Home Health Testing®
Specific Drugs and their Effects
Alcohol
Alcohol
consumption causes a number of changes in behavior. Low doses reduce a
person's inhibitions. Low to moderate doses of alcohol can increase
the incidence of a variety of aggressive acts. Moderate to high doses
of alcohol cause impairments in higher mental functions, limiting a
person's ability to learn and remember information. Very high doses
cause respiratory depression and death.
For some people, continued use of alcohol can lead to dependence. Sudden cessation of alcohol intake is likely to produce withdrawal symptoms, including severe anxiety, tremors, hallucinations, and convulsions. Long-term effects of consuming large quantities of alcohol, especially when combined with poor nutrition, can lead to permanent damage to vital organs such as the brain and the liver.
In addition, mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy may give birth to infants with fetal alcohol syndrome. These infants may suffer from mental retardation and other irreversible physical abnormalities. In addition, research indicates that children of alcoholic parents are at greater risk than other children of becoming alcoholics.
Tobacco
The smoking of
tobacco products is the chief avoidable cause of death in our society.
Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to contract heart disease -
some 170,000 die each year from smoking-related coronary heart
disease.
Lung, larynx, esophageal, bladder, pancreatic, and kidney cancers also strike smokers at increased rates. Some 30 percent of cancer deaths (130,000 per year) are linked to smoking. Chronic, obstructive lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis are 10 times more likely to occur among smokers than among nonsmokers.
Smoking during pregnancy also poses serious risks. Spontaneous abortion, preterm birth, low birth weights, and fetal and infant deaths are all more likely to occur when the pregnant woman is a smoker.
Cigarette smoke contains some 4,000 chemicals, several of which are known carcinogens. Perhaps the most dangerous substance in tobacco smoke is nicotine. Nicotine is the substance that reinforces and strengthens the desire to smoke. Because nicotine is highly addictive, addicts find it very difficult to stop smoking. Of 1,000 typical smokers, fewer than 20 percent succeed in stopping on the first try.
New evidence also indicates that tobacco use can also cause erectile dysfunction in men over time; the damage smoking causes is cumulative. Years of smoking make it difficult for men to achieve or sustain an erection. Teenage smokers who can't kick the habit could be impotent by the time they reach their 30s or 40s. Smoking causes a buildup of fatty deposits in delicate blood vessels. But instead of blocking blood flow to the heart, as in the case of heart disease, it stops the supply to the penis.
Nicotine can also cause rapid contractions in penile tissue or damage a valve mechanism that traps blood in the penis. Research studies have shown that smoking can increase the chances of becoming impotent by 50 percent and can also compound other risk factors for erectile dysfunction.
Cannabis
All forms of
cannabis have physical and mental effects. Several regularly observed
physical effects of cannabis are an increase in the heart rate,
bloodshot eyes, a dry mouth and throat, and increased appetite.
Use of cannabis may temporarily impair or reduce short-term memory and comprehension, alter sense of time, and reduce ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination. Motivation and cognition may be altered, making the acquisition of new information difficult. Marijuana in the extreme can also produce paranoia and psychosis.
Because many users often inhale unfiltered smoke deeply and then hold it in their lungs as long as possible, marijuana can cause damage to the lungs and pulmonary system. Marijuana smoke contains more cancer-causing agents than tobacco smoke. Water filtered smoke or oral ingestion is preferable.
| Type | What is it called? | What does it look like? | How is it used? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marijuana | Pot, Reefer, Grass, Weed, Dope, Ganja, Mary Jane, or Sinsemilla | Like dried parsley, with stems and/or seeds; rolled into cigarettes | Smoked or eaten |
| Tetrahydrocannabinol | THC | Soft gelatin capsules | Taken orally |
| Hashish | Hash | Brown or black cakes or balls | Smoked or eaten |
| Hashish Oil | Hash Oil | Concentrated syrupy liquid varying in color from clear to black | Smoked - mixed with tobacco |
Inhalants
The immediate
negative effects of inhalants include nausea, sneezing, coughing,
nosebleeds, fatigue, lack of coordination, and loss of appetite.
Solvents and aerosol sprays also decrease the heart and respiratory
rates and impair judgement. Amyl and butyl nitrite cause rapid pulse,
headaches, and involuntary passing of urine and feces. Long-term use
may result in hepatitis or brain damage.
Deeply inhaling the vapors, or using large amounts over a short time, may result in disorientation, violent behavior, unconsciousness, or death. High concentrations of inhalants can cause suffocation by displacing the oxygen in the lungs or by depressing the central nervous system to the point that breathing stops.
Long-term use can cause weight loss, fatigue, electrolyte imbalance, and muscle fatigue. Repeated sniffing of concentrated vapors over time can permanently damage the nervous system.
| Type | What is it called? | What does it look like? | How is it used? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrous Oxide | Laughing gas or Whippets | Small 8-gram metal cylinder sold with a balloon or pipe propellant for whipped cream in aerosol spray can | Vapors inhaled |
| Amyl Nitrite | Poppers or Snappers | Clear yellowish liquid in ampules | Vapors inhaled |
| Butyl Nitrite | Rush, Bolt, Bullet, Locker Room, and Climax | In small bottles | Vapors inhaled |
| Chlorohydrocarbons | Aerosol sprays or cleaning fluids | Aerosol paint cans | Vapors inhaled |
| Hydrocarbons | Solvents | Cans of aerosol propellants, gasoline, glue, paint thinner | Vapors inhaled |
Cocaine
Cocaine
stimulates the central nervous system. Its immediate effects include
dilated pupils and elevated blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory
rate, and body temperature.
