causes chills, muscle cramping, involuntary teeth clenching, and reductions in mental capabilities. Overdosing causes panic attacks, loss of consciousness, and even seizures. People who take MDMA are prone to dehydration, hyperthermia, and heart or kidney failure.

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine can cause mental alertness and increased energy, but have toxic effects on the brain. High doses can raise body temperature to lethal levels and can also cause convulsions. It is highly addictive and long term users may experience violent behavior, anxiety, insomnia, paranoia, delusions, and psychological dependency to the drug.

Nicotine

Nicotine acts as a stimulant or a sedative and causes a soothing effect. Quitting smoking is complicated by intense cravings, irritability, and sleep disturbances. Tobacco is responsible for 30% of all cancer related deaths and 90% of all lung cancer related deaths. It is also responsible for many other types of cancer and can lead to heart disease, stroke, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.

The way all of these have such an intense effect on the brain is through neurotransmitters that flow through the reward pathways of the brain. Neurons send messages to each other to get to the brain. This is possible because the neurons send chemicals through the body and when drugs of abuse are sent through these passageways, they send the symptoms described above through the body and to the brain. The essential organs are sometimes effected by the drugs taken and can have a fatal effect on the person taking the drug. The reward pathways to the brain is reached through a matrix of nerves that lead to the brain. This is what makes drugs of addiction so dangerous because even just trying something once could change the chemical makeup in your body for the worst.