National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Marijuana (Weed ......Addiction You can get addicted to bath...
Transcript of National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Marijuana (Weed ......Addiction You can get addicted to bath...
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NationalInstituteonDrugAbuse(NIDA)
Marijuana(Weed,Pot)Facts
https://www.drugabuse.gov
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TableofContents
DrugsThatPeopleMisuse
AlcoholFacts
BathSaltsFacts
Cocaine(Coke,Crack)Facts
E-CigaretteFacts
Heroin(Smack,Junk)Facts
Marijuana(Weed,Pot)Facts
MDMA(Ecstasy,Molly)Facts
Meth(Crank,Ice)Facts
PainMedicine(Oxy,Vike)Facts
Spice(K2)Facts
TobaccoandNicotineFacts
OtherDrugsPeopleUseandMisuse
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AlcoholFacts
Drinkslikebeer,maltliquor,wine,andhardliquorcontainalcohol.Alcoholistheingredientthatgetsyoudrunk.
Hardliquor—suchaswhiskey,rum,orgin—hasmorealcoholinitthanbeer,maltliquor,orwine.
Thesedrinksizeshaveaboutthesameamountofalcoholinthem:
12ouncesofregularbeer
8-9ouncesofmaltliquor
5ouncesofwine
1½ouncesofhardliquor
Beingdrunkcanmakeapersonfeelverysilly,angry,orsadfornoreason.Itcanmakeithardtowalkinastraightline,talkclearly,ordrive.Photoby:TheNationalInstituteofAlcoholAbuseandAlcoholismSomeslangnamesforalcoholare:
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Booze
Juice
Hooch
Sauce
NEXT:SignsofAlcoholMisuse
SignsofAlcoholMisuse
Photoby©istock.com/KatarzynaBialasiewiczDrinkingalcoholisnotnecessarilyaproblem,butdrinkingtoomuchcancausebadthingstohappen.Peoplewhodrinktoomuchalcoholmightforgetthingsthathappenedwhentheyweredrunk.Thisiscalledablackout.Peopledrunkonalcoholoften:
laughandtalkloudly
feeldizzy
haveblurryvision
havetroublestayingontheirfeetandswaywhentheywalk
slurwordswhentheytalk
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feelsleepyandrelaxed
passout
throwup
getviolent
Gettingdrunkcanleadyoutodoorsaythingsthatyouregretlateron.Italsomakesyoumorelikelytogetintoacarcrashandgethurt.
Afterdrinkingalot,peoplegetaheadacheandfeelsick.Thisiscalledahangover.
Peoplewhomisusealcohol,orpeoplewhoareaddicted,starthavingtodrinkmoreandmoretogetdrunk.Theymighthaveadrinkinthemorningtocalmdownorstopahangover.Theymightdrinkalone,andtheymightkeepitasecret.
Theymightforgetthingsthathappenedwhentheyweredrunk.Thisiscalledablackout.
NEXT:EffectsofAlcoholonBrainsandBodies
EffectsofAlcoholonBrainsandBodies
Photoby©istock.com/aijohn784Beingdrunkmakesyoumorelikelytogethurt
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orkilled.Alcoholisinvolvedinmanydeadlycarcrashes.Thesearejustsomeoftheproblemsalcoholcancause:
Diseases
Heavydrinkingovertheyearscanraiseyourriskforstroke(a“brainattack”),cancer,liverdisease,andotherillnesses.
Peoplecanforgettousecondomswhenthey'redrunk.TheycanthenhaveunsafesexandgetHIV/AIDSorhepatitis(aliverdisease).
ProblemswithYourBaby
Ifapregnantwomandrinksalcohol,itcancausebraindamage,whichcanleadtootherhealthproblemsinthebaby.
AccidentsorDeath
Beingdrunkmakesyoumorelikelytogethurtorkilled.Alcoholisinvolvedin:
60percentofdrownings,murders,anddeadlyburns
50percentofsevereinjuriesandsexualattacks
40percentofdeadlydrivingcrashes,deadlyfalls,andsuicides
BrainDamage
Heavydrinkingovertheyearscanpermanentlyhurtyourbraincells.Thiscanmakeithardtowalk,remember,orlearnnewthings.
AlcoholPoisoning
Youcandiefromdrinkingalotofalcoholatonetime,calledalcoholpoisoning.
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Itcanespeciallyhappentoyoungpeoplewhoarenotusedtodrinking.
Signsofalcoholpoisoning:
confusion
throwingup
slowedbreathing
cold,blueskin
coma(youcan’twakethemup)
seizures(whenyourbodystartstwitchingandjerkinguncontrollably)
Ifsomeoneyouknowhasanyofthesesigns,youshouldcall911rightaway.
Addiction
Youcangetaddictedtoalcoholjustlikeotherdrugs.Overtime,alcoholcanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyoustopdrinkingalcohol,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.
Peoplewhoaretryingtoquitdrinkingmight:
feelnervousandsad
shake
sweat
havetroublesleeping
Theywillfeelaverystrongneedtodrinkalcohol.
Fortunately,therearemedicinesandothertreatmentsthatcanhelpsomeone
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recoverfromalcoholaddiction.
Rememberthatevenifyougettreatment,itcanbehardtostopdrinking.Peoplewhostoppedusingalcoholcanstillfeelstrongcravingstohaveadrink,sometimesevenyearslater.Thisisnormal.Thisisalsowhyit’simportanttostayintreatmentforaslongasyourdoctorsuggests,andlearntoenjoyfriendshipsandactivitiesthatdonotcenterondrinking.
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BathSaltsFacts
PhotobyDEABathsaltsareillegaldrugsthatgetpeoplehigh.Peoplemakethemwithchemicalslikeonesfoundinthekhatplant,whichgrowsinmanypartsoftheworld.IllegalbathsaltsarenotrelatedtoproductslikeEpsomsaltsthatpeopleuseforbathing.