Occasional use can cause a stuffy or runny nose, while chronic use can ulcerate the mucous membrane of the nose. Injecting cocaine with contaminated equipment can cause AIDS, hepatitis, and other diseases. Preparation of freebase, which involves the use of volatile solvents, can result in death or injury from fire or explosion.
Crack or freebase rock is extremely addictive, and its effects are felt within 10 seconds. The physical effects include dilated pupils, increased pulse rate, elevated blood pressure, insomnia, loss of appetite, tactile hallucinations, paranoia, and seizure.
The use of cocaine can cause death by cardiac arrest or respiratory failure.
| Type | What is it called? | What does it look like? | How is it used? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cocaine | Coke, Snow, Nose Candy, Flake, Blow, Big C, Lady, White, and Snowbirds | White crystalline powder | Inhaled, injected |
| Crack cocaine | Crack, rock, freebase | White to tan pellets or crystalline rocks that look like soap | Smoked |
Other Stimulants
Stimulants can cause increased heart and respiratory rates, elevated
blood pressure, dilated pupils, and decreased appetite. In addition,
users may experience sweating, headache, blurred vision, dizziness,
sleeplessness, and anxiety.
Extremely high doses can cause a rapid or irregular heartbeat, tremors, loss of coordination, and even physical collapse. An amphetamine injection creates a sudden increase in blood pressure that can result in stroke, very high fever, or heart failure.
In addition to the physical effects, users report feeling restless, anxious, and moody.
Higher doses intensify the effects. Persons who use larger amounts of amphetamines over a long period of time can develop an amphetamine psychosis that includes hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia. These symptoms usually disappear when drug use ceases.
| Type | What is it called? | What does it look like? | How is it used? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amphetamines | Speed, Uppers, Ups, Black beauties, Pep pills, Copilots, Bumblebees, Hearts, Benzedrine, Dexedrine, Footballs, and Biphetamine | Capsules, pills, tablets | Taken orally, injected, inhaled |
| Methamphetamines | Crank, Crystal meth, Crystal methadrine, and Speed | White powder, pills, rock that resembles a block of paraffin | Taken orally, injected, inhaled |
| Additional Stimulants | Ritalin, Cylert, Preludin, Didrex, Pre-State, Voranil, Sandrex, and Plegine | Pills or capsules | Taken orally, injected |
Depressants
The effects
of depressants are in many ways similar to the effects of alcohol.
Small amounts can produce calmness and very relaxed muscles, but
larger doses can cause slurred speech, staggering gait, and altered
perception.
Very large doses can cause respiratory depression, coma, and death. The combination of depressants and alcohol can multiply the effects of the drugs, increasing the risks.
Regular use of depressants over time can result in physical and psychological addiction. People who suddenly stop taking large doses can experience withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, insomnia, tremors, delirium, convulsions, and death.
Babies born to mothers who abuse depressants may also be physically dependent on the drugs and show withdrawal symptoms shortly after they are born. Birth defects and behavioral problems also may result.
| Type | What is it called? | What does it look like? | How is it used? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbiturates | Downers, Barbs, Blue Devils, Red Devils, Yellow Jacket, Yellows, Nembutal, Tuinals, Seconal, and Amytal | Red, yellow, blue, or red and blue capsules | Taken orally |
| Methaqualone | Qualudes, Ludes, Sopors | Tablets | Taken orally |
| Tranquilizers | Valium, Librium, Miltown, Serax, Equanil, Miltown, and Tranxene | Tablets or capsules | Taken orally |
Hallucinogens
Phencyclidine (PCP) interrupts the functions of the neocortex, the
section of the brain that controls the intellect and keeps instincts
in check.
Because the drug blocks pain receptors, violent PCP episodes may result in self-inflicted injuries. The effects of PCP vary, but users frequently report a sense of distance and estrangement. Time and body movements are slowed down. Muscular coordination worsens and senses are dulled. Speech is blocked and incoherent.
In later stages of chronic use, users often exhibit paranoid and violent behavior and experience hallucinations. Large doses may produce convulsions and coma, as well as heart and lung failure.
Lysergic acid (LSD), mescaline, and psilocybin cause illusions and hallucinations.
The physical effects may include dilated pupils, elevated body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, and tremors. The user may experience panic, confusion, suspicion, anxiety, and loss of control.
| Type | What is it called? | What does it look like? | How is it used? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phencyclidine | PCP, Hog, Angel Dust, Loveboat, Lovely, Killer Weed | What does it look like - Liquid, white crystalline powder, pills, capsules | Taken orally, injected, smoked (sprayed on joints or cigarettes) |
| Lysergic acid diethylamide | LSD, Acid, Microdot, White lightning, Blue heaven, and Sugar Cubes | Colored tablets, blotter paper, clear liquid, thin squares of gelatin | Taