Intro to Drugs:
Drugs are categorized based on the chemical activity of the drug, and therefor, how they affect the nervous systems of the body. They are also classified; these classifications are legal classifications, under the Controlled Substance Act. These classifications, otherwise known as Schedules, are based on how extreme the side effects are thought to be, the possibility of a legitimate medical use, and the potential for abuse of, addiction and dependence to, the drug.
Let’s start with the legal Scheduling of Drugs.
Schedule 1 drugs – these have a high potential for abuse, do not have an acceptable medical use, and are deemed incredibly dangerous, especially in reference to their potential for psychological and physiological addiction and
dependence. Drugs within this class include: Heroin and Fentanyl (China White), LSD, Cannabis (this may be confusing, but remember, as far as Federal laws are concerned, all cannabis is illegal), Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), Ecstasy, Psilocybin (shrooms), and Peyote (a hallucinogenic).
Schedule 2 drugs – although they may have an acceptable medical use, they are still deemed incredibly dangerous because there is a high potential for abuse and psychological and physiological addiction (or dependence). If these are prescribed, it is because the doctor has thought, very carefully, about the cost to the patient and has decided that their medical condition is extreme enough that the risk is worth taking. This also means that their medical condition has altered their body enough where taking such a drug will possibly make it less addictive to them than it would to someone who does not have the medical condition. The patient who has been prescribed the drug has a condition in which the drug will help bring their body back to homeostasis. Someone without the condition who takes the drug will put their body out of homeostasis. Drugs within this schedule include: Vicodin, Demerol, Oxycodone, Methadone, Fentanyl, Adderall and Ritalin (which are variations of methamphetamines), Meth (which is short for methamphetamine, but is commonly known as ICE, Crank, or Speed), and Cocaine or Crack (which do not have medical uses).
Schedule 3 drugs –have a moderate potential for abuse and both physical and psychological addiction (or dependence). Some Schedule 3 drugs include low dosages of codeine mixed with another drug (like Tylenol), Ketamine, Anabolic Steroids, and Testosterone.
Schedule 4 drugs –have a low potential for abuse and both physiological and psychological addiction (or dependence). Some Schedule 4 drugs include Xanax, Valium, Ativan, and Ambien (often used as a sleep medication).
Schedule 5 drugs –have a lower potential for abuse and both physiological and psychological addiction (or dependence). A schedule 5 drug will have very limited amounts of narcotics, if any at all. These drugs are commonly used as an antidiarrheal, antitussive (cough), and analgesic (pain relief or numbing). A commonly used Schedule 5 drug is
Robitussin; which must have less than 6 ounces of codeine per 3 ounces of liquid. If there is more than this proportion of codeine, it is no longer a Schedule 5 because its potential for abuse and addiction increases.
Stimulants
are drugs that speed up the body’s nervous systems. This means the common side effects are increased heart rate, increased breathing, higher blood pressure, extend wakefulness for prolonged period, and loss of appetite. Stimulants come in the form of pills, powder, rocks, and injectable liquids, which means they are ingested by swallowing, smoking, snorting, or injecting.Effects are greatly intensified when large doses of stimulants are taken. Taking too large a dose at one time or taking large doses over an extended period of time may cause such physical side effects as dizziness, tremors, headache, flushed skin, chest pain with palpitations, excessive sweating, vomiting, abdominal cramps, delirium, psychosis, and physical exhaustion.
Chronic, high-dose use is frequently associated with agitation, hostility, panic, aggression, and suicidal or homicidal tendencies. Paranoia, sometimes accompanied by both auditory and visual hallucinations, may also occur.
In overdose, unless there is medical intervention, high fever, convulsions, and cardiovascular collapse may precede death. Because accidental death is partially due to the effects of stimulants on the body’s cardiovascular and temperature regulating systems, physical exertion increases the hazards of stimulant use.
Tolerance, in which more and more drug is needed to produce the usual effects, can develop rapidly, and psychological dependence occurs. Abrupt cessation is commonly followed by depression, anxiety, drug craving, and extreme fatigue, known as a “crash.”
Some stimulants include:
Prescription drugs such as different Amphetamines [ie- Adderall] or different Methylphenidates [ie- Ritalin]
Some Illicit drugs include: Methamphetamines (such as “Meth” and Crystal Meth), Cocaine and Crack, Meth-cathinon (Bath salts), Khat, Flakka, Kratom, Mephedrone, Yaba, Ecstasy (MDMA)
Depressants
are drugs that slow down the speed of the nervous systems. Most depressants will put you to sleep, relieve anxiety and muscle spasms, and prevent seizures (these are the reasons certain depressants are prescribed by a doctor). Additional common effects of depressants include slurred speech, loss of motor coordination, weakness, headache, lightheadedness, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, slowed breathing, mild euphoria, lack of inhibition, and sleepiness. Higher doses cause irritability, and paranoid and suicidal ideation, impaired memory, judgment, and coordination.Depressants come in the form of pills, syrups, and injectable liquids. There are different types of depressants as well as different forms. Different types include Barbiturates, Tranquilizers (like Benzodiazepines), Anesthetics, and Analgesics. However, most Anesthetics or Analgesics are made up of many different chemicals, including opioids, so even though they do physically depress the nervous system (that’s how they dull and alleviate pain), they are commonly categorized as narcotics or anesthetics. Sometimes, anesthetics are mixed in with illegal stimulants, such as cocaine, which makes a very dangerous and lethal combination.
Barbiturates are depressants that produce a wide spectrum of central nervous system depression from mild sedation to coma. They have been used as sedatives, hypnotics, anesthetics, and anticonvulsants. A common barbiturate is phenobarbital. A person can rapidly develop dependence on and tolerance to barbiturates, meaning a person needs more and more of them to feel and function normally. This makes them unsafe, increasing the likelihood of coma or death.
Tranquilizers/Benzodiazepines share many of the same side effects as Barbiturates including tolerance and dependence. Benzodiazepines are depressants that produce sedation, hypnosis, relieve anxiety, reduce muscle spasms, and reduce seizures. Some examples are Valium, Xanax, Ativan, and Klonopin. Ketamine is another tranquilizer that is also a hallucinogen and anesthetic. There are other depressant drugs very similar to benzodiazepines. These are sedative-hypnotic medications approved for the short-term treatment of insomnia (Lunesta and Ambien).
Depressants are abused in an effort to experience euphoria, cause amnesia (leaving no memory of events that occur while under the influence) reduce reaction time, impair mental functioning and judgment, and cause confusion. This is why depressants like GHB and Rohypnol (‘roofies’) are known as Date Rape Drugs. Rohypnol and GHB are
completely illegal. Depressants are also abused by mixing them with other drugs to add to the other drugs’ ‘high’. Users take higher doses than people taking the drugs under a doctor’s supervision for therapeutic purposes. Long-term use of depressants produces psychological dependence and tolerance. Tolerance develops quickly and larger doses are then needed to produce the same effect, increasing the danger of an overdose.
Hallucinogens
are found in plants and fungi or are synthetically produced and are among the oldest known group of drugs used for their ability to alter human perception and mood.Hallucinogens come in a variety of forms. MDMA or ecstasy tablets (also used and categorized as a stimulant) are sold in many colors with a variety of logos to attract youth. LSD (commonly known as acid) is sold in the form of paper (blotter acid), typically imprinted with colorful graphic designs.
The most commonly abused hallucinogens among junior and senior high school students are
hallucinogenic Psilocycbin (mushrooms), LSD, and MDMA (Ecstacy– because MDMA stands for Methylene- dioxy- amphetamine, it obviously has stimulant properties in it, which is why it is both a stimulant and
hallucinogen).
Other Common Hallucinogens include: Ketamine, PCP (Angel Dust, which is also an anesthetic), Mescaline, and Peyote.
Hallucinogens are typically taken orally or can be smoked.
Tablets (usually MDMA) almost always contains ketamine, cocaine, dextromethorphan (DXM), ephedrine, and/or caffeine. Common effects of MDMA: Clinical studies suggest MDMA increases the risk of long-term, perhaps permanent, problems with memory and learning. It can also lead to the onset of depression and or/anxiety because of its relationship to serotonin. MDMA causes changes in perception, including euphoria, and increased sensitivity to touch, energy, sensual and sexual arousal. High doses (Overdose effects) of MDMA can interfere with the ability to regulate body temperature, resulting in a sharp increase in body temperature (hyperthermia), leading to liver, kidney, and cardiovascular failure, and death. Severe dehydration can result from the combination of the drug’s effects and the crowded and hot conditions in which the drug is often taken. Because MDMA can interfere with its own metabolism (that is, its breakdown within the body), potentially harmful levels can be reached by repeated drug use within short intervals. Studies suggest chronic use of MDMA can produce damage to the serotonin system. It is ironic that a drug that is taken to increase pleasure may cause damage that reduces a person’s ability to feel pleasure.
General Effects of Hallucinogens vary with dose, setting, mood, and the specific hallucinogen ingested. Common effects include:
Hallucinations, illusions, delusions, Euphoria, Distortions of thought, time, and space, Time appearing to stand still, Forms and colors changing and taking on new forms, Visual changes with extreme changes in mood, Impaired depth perception accompanied by distorted perception of shape and size of objects, movements, colors, sound, touch, and the user’s own body, Inability to discern fantasy from reality- Inability to make sound judgments and see common dangers, making the user susceptible to personal injury, Panic (acute anxiety) and/or Depression, Increased arousal, confusion, paranoia, sleep problems, drug cravings, increased motor activity, alertness, heart rate, and blood pressure., muscle tension, tremors, involuntary teeth clenching, muscle cramps, nausea, faintness, chills, sweating, and blurred vision
All these acute effects usually occur within 30 to 45 minutes of swallowing the drug and usually last 4 to 6 hours,
Weeks or even months after some hallucinogens have been taken, the user may experience flashbacks (this is when the person has not taken the drug, yet will re-experience certain aspects of when they were under the influence of the drug). The occurrence of a flashback is unpredictable, but is more likely to occur during times of stress and seems to occur more frequently in younger individuals. With time, these episodes diminish and become less intense.
Physiological effects include elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, dilated pupils, elevated body temperature, sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth or over salivation, tremors, becoming
unresponsive to stimuli, involuntarily eye movement, tear secretions, stiffening of the muscles, nausea, vomiting, headaches, muscle weakness, and impaired motor coordination
Marijuana
is a mind-altering (psychoactive) drug, produced by the Cannabis sativa plant. Marijuana contains over 480 constituents. THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) is believed to be the main ingredient that produces the psychoactive effect. Marijuana is a dry, shredded green/brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves from the Cannabis sativa plant. The mixture typically is green, brown, or gray in color and may resemble tobacco.Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette (called a joint) or in a pipe or bong. It is also smoked in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, sometimes in combination with another drug. Marijuana is also mixed with foods or brewed as a tea.
When marijuana is smoked, the THC passes from the lungs and into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to the organs throughout the body, including the brain. In the brain, the THC connects to specific sites called
cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and influences the activity of those cells. Many of these receptors are found in the parts of the brain that influence: Pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement
The short-term effects of marijuana include: Problems with memory and learning, distorted perception, difficulty in thinking and problem-solving, and loss of coordination. The effect of marijuana on perception and coordination are responsible for serious impairments in learning, associative processes, and psychomotor behavior (driving abilities).
Long term, regular use can lead to physical dependence and withdrawal following discontinuation, as well as psychic addiction or dependence.
Clinical studies show that the physiological, psychological, and behavioral effects of marijuana vary among individuals and present a list of common responses to cannabinoids, as
described in the scientific literature:
• Dizziness, nausea, tachycardia, facial flushing, dry mouth, and tremor initially • Merriment, happiness, and even exhilaration at high doses
• Loss of inhibition, relaxation, increased sociability, and talkativeness
• Enhanced sensory perception, giving rise to increased appreciation of music, art, and touch Heightened imagination leading to a subjective sense of increased creativity
• Time distortions
• Illusions, delusions, and hallucinations are rare except at high doses
• Impaired judgment, reduced coordination, and ataxia, which can impede driving ability or lead to an increase in risk taking behavior
• Incongruity of affect, dysphoria, disorganized thinking, inability to converse logically, agitation, paranoia, confusion, restlessness, anxiety, drowsiness, and panic attacks may occur, especially in inexperienced users or in those who have taken a large dose
• Increased appetite and short-term memory impairment are common
Short-term physical effects from marijuana use may include: Sedation, bloodshot eyes, increased heart rate, coughing from lung irritation, increased appetite, and decreased blood pressure
Marijuana smokers experience serious health problems such as bronchitis, emphysema, and bronchial asthma. Extended use may cause suppression of the immune system. Withdrawal
from chronic use of high doses of marijuana causes physical signs including headache, shakiness, sweating, and stomach pains and nausea.
Hashish
and hashish oil are drugs made from the cannabis plant that are like marijuana, only stronger. Hashish (hash) consists of the THC-rich resinous material of the cannabis plant, which is collected, dried, and thencompressed into a variety of forms, such as balls, cakes, or cookie like sheets. Pieces are then broken off, placed in pipes or mixed with tobacco and placed in pipes or cigarettes, and smoked. The main sources of hashish are the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Hashish Oil (hash oil, liquid hash, cannabis oil) is produced by extracting the cannabinoids from the plant material with a solvent. The color and odor of the extract will vary, depending on the solvent used. A drop or two of this liquid on a cigarette is equal to a single marijuana joint. Like marijuana, hashish and hashish oil are both Schedule I drugs. What is its legal status in the United States?
Marijuana is a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning that it has a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision. Although some states within the United States have allowed the use of marijuana for medicinal purpose, it is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that has the federal authority to approve drugs for medicinal use in the U.S. To date, the FDA has not approved a marketing application for any marijuana product for any clinical indication. Consistent therewith, the FDA and DEA have concluded that marijuana has no federally approved medical use for treatment in the U.S. and thus it remains as a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law. Marinol, a synthetic version of THC, the active ingredient found in the marijuana plant, can be prescribed for the control of nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of cancer and to stimulate appetite in AIDS patients. Marinol is a Schedule III substance under the Controlled Substances Act
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marijuana concentrate
is a highly potent THC concentrated mass that is most similar in appearance to either honey or butter, which is why it is referred to or known on the street as “honey oil” or “budder.” WHAT IS ITS ORIGIN? Marijuana concentrates contain extraordinarily high THC levels that could range from 40 to 80 percent. This form of marijuana can be up to four times stronger in THC content than high grade or top shelf marijuana, which normally measures around 20 percent THC levels. Many methods are utilized to convert or “manufacture” marijuana into marijuana concentrates. One method is the butane extraction process. This process is particularly dangerous because it uses highly flammable butane to extract the THC from the cannabis plant. Given the extremely volatile nature of butane, this process has resulted in violent explosions. THC extraction labs are being reported nationwide, particularly in the western states and in states where local and state marijuana laws are more relaxed. What are common street names? Common street names include: • 710 (the word “OIL” flipped and spelled backwards), wax, ear wax, honey oil, budder, butane hash oil, butane honey oil (BHO), shatter, dabs (dabbing), black glass, and errl. What does it look like? Marijuana concentrates are similar in appearance to honey or butter and are either brown or gold in color.Inhalants
are invisible, volatile substances found in common household products that produce chemical vapors that are inhaled to induce psychoactive or mind altering effects. Common household products such as glue, lighter fluid, cleaning fluids, and paint all produce chemical vapors that can be inhaled. Inhalants might be called Gluey, Huff, Rush, and Whippets. Inhalants are often among the first drugs that young children use. About 1 in 5 kids report having used inhalants by the eighth grade. Inhalants are also one of the few substances abused more by younger children than by older ones.There are more than 1,000 products that are very dangerous when inhaled — things like typewriter correction fluid, air conditioning refrigerant, felt tip markers, spray paint, air freshener, butane, and even cooking spray. See products abused as inhalants at www.inhalants.org/product.htm (National Inhalant Prevention Coalition).
Although other abused substances can be inhaled, the term “inhalants” is used to describe a variety of substances whose main common characteristic is that they are rarely, if ever, taken by any route other than inhalation. Inhalants are breathed in through the nose or the mouth in
a variety of ways, such as: • “Sniffing” or “snorting”
• “Bagging” — sniffing or inhaling fumes from substances sprayed or deposited inside a plastic or paper bag
• “Huffing” from an inhalant-soaked rag stuffed in the mouth, or inhaling from balloons filled with nitrous oxide
Most inhalants produce a rapid high that is similar to the effects of alcohol intoxication. Inhalant abuse can cause damage to the parts of the brain that control thinking, moving, seeing, and hearing. Cognitive abnormalities can range from mild impairment to severe dementia. Inhaled chemicals are rapidly absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream and quickly distributed to the brain and other organs. Nearly all inhalants produce effects similar to anesthetics, which slow down the body’s function. Depending on the degree of abuse, the user can experience slight stimulation, feeling of less inhibition, or loss of consciousness. Within minutes of inhalation, the user experiences intoxication along with other effects similar to those produced by alcohol. These effects may include slurred speech, an inability to coordinate movements, euphoria, and dizziness. After heavy use of inhalants, users may feel drowsy for several hours and experience a lingering headache.
Additional symptoms exhibited by long-term inhalant users include: Weight loss, muscle weakness, disorientation, inattentiveness, lack of coordination, irritability, depression, and damage to the nervous system and other organs. Some of the damaging effects to the body may be at least partially reversible when inhalant abuse is stopped; however, many of the effects from prolonged abuse are irreversible. Prolonged sniffing of the highly concentrated chemicals in solvents or aerosol sprays can induce irregular and rapid heart rhythms and lead to heart failure and death within minutes. There is a common link between inhalant use and problems in school — failing grades, chronic absences, and general apathy.
Other signs of inhalant use include: Paint or stains on body or clothing; spots or sores around the mouth; red or runny eyes or nose; chemical breath odor; drunk, dazed, or dizzy appearance; nausea; loss of appetite; anxiety; excitability; and irritability
Because intoxication lasts only a few minutes, users try to prolong the high by continuing to inhale repeatedly over the course of several hours, which is a very dangerous practice. With successive inhalations, users may suffer loss of consciousness and/or death. “Sudden sniffing death” can result from a single session of inhalant use by an otherwise healthy young person. Sudden sniffing death is particularly associated with the abuse of butane, propane, and chemicals in aerosols. Inhalant abuse can also cause death by asphyxiation from repeated inhalations, which lead to high concentrations of inhaled fumes displacing the available oxygen in the lungs, suffocation by blocking air from entering the lungs when inhaling fumes from a plastic bag placed over the head, and choking from swallowing vomit after inhaling substances.
The common household products that are misused as inhalants are legally available for their intended and legitimate uses. Many state legislatures have attempted to deter youth who buy legal products to get high by placing restriction on the sale of these products to minors. Even though some substances are not currently
Anesthetics
Anesthesia is broken into three main categories: local, regional, and general, all of which affect the nervous system in some way and can be administered using various methods and different medications. Anesthetics are prescribed by doctors to relieve anxiety, keep you asleep, minimize pain during surgery and relieve pain afterward (using drugs called analgesics), relax muscles to keep you still, and block out the memory of the surgery.
Local anesthesia, which can be given as a shot, spray, or ointment, numbs only a small, specific area of the body (ie- foot, hand, patch of skin). With local anesthesia, a person is awake or sedated, depending on what is needed. Local anesthesia lasts for a short period of time and is often used for minor outpatient procedures (such as the dentist or
dermatologist). The medicine used can numb the area during the procedure and for a short time afterwards to help control post-surgery discomfort.
Regional anesthesia is injected near a cluster of nerves, numbing a larger area of the body (such as below the waist, like epidurals given to women in labor). Regional anesthesia is generally used to make a person more comfortable during and after the surgical procedure. Regional anesthesia is often combined with General anesthesia, which is used to keep a person completely unconscious during the operation, with no awareness or memory of the surgery. General anesthesia can be given through an IV or by inhaling gases or vapors by breathing into a mask or tube.
The type and amount of anesthesia given to you will be specifically tailored to your needs and will depend on various factors, including: the type of surgery, the location of the surgery, how long the surgery may take, your current and previous medical condition, allergies you may have, previous reactions to anesthesia, medications you are taking, your age, height, and weight. The anesthesiologist can discuss the options available, and he or she will make the decision based on your individual needs and best interests. The anesthesiologist will also you receive the right dose.
Ketamine induces loss of consciousness. It can produce relaxation and relieve pain in humans and animals. It is a class III scheduled drug, however, it is also a commonly abused "recreational" drug, due to its hallucinogenic, tranquilizing and dissociative effects. Ketamine is most often used in veterinary medicine and can, in some cases, be used for some surgical procedures in humans (normally only after 5 to 6 other options have proven ineffective). Used outside the
approved, medically monitored limits, its adverse mental and physical health effects can be hazardous. Used in recreational settings, ketamine abuse can produce unpredictable acute and chronic physical and mental health effects. In the long term, it can lead to psychological damage and, in some cases, death.
Ketamine is similar in structure to phencyclidine (PCP), and it causes a trance-like state and a sense of
disconnection from the environment (or dissociation). It is considered a "club drug," (commonly called Ketalar, Ketanest, Ketaset, Cat Valium, KitKat, Special K, Vitamin K, The horse tranquilizer, Ket, Purple, Super K, Jet) like ecstasy, and it has been abused as a date-rape drug. Other drugs in this category include phencyclidine (PCP), which is also a
hallucinogen, dextromethorphan (DXM), and nitrous oxide (laughing gas). These types of drugs can make a person feel detached from sensations and surroundings, as if they are floating outside their body. Ketamine is most often used in the dance club setting as a party drug. It produces an abrupt high that lasts for about an hour. Users report euphoria, along with feelings of floating and other "out of body" sensations. Hallucinations, similar to those experienced with LSD, are
common. It is also an analgesic, and, in lower doses, it can relieve pain.
Ketamine use can have a wide variety of adverse effects, including: agitation, amnesia, behavioral changes, changes in perceptions of color or sound, confusion and/or delirium, difficulty thinking or learning, dilated pupils and changes in eyesight, dissociation from body or identity, drowsiness, hallucinations, high blood pressure, impaired motor function, inability to control eye movements, increased pressure in the eyes and brain, involuntary muscle movements and muscle stiffness, loss of appetite, nausea, numbness, physical and psychological addiction, psychosis, respiratory problems, seizures. slow heart beat, slurred speech, upset stomach, and vomiting. As the user can become oblivious to their
environment, ketamine abuse puts the person at risk of accidental injury to themselves and vulnerable to assault by others. Problems with co-ordination, judgment, and the physical senses can continue for up to 24 hours, even after the ‘high’ as worn off.
It is taken orally as a pill, snorted, smoked with tobacco or marijuana, or mixed into drinks. Most often, it is cooked into a white powder for snorting. Taken orally, it can cause severe nausea and vomiting. Regardless of how it is ingested, its effects begin within a few minutes and last for less than an hour. Higher doses can produce more intense effects known as being in the "K-hole," where users become unable to move or communicate and feel very far away from their body. Some users seek out this type of transcendental experience, while others find it terrifying and consider it an adverse effect.