Bathsaltsareawhiteorbrowncrystalpowder.Theyaresoldinsmallpackageswithawarningthatsaysyouarenotsupposedtoeatthem("notforhumanconsumption").Sellersusethismessagetoconfusethepolice,andtohidethefacttheyaredrugs.
Peopleusuallyswallow,snort,smoke,oruseaneedletoinject(shootup)bathsalts.
Somenamesofbathsaltproductsare:
Flakka
CosmicBlast
IvoryWave
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VanillaSky
WhiteLightning
NEXT:SignsofBathSaltUse
SignsofBathSaltUse
Thehighthatpeoplecanhavewhentakingthesedrugsislikehavingalotofenergy.Youmightfeelveryfriendlytowardotherpeopleandtalkalot.Butbathsaltscanalsomakeyoudizzy,afraid,andviolent.Youmightsee,feel,orhearthingsthatyouthinkaretherewhenthey'rereallynot.Youcanstarttothinkaboutendingyourlife.
Somepeopleendupintheemergencyroomorevendieaftertakingbathsalts.Theriskishighestwhenpeoplesnortorinjectthedrug.
NEXT:EffectsofBathSaltsonBrainsandBodies
EffectsofBathSaltsonBrainsandBodies
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Photoby©iStock.com/knapeBathsaltscanmakeyoufeelsickandstarttosweat.Thesearejustsomeoftheproblemsbathsaltscancause:
YouFeelSick
Bathsaltscancausenosebleedsandmakeyousweat.Theycanalsomakeyoulosesleepandthrowup.Theycanalsomakeyouverythirsty.
YouDon’tActLikeYourself
Somepeoplewhotakebathsaltscanbecomeextremelyannoyedandviolent.
MuscleBreakdownandKidneyFailure
Bathsaltscanmakeyourmusclesweaker.Theycanalsomakeyourkidneysstopworking,affectinghowyougotothebathroom.
HeartAttack
Bathsaltscancauseyourhearttobeatfasterandyourbloodpressuretogoup.Thiscangiveyouaheartattack,whichcouldleadtodeath.
HIV/AIDS,Hepatitis
SharingusedneedlestoinjectbathsaltscangiveyouHIV/AIDSorhepatitis(aliverdisease).
Overdose
Anoverdosehappenswhenapersonusesenoughofadrugtohaveaverybadreactionordeath.Peopleoverdoseonbathsaltsbecausetheytaketoomuchofthedrug.Youcandiefromabathsaltsoverdose.
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Addiction
Youcangetaddictedtobathsalts.Overtime,itcanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyousuddenlystopusingbathsalts,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.
Whenthehighgoesawayorifyouaretryingtoquit,youmight:
feeldepressedoranxious
gettheshakes
haveproblemssleeping
havementalproblems,likebelievingpeopleareouttogetyou
havestrongcravingstousebathsaltstofeelgoodagain
Fortunately,counselingcanhelpsomeonewithabathsaltsaddiction.
Evenifyougettreatment,itcanbehardtostayoffthedrug.Peoplewhostoppedusingbathsaltscanstillfeelstrongcravingsforthedrug,sometimesevenyearslater.Itisbesttoneverstartusingthem.
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Cocaine(Coke,Crack)Facts
Photoby©istock.com/KondorCocaineisawhitepowder.Peoplecansnortitupthenose.Theycanalsomixitwithwaterandinject(shootup)itintotheirarmwithaneedle.Cocainecanalsobemadeintosmallwhiterocks,calledCrack.It'scalledCrackbecausewhentherocksareheated,theymakeacrackingsound.Crackissmokedinasmallglasspipe.
Cocainecanmakeyoufeelfullofenergyandincontrolofyourworld.Butitcanalsomakeyourestless,scared,orangry.
Someslangnamesforcocaineare:
Coke
Coca
Snow
Flake
Blow
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NEXT:SignsofCocaineUse
SignsofCocaineUse
Photoby©istock.com/TheMalniCocainespeedsupyourwholebody.Yourheartbeatsfast.Youtalk,move,andthinkfast.Yourbodyfeelstoohot.Youmightshakeandtwitch.Youdon'tsleeporeatmuch.
Cocainecanmakeyoufeelhappyandexcited.Butthenyourmoodcanchange.Youcanbecomeangry,nervous,andafraidthatsomeone'souttogetyou.Youmightdothingsthatmakenosense.
Afterthehighofthecocainewearsoff,youcan"crash"andfeeltiredandsadfordays.Youalsogetastrongcravingtotakethedrugagaintotrytofeelbetter.
Peoplewhosnortcocaineupthenosecangetnosebleeds.Youcanevenloseyoursenseofsmell.Yournosemayberunnyallthetime,likeyoualwayshaveacold.
Peoplewhoinjectcocainewillhavemarkswheretheneedlewentin,usuallyontheirarms.
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NEXT:EffectsofCocaineonBrainsandBodies
EffectsofCocaineonBrainsandBodies
Thesearejustsomeoftheproblemscocainecancause:
Sickness
Cocainecancausestomachpainandheadaches.Itcanmakeyoushake,throwup,orpassout.
NoAppetite
Cocainecanmakeyounotwanttoeat.Overtime,youmightlosealotofweightandgetsick.
HeartAttackandStroke
Cocaineraisesyourbloodpressureandmakesyourheartbeatfaster.Thiscanhurtyourheart.Itcanleadtoaheartattackorstroke(a“brainattack”).Somepeoplediebecauseofit.
HIV/AIDS,Hepatitis
PeoplewhoinjectdrugslikecocainecangetHIV/AIDSorhepatitis(aliverdisease)iftheyshareusedneedles.Peoplealsogetthesediseasesbyhavingunsafesex.Theymayforgettousecondomsbecausethey'rehighonthedrug.
Overdose
Anoverdosehappenswhenapersonusesenoughofadrugtohaveaverybadreactionordeath.Acocaineoverdosecancauseaheartattackorstroke,andyoucandie.Ifsomeoneyouknowhasanyofthesesigns,youshouldcall911
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rightaway.
Signsofacocaineoverdoseare:
throwingup
chestpain
fastheartbeat
shaking
feelinghot
panic
hallucinations(seeingthingsthataren’tthere)
Addiction
Itiseasytolosecontrolovercocaineuseandbecomeaddicted.Overtime,itcanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyoustoptakingthemedicine,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.
Peopleaddictedtococainemighttakebiggerdosesortakeitmoreoftentogethigh.Acocainehighusuallydoesn'tlastverylong.Sopeopletakeitagainandagaintotrytokeepfeelinggood.
Peoplewhoaretryingtoquittakingcocainemight:
actnervousandrestless
feelverysadandtired
havebaddreams
besuspiciousofpeopleandthingsaroundthem
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Theywillfeelastrongneedtotakethedrug.
Fortunately,counselingcanhelpsomeonewithcocaineaddiction.
Ifyougettreatment,itcanbehardtostayoffthedrug.Peoplewhostoppedusingcocainecanstillfeelstrongcravingsforthedrug,sometimesevenyearslater.
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Marijuana(Weed,Pot)Facts
Photoby©iStock.com/sale123Marijuanaisamixofdried,shreddedleavesandflowersfromthemarijuanaplant.Itisoftengreen,brown,orgray.
Therearemanywaystousemarijuana.Peoplecan:
rollmarijuanaupandsmokeitlikeacigarette(calledajoint)oracigar(calledablunt)
smokemarijuanainapipe
mixitinfoodandeatitorbrewitasatea
smokeoilsfromthemarijuanaplant(thisiscalled“dabbing”)
useelectronicvaporizers(“vapepens”)to“vape”
marijuanaoil
Dabbingandvapingareontherise.
Marijuanacanmakeyoufeelsilly,relaxed,sleepy,andhappy—ornervousand
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scared.Itmaychangeyoursensesofsight,hearing,andtouch.Marijuanacanmakeithardtothinkclearly.Inrarecases,somepeoplestartseeingthingsthatarenotreal,calledhallucinations.
Someslangnamesformarijuanaare:
Weed
Pot
Grass
Herb
Boom
NEXT:SignsofMarijuanaUse
SignsofE-CigaretteUse
Thenicotineine-cigarettescanmakeyoufeelgood.Itcanalsoraiseyourbloodpressure.Yourheartmightbeatfaster.Youmightbreathefaster.Anditcanmakeyounotwanttoeat.
E-cigarettesdon’tsmelllikethesmokefromcigarettesandmightnothaveanodor.Butthecartridgesmighthaveflavoredliquidthatcansmelllikefruit,mint,orcandy.Ifyousmellthesescentsanddon’tseeanyoftheseitemsaround,itcouldbeane-cigarette.
Somee-cigaretteslooklikeeverydayitems,likepensorUSBdrives.Ifyouseesomeoneholdingtheseitemsalot,youcantakeacloserlooktoseeiftheyareactuallye-cigarettes.
Oneimportantpartofane-cigaretteiscalledtheatomizer.Thisturnstheliquidintheproductintoavapor.Afterawhile,theseburnout.Ifyoufindanatomizerinthegarbage,someoneinyourhousemightbeusinge-cigarettes.
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NEXT:EffectsofE-CigarettesonBrainsandBodies
EffectsofE-CigarettesonBrainsandBodies
InhalingChemicals
Somepeoplethinkthatbecausee-cigarettesdon’tusetobacco,theyarenotbadforyou.Butthevaporthatgoesintoe-cigarettesandvaporizerscanhavechemicalsthatmighthurtyou.Thesechemicalscanbeverydangerouswhentheyareinhaled.Researchersarestudyingtheeffectsofthesechemicals.
HealthProblemsforBabies
Ifapregnantwomanusese-cigarettesthatcontainnicotine,herbabymightbeborntooearlyortoosmall.Nicotinecancausehealthproblemsforthebaby.
HealthProblemsforTeens
Theteenyearsareimportantforbraingrowth.Yourbraingrowsuntilyou’reabout25yearsold.Therefore,usingnicotineproductsinanyform,includinge-cigarettes,canchangethewaythebraingrows.
NicotinePoisoning
Nicotinepoisoningoftenhappenswhenyoungchildrenchewnicotinegumorpatchesthatpeopleusetoquit.Ortheymightswallowe-cigaretteliquidthatcontainsnicotine.
Signsofanicotinepoisoningare:
havingtroublebreathing
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throwingup
fainting
headache
heartbeatingreallyfastorreallyslowly
Ifachildhasanyofthesesignsaftereatingordrinkingnicotine,youshouldcall911rightaway.
Addiction
Youcanbecomeaddictedtothenicotineine-cigarettesjustlikeotherdrugs.Whenyousmokee-cigarettes,thenicotinequicklygivesyouasmallrushofpleasureandenergy.Butitsoongoesaway.Thismakesyouwanttousee-cigarettesagainandagainthroughouttheday.
Overtime,nicotinecanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyoustopusingit,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.
Peoplewhoaretryingtostopnicotineusemight:
becranky
haveproblemspayingattention
havetroublesleeping
eatmore
cravenicotine
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Photoby©Shutterstock.com/PedroBentoFortunately,therearemanywaystoquitusinge-cigarettes.Someexamplesare:
counseling
nicotinereplacementtherapy,likechewinggumandpatches
medicines
Somepeoplethinkthatusinge-cigaretteswillhelpthemquitsmokingregularcigarettes,butthereisnoproofthate-cigaretteshelppeoplestopsmoking.Also,studieshaveshownthatteenswhousee-cigarettesarelikelytostartsmokingcigarettesinthefuture.
Thephonenumber1-800-QUIT-NOWwillconnectyouwithpeoplethatcanhelpyouquit.
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Heroin(Smack,Junk)Facts
Photoby©istock.com/BestfotostudioHeroinisawhiteorbrownpowderorablack,stickygoo.Peoplecanmixheroinwithwaterandinjectit(shootup)withaneedle.Theycanalsosmokeitorsnortitupthenose.Heroinisatypeofopioid,whichmeansitissimilartothepainmedicinesthatcomefromthepoppyplant.
Heroincancausearushofgoodfeelingsjustafterit'staken.Somepeoplethrowuporfeelitchyaftertakingit.Somepeoplemaywanttosleepandtheirheartrateandbreathingcanslowdown.Whenthedrugwearsoff,theymayfeelastrongurgetotakemore.
Someslangnamesforheroinare:
Smack
Junk
H
Blacktar
Horse
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NEXT:SignsofHeroinUse
SignsofHeroinUse
Heroincangiveyouafeelingofcomfortandhappiness.Itcanalsomakeyoufeelliketheworldhassloweddown.Peopleonheroinmaythinkslowlyandmightmoveslowly.
PhotobyWikimediaCommons/MyosisHeroincanmakepeoplefeelsleepy,likethey'reinadream.
Heroinmakesthepupilsinaperson’seyesgetverysmall.Apupilistheblackcircleinthecenterofeacheye.
Peoplewhoinject(shootup)heroinmayhavemarksontheskinwheretheneedlewentin.
Whenheroinwearsoff,peoplemight:
havepaininmusclesandbones
getchills
throwup
beunabletosleep
feelnervous
feelitchy
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NEXT:EffectsofHeroinonBrainsandBodies
EffectsofHeroinonBrainsandBodies
Photoby©istock.com/KatarzynaBialasiewiczHeroincanmakeyouthrowup.Thesearejustsomeoftheproblemsheroincancause:
SicknessandItchiness
Heroincanmakeyouthrowupandfeelveryitchy.
StoppedBreathing
Heroincansloworstopyourbreathing.Itcankillyou.
HIV/AIDS,Hepatitis
SharingusedneedlestoshootupheroincangiveyouHIV/AIDSorhepatitis(aliverdisease).Peoplecanalsogetthesediseasesbyhavingunsafesex.Theymayforgettousecondomsbecausethey'rehighonthedrug.
Overdose
Anoverdosehappenswhenapersonusesenoughofadrugtohaveaverybadreactionordeath.Manypeoplediefromheroinoverdosesbecauseitcanslow
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aperson’sbreathing,evenstoppingit.Peopleoverdoseonheroinbecausetheycan'ttellhowstrongitisuntiltheytakeit.Signsofaheroinoverdoseare:
slowbreathing
won’twakeup
sloworstoppedheartbeat
bluelipsandfingernails
cold,dampskin
shaking
unabletospeak
Ifsomeoneyouknowhasanyofthesesigns,youshouldcall911rightaway.Saythatthepersonisn'trespondingorbreathing.
OverdoseTreatment
Naloxoneisamedicinethatcanquicklystopanopioidoverdose.Ifsomeoneoverdosesonpainmedicine,itcansavetheirlife.
Addiction
PrescriptionopioidpainmedicineslikeOxycontinandVicodinhaveeffectssimilartoheroin.Researchsuggeststhatmisuseofthesemedicinesmayopenthedoortoheroinuse.
Itcanbeveryeasytobecomeaddictedtoheroin.Overtime,heroincanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyoustopusingheroin,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.
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Youcanbecomeaddictedtoheroinifyouinjectit,snortit,orsmokeit.Itdoesn’tmakeadifference.Peoplewhogetaddictedtoheroinneedtokeeptakingittofeelnormal.Overtime,theymightneedtotakemoreandmoreofittogetthesamehigh.Theymighthavepainintheirmusclesandbones,getchills,throwup,andfeelnervous.Theywillfeelaverystrongneedtotakethedrugtofeelbetter.
Fortunately,therearemedicinesthatcanhelpsomeonewithheroinaddiction.Counselingcanalsohelp.
Rememberthatevenifyougettreatment,itcanbehardtostayawayfromheroin.Yourbodymightcraveit.Thesecravingscanstillhappenyearslater.Itmaytakemanytriestostopusingheroin.Thisiswhyit’simportanttostayintreatmentforaslongasyourdoctorsuggests.
SignsofMarijuanaUse
©iStock.com/RusNSomeonetakingmarijuanacan:
getdizzy
laughfornoreason
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havered,bloodshoteyes
forgetthingsthatjusthappened
Marijuanamakesyoufeelliketimeisslowingdown.Minutescanfeellikehours.Atthesametime,everydaysights,sounds,andtastesmayseemreallyinterestingorfunny.
Marijuanacanmakeyoufeelveryhungry.Youwanttoeatlotsofjunkfood.Somepeoplecallthis"themunchies."
Peoplewhosmokemarijuanaoftensmelllikeitafterwards.Marijuanasmellssweeterthancigarettesmoke.Apersonmightuseincense,cologne,orperfumetotrytohidethesmell.
NEXT:EffectsofMarijuanaonBrainsandBodies
EffectsofMarijuanaonBrainsandBodies
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©iStock.com/stockdevilMarijuanasmokecanhurtyourlungsandcausesomeofthesamecoughingandbreathingproblemsfacedbypeoplewhosmokecigarettes.Thesearejustsomeoftheproblemsmarijuanacancause:
MemoryProblems
Marijuanamakesithardtorememberthingsthatjusthappenedafewminutesago.Thatmakesithardtolearninschoolortopayattentiontoyourjob.
HeartProblems
Usingmarijuanamakestheheartbeatfastandraisesyourriskofhavingaheartattack.
CoughingandBreathingProblems
Peoplewhosmokemarijuanacangetsomeofthesamecoughingandbreathingproblemsaspeoplewhosmokecigarettes.Marijuanasmokecanhurtyourlungs.
DruggedDriving
Drivingwhenyou'rehighonmarijuanaisdangerous.Itissimilartodrivingdrunk.Yourreactionstotrafficsignsandsoundsareslow.It'shardtopayattentiontotheroad.Andit'sevenworsewhenyou'rehighonmarijuanaandalcoholatthesametime.
NotCaringaboutLife
Overtime,peoplewhousemarijuanacanget"burntout."Theydon'tthinkaboutmuchordomuch.Theycan'tconcentrate.Theydon'tseemtocareaboutanythingbutsmokingmarijuana.
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Overdose
Anoverdosehappenswhenapersonusesenoughofadrugtohaveaverybadreactionordeath.Peoplecanoverdoseonmarijuanawhentheytaketoomuchofit.Thiscancauseveryuncomfortablesideeffects.Inrecentyears,emergencyroomdoctorsareseeingmoreoverdosesinpeoplewhoeatmarijuanaedibles(gummies,lollipopsandotherfoods).Ittakeslongertofeelhighfromediblesthanfromsmoking.Becauseofthis,sometimespeopleeattoomuchbecausetheythinkitisn’tworking.
Signsofmarijuanaoverdoseare:
alotofanxiety(feelingveryworried)
panicattacks
paranoia(thinkingpeopleareouttogetyou)
hallucinations(seeingthingsthataren’tthere)
Wedonotknowofanypersonwhohasdiedfromusingjustmarijuana.
Addiction
Althoughsomepeopledon'tknowit,youcangetaddictedtomarijuanaafterusingitforawhile.Overtime,itcanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyoustopusingit,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.
Thisismorelikelytohappentopeoplewhousemarijuanaeverydayorwhostartedusingitwhentheywereteenagers.Theymightneedtosmokemoreandmoreofittogetthesamehigh.
Peoplewhoaretryingtoquitusingmarijuanacan:
beinabadmood
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feelnervous
havetroublesleeping
Theywillfeelastrongneedtotakethedrug.
Fortunately,thereiscounselingthatcanhelpsomeonewithamarijuanaaddiction.
Rememberthatevenifyougettreatment,itcanbehardtostayoffthedrug.Peoplewhostoppedusingmarijuanacanstillfeelstrongcravingsforthedrug,sometimesevenyearslater.Thisisnormal.Thisisalsowhyit’simportanttostayintreatmentforaslongasyourdoctorsuggests.
NEXT:Whatismedicalmarijuana?
Whatismedicalmarijuana?
PhotobyNIDAThemarijuanaplanthaschemicalsthatcanhelpwithsomehealthproblems.Morestatesaremakingitlegaltousetheplantasmedicineforcertainillnesses.
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Butthereisn’tenoughresearchtoshowthatthewholeplantworkstotreatorcuretheseconditions.Also,theU.S.governmentstilldoesn'tthinkofmarijuanaasmedicine,soit'sstillillegalatthenationallevel.
Afewmedicineshavebeenmadeaspillsandoils.Thesemedicineshavechemicalsthatareliketheonesinthemarijuanaplant,butarenotthesametypethatpeopleusuallysmoke.Theycan:
treatnauseaifyouhavecancer
makeyouhungryifyouhaveAIDSanddon’tfeellikeeating
Smokingmedicalmarijuanacanalsohurtyourlungs.Theseandothereffectsonthebrainandbodycouldmakemarijuanamedicinemoreharmfulthanhelpful.
Anotherproblemwithmarijuanaasamedicineisthattheingredientsaren'texactlythesamefromplanttoplant.There'snowaytoknowwhatyou'regetting.
Scientistsaretryingtofindwaystomakesafemedicinesfrommarijuana.
NEXT:MDMA(Ecstasy,Molly)Facts
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PainMedicine(Oxy,Vike)Facts
Photoby©iStock.com/DavidTulkPainmedicinesmakepainfeelbetteraftersurgeryorinjuries.Youneedadoctor'snote(calledaprescription)tobuystrongpainmedicines,called“opioids.”Prescriptionpainmedicinesarelegalandhelpfultousewhenadoctorordersthemtotreatyourmedicalproblem.
Youmayhaveheardpeopletalkingalotaboutopioidslately.Peoplesometimestakethemwithoutadoctor'sprescriptiontogethigh.Drugdealerssellthesepillsjustliketheysellheroinorcocaine.Somepeoplegetorstealthesepillsfromotherpeople.
Somepeoplethinkthatprescriptionpainmedicinesaresafertousethan"street"drugsbecausetheyaremedicines.Prescriptionpainmedicinescanbeasdangerousasheroinorcocaine.Infact,theyhavemostofthesamechemicalsasheroin.
Examplesofprescriptionpainmedicinesare:
oxycodone(brandnames:OxyContin®orPercocet®)
hydrocodone(brandname:Vicodin®)
Painmedicinesareusuallywhite,round,orovalpills.Theycanbeswallowed,smoked,orcrushedintoapowderthatissnortedorinjectedwithaneedle.
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Likeheroin,painpillscancausearushofgoodfeelingswhenthey'refirsttaken.Theycanalsomakeyouwanttothrowup.Theycanmakeyouverysleepy.Andyoucangetaddictedtothem.
Someslangnamesforoxycodoneare:
Oxy
Cotton
Percs
Someslangnamesforhydrocodoneare:
Vikes
Vikings
NEXT:SignsofPainMedicineUseandMisuse
SignsofMDMAUse
©iStock.com/LajosRapasiSomepeoplefeelverytiredorhavetroublefocusingwhentheytrytoquitMDMA.
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MDMAmakespeoplefeelveryfriendlyandloving,butithasnegativeeffectstoo.Youcanbecomemoodyorhavesleepproblems.
AfterpeopletakeMDMA,theymight:
feeldizzy
havemusclecramps
clenchtheirteeth
haveafastheartbeat
havehighbloodpressure
feelveryhot
Thiscanbedangerousincrowdsoronthedancefloorwhereit'salreadytoohot.Oncetheeffectswearoff,youcouldfeelsadornervousfordays.
HeavyuseofMDMAcangiveyouproblemsthatlastalongtime.Youmayfeelconfusedordepressedalot.Oryoumighthaveproblemswithyourmemory.
NEXT:EffectsofMDMAonBrainsandBodies
EffectsofMDMAonBrainsandBodies
ThesearesomeproblemsthatMDMAcancause:
Sickness
MDMAcanmakeyouthrowup.Youmightalsogetthechillsorthesweats.
Overheating
MDMAcanmakeyourbodyvery,veryhot.
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NoAppetite
MDMAcanmakeyounotwanttoeat.Overtime,youmightlosetoomuchweightandgetsick.
Overdose
PeoplecanoverdoseonMDMA.Yourbodycangetsohotthatitcancauseliver,kidney,orheartfailure.Inrarecases,youcanevendie.
Addiction
YoucanbecomeaddictedtoMDMA.Overtime,itcanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyoustopusingit,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.IfyouareaddictedtoMDMAandtrytoquitthedrug,youcanfeel:
irritable
nervous
depressed
verytired
unabletofocus
likeyouneedtotakemoreMDMA
Fortunately,counselingcanhelpsomeonewithanMDMAaddiction.
Rememberthatevenifyougettreatment,itcanbehardtostayoffthedrug.PeoplewhostoppedusingMDMAcanstillfeelstrongcravingsforthedrug,sometimesevenyearslater.Thisisnormal.Thisisalsowhyit’simportanttostayintreatmentforaslongasyourdoctorsuggests.
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Meth(Crank,Ice)Facts
Photo©byDEAMethamphetamine—methforshort—isawhite,bitterpowder.Sometimesit'smadeintoawhitepilloraclearorwhiteshinyrock(calledacrystal).
Smokingmethisthemostcommonwayitisused.Somemixthepowderwithliquidandinjectit(shootup)intotheirbodieswithaneedle.Otherstakethemethpowderbymouthorsnortitupthenose.
Methcausesarushofgoodfeelingsatfirst.Peoplewhotakeitcanthenfeelnervous,overlyexcited,angry,orafraid.Theirthoughtsandactionsgoreallyfast.Theymightfeeltoohot.
Someslangnamesformethare:
Crank
Ice
Crystal
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Glass
Chalk
NEXT:SignsofMethUse
SignsofMethUse
©istock.com/kieferpixMethcanmakeaperson'smoodchangequickly.Forexample,someoneusingmethmightbecomeangryandviolent.Methspeedsupbreathingandraisesbloodpressure.
Methcanmakepeoplehyperactive—fulloftoomuchenergy.Theymighttalkandmovearoundalot.Theymightnotstoptoeatorsleep.
Peoplewhousemethoftenscratchtheirskin,causingsores.Theymighthaveburnsontheirlipsorfingersfromholdingahotmethpipe.
Methcanmakeaperson'smoodchangequickly.Forexample,theymightfeelexcited,andthenbecomeangryandviolent.Theymightfeelafraidthatsomeone'souttogetthem.Theymightwanttoendtheirownlife.
NEXT:EffectsofMethonBrainsandBodies
EffectsofMethonBrainsandBodies
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Photoby©istock.com/watanyouThesearejustsomeoftheproblemsmethcancause:
Overheating
Methcanmakeyourbodysohotthatyoupassout.Sometimesthiscankillyou.
CrankBugs
Methcanmakeyoufeellikebugsarecrawlingonorunderyourskin.Itmakesyouscratchalot.Scratchingcausessoresonyourfaceandarms.
MethMouth
Peoplewhousemethcanbreak,stain,orrottheirteeth.Theyoftendrinklotsofsweetthings,grindtheirteeth,andhavedrymouth.Thisiscalled"methmouth."
LookingOld
Peoplewhousemethcanstartlookingold.Theyburnalotofenergyanddon'teatwell.Thiscanmakethemloseweightandlooksick.Theirhandsorbodymightshake.Theirskinlooksdullandhassoresandpimplesthatdon'theal.
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Theirmouthlookssunkenastheteethgobad.
HIV/AIDS,Hepatitis
PeoplewhoinjectmethcangetHIV/AIDSorhepatitis(aliverdisease)iftheyshareusedneedles.Peoplealsogetthesediseasesbyhavingunsafesex.Theyoftenforgettousecondomsbecausethey'rehighonthedrug.
Overdose
Peoplecanoverdoseonmethwhentheytaketoomuchofit.Sometimesdrugdealersaddotherdangerouschemicalstomeththatcanhelpcauseanoverdose.Theymightgetsohotthattheypassout.Iftheydon’tgethelprightaway,theycandie.Amethoverdosecanalsocauseastroke(“brainattack”),heartattack,orliverfailure.Thesecanallcausedeath.
Addiction
Youcanbecomeaddictedtometh.Overtime,itcanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyoustopusingmeth,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.
Peoplewhogetaddictedtomethstartneedingtotakemoreofittogetthesamehigh.Peoplewhousuallysnortmethortakeitbymouthmightstarttosmokeorinjectittogetastronger,quickerhigh.
Methusecanhurtdifferentpartsofyourbrain.Itcancausethinkingandemotionalproblemsthatdon'tgoaway.Evenafteryouquitusingmeth,thethoughtscancomeback.Forexample,youmightfeel,hear,orseethingsthataren'tthere.Youmightthinkthatpeopleareouttogetyouorstartbelievingstrangeideasthatcan'treallybetrue.
Peoplewhoaretryingtoquittakingmethmight:
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feelsad
getreallytiredbuthavetroublesleeping
feelangryornervous
beunabletofeelhappy
Theywillfeelaverystrongneedtotakethedrug.
Fortunately,thereiscounselingthatcanhelpsomeonewithamethaddiction.
Rememberthatevenifyougettreatment,itcanbehardtostayoffthedrug.Peoplewhostoppedusingmethcanstillfeelstrongcravingsforthedrug,sometimesevenyearslater.Thisisnormal.Thisisalsowhyit’simportanttostayintreatmentforaslongasyourdoctorsuggests.
SignsofPainMedicineUseandMisuse
Photoby©istock.com/WavebreakmediaPeoplewhogetaddictedtopainmedicinesneedtotakemoreofthedrugtogetthesamehigh.Somepeoplemightvisitdifferentdoctorsforprescriptionsandfillthematdifferentpharmacies.Theyalsomightstealthesepillsfrommedicinecabinetsofpeopletheyknow.Misusingpainmedicinecancause:
throwingup
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constipation(trouble"pooping")
pupilstogetverysmall(pupilsaretheblackcircleinthecenterofeacheye)
Whenpeoplesmoke,snort,orinjectpainmedicines,theygetastrongerhighthanswallowingthepills.Thisstrongerhighismoredangerousandcancauseproblemsbreathing.
NEXT:EffectsofPainMedicineMisuseonBrainsandBodies
EffectsofPainMedicineMisuseonBrainsandBodies
Photoby©istock.com/STEFANOLUNARDIPainmedicineabusecanputyouinacoma.That'swhennothingcanwakeyouup.Thesearejustsomeoftheproblemspainmedicinemisusecancause:
StoppedBreathing
Painmedicinemisusecansloworstopyourbreathing.
Coma
Painmedicinemisusecanputyouinacoma.That'swhennothingcanwakeyouup.
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Overdose
Manypeoplediefrompainmedicineoverdosesbecausetheystopbreathing.Infact,morepeopleoverdosefrompainmedicineseveryyearthanfromotherdrugs.
Signsofapainmedicineoverdoseare:
coldandsweatyskin
confusion,shaking
extremesleepiness
hardtowakethepersonup
unabletospeak
troublebreathing
coma
Ifsomeoneyouknowhasanyofthesesigns,youshouldcall911rightaway.Saythatthepersonisn'trespondingorbreathing.
OverdoseTreatment
Youcanoverdosefromheroinorprescriptionpainmedicineuse.Naloxoneisamedicinethatcanquicklyreverseanopioidoverdose.Ifsomeoneoverdosesonpainmedicine,itcansavetheirlife.Familiescankeepnaloxoneintheirhome.Askapharmacisthowtogetit.
Addiction
Prescriptionpainmedicinescanbehelpfulforyourpainbutitcanalsobeasaddictiveasheroin.Youcanbecomeaddictedtopainmedicines.Overtime,itcanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyoustoptakingthemedicine,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.
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Thisiscalledaddiction.
Youcantakethefollowingstepstomakesureyouaretakingthedrugslikeyou’resupposedto:
Followthedirectionsasexplainedbyyourdoctororpharmacist.
Beawarethatsomedrugsandalcoholcanmakeyoursideeffectsworse.
Don’tstoporchangeyourdosewithoutfirsttalkingtoyourdoctoraboutit.
Don’tusesomeoneelse’sprescription.
Nevergiveyourmedicinestoothers.
Storeyourmedicinessafely.
Ifyouareaddicted,andyoutrytostop,youmight:
havepaininmusclesandbones
getchills
throwup
havediarrhea("theruns")
feelnervous,angry,orverysad
beunabletosleep
haveastrongneedtotakethedrug
Thegoodnewsisthattherearemedicinesthatcanhelp.Counselingcanalsohelp.
Rememberthatevenifyougettreatment,itcanbehardtostayawayfrommedicinesyouaren’tsupposedtotake.Yourbodymightcraveit.Thesecravingscanstillhappenyearslater.Itmaytakemanytriestostop.Thisisnormal.Thisisalsowhyit’simportanttostayintreatmentforaslongasyourdoctorsuggests.
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Spice(K2)Facts
Photoby©DEASpiceisanillegaldrug.Peoplemakeitbysprayingchemicalsontoshredded,driedplantmaterials.Theyalsocanmakeitaliquid.
Someofthechemicalsaresimilartotheonesinthemarijuanaplant.Thisiswhypeoplecallit"fakeweed."ItisimportanttoknowthatSpiceisnotthesameasmarijuana.Spicemayaffectyourbrainmorestronglythanmarijuana.Youcan'tpredictwhatwillhappenwhenyoutakeSpice.Theeffectscanbeveryseriousandcanevencausedeath.
PeopleusuallysmokeSpice.Somepeopleusealiquidformtovape(likeine-cigarettes)ortheyputitinadrink.Othersburntheliquidanduseitasincense.
Somenamesofothersimilarproductsare:
K2
BlackMamba
HerbalIncense
Joker
Kush
Skunk
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NEXT:SignsofSpiceUse
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TobaccoandNicotineFacts
Photoby©iStock.com/MattCollingwoodTobaccoisaplantgrownforitsleaves.Theleavesaredriedandcrushedbeforetheyareputintobaccoproducts.
Tobaccohasalotofchemicalsthatcanhurtyourbody.Onemajorchemicaliscallednicotine.
Nicotineexcitesthepartsofthebrainthatmakeyoufeelgood.Itquicklygivesyouasmallrushofpleasureandenergy.Butitsoongoesaway.Thismakesyouwanttousemore.Sometimesnicotinecanmakeyounervousandjittery.
Peoplecansmoke,chew,orsnifftobacco.
Peoplecansmoketobaccowith:
cigarettes
cigars
pipes
hookahs(waterpipes)
Peoplecanchewtobaccowith:
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chewingtobacco
snuff
dip
snus
Peoplecansnifftobaccoaproductcalledsnuff,whichisputinthenoseandsniffed.
Peoplecanalsovapenicotinewithe-cigarettesorvaporizers.YoucanlearnmoreabouttheseproductsinourE-CigaretteFacts.
Someslangnamesforcigarettesare:
smokes
cancersticks
coffinnails
Someslangnamesforchewingtobaccoandsnuffare:
chew
wad
dip
NEXT:SignsofTobacco/NicotineUse
EffectsofSpiceonBrainsandBodies
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Photoby©Shutterstock/SabphotoWhenthehighfromSpicewearsoff,youcanhaveheadachesorfeeldepressed.PeoplewhouseSpicesometimesendupintheemergencyroombecauseofaheartattack,kidneydamage,orseizures(whenyourbodystartstwitchingandjerkinguncontrollably).
ThesearesomeproblemsthatSpicecancause:
Sickness
Spicecancauseheadaches.Itcanalsomakeyouthrowup.
HeartAttack
Spicecancauseyourhearttobeatfasterandyourbloodpressuretogoup.Thiscangiveyouaheartattack,whichcouldleadtodeath.
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Overdose
PeoplecanoverdoseonSpice.MorepeoplearegoingtotheemergencyroomforSpiceoverdoses.Spicecancausedeath.
Addiction
YoucangetaddictedtoSpiceafterusingitforawhile.Overtime,itcanchangethewayyourbrainworks.IfyoustopusingSpice,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.
Whenthehighgoesaway,youcanhaveheadachesorfeelirritable,nervous,ordepressed.YouhavestrongcravingstotakemoreSpicetofeelgoodagain.
Atthistime,doctorsandscientistshavenottestedmedicinesorcounselingtotreataSpiceaddiction.Buttherearetreatmentprogramsavailablethatfocusonchangingbehaviors.
SignsofTobacco/NicotineUse
Photoby©istock.com/WavebreakmediaPeoplewhosmoketobaccomightgetacoughthatwon'tgoaway.Nicotineisthechemicalintobaccothatmakesyoufeelgood.Itcanalsoraiseyourbloodpressure.Yourheartmightbeatfaster.Youmightbreathefaster.Anditcanmakeyounotwanttoeat.
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Peoplewhosmoketobaccomightgetacoughthatwon'tgoaway.
Peoplewhosmokecigaretteswillusuallyhavehair,clothes,andbreaththatsmelllikecigarettes.
Peoplewhochewtobaccotendtospitalot.
Peopleoftensneezewhentheyinhalesnuff.
NEXT:EffectsofTobaccoandNicotineonBrainsandBodies
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OtherDrugsPeopleUseandMisuse
Photoby©iStock.com/davidfPeoplecaninhalespraypaintanduseitasadrug.Therearemanyotherdrugsthatpeopleuseandmisuse.Someofthedrugsinthiswebsitearecalled"clubdrugs."Theyaredrugsthatyoumightbelikelytofindatanightcluborparty.ExamplesareMDMA,methamphetamine,LSD,GHB,Rohypnol®,andketamine.
LSD(Acid)isaverystrongmood-changingchemical.Itismadefromanacidthatisfoundonfungusthatgrowsonryeandothergrains.
Peoplecantakeittwoways.Itcanbeapillthatyouswallow.ItcanalsobeasmallpieceofpaperthatiswetwithliquidLSD.Youputthispieceofpaperonyourtongue.
Itmakesyousee,hear,andfeelthingsthataren'tthere(hallucinations).Youmightseebrightcolors,prettypictures,orthingsthatscareyou.Itcancauseyourhearttobeatfaster,sleepproblems,panic,sweating,andparanoia.VisitthispageformoreinformationaboutLSD.
PCP(AngelDust)isapillorpowderthatpeoplecaneat,smoke,orsnortuptheirnose.Itwasfirstmadeinthe1950stohelpwithpainduringsurgery.It’snolongerusedforthispurposebecauseofitsbadsideeffects.Itmakespeoplefeelliketheyareinanotherworld.PCPalsooftenmakespeoplefeelangryand
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violentandtheyoftengetarrestedbecauseofviolentbehaviors.VisitthispageformoreinformationaboutPCP.
Inhalantsaredangerouschemicalsthatmakeyoufeelhighwhenyoubreathethemin(calledhuffing,snorting,bagging,orsniffing).Householdcleaners,spraycans,glue,andevenpermanentmarkerscontainthesechemicals.Inhalantscanmakeyoupassout,stopyourheart,stopyourbreathing,andkillyou.Visitthispageformoreinformationaboutinhalants.
GHBisaliquidorpowderthatisusedforpeopletofallasleepmoreeasily.However,somepeopleuseittomakeyoupassout.It'scalleda"daterape"drugbecausesomeonecansecretlyputitinyourdrink.Thismeansthatyoucan'tfightbackordefendyourselfagainstsomeonewhowantstohavesexwithyouwithoutpermission.VisitthispageformoreinformationaboutGHB.
Rohypnol®(Roofies)isamedicineusedtocalmsomeonedownorhelpthemsleep.Butpeoplealsousethisasa"daterape"pillbecauseitcanmakesomeonenotrememberwhathappenedforthetimerightaftertakingthepill.Itcanalsobeputinadrink.Visitthispageformoreinformation.
Ketamine(K,SpecialK)isamedicinethatisusedforpaininanimalsbutsomehumanstakeittogethigh.Itcanmakeyoufeelfarawayfromwhat'sgoingonaroundyou.Itcanalsomakeyoufeelscaredandbeunpleasant.Peopleusuallytakeitbymouth,snortitupthenose,orinjectit(shootup)withaneedle.Visitthispageformoreinformationaboutthisdrug.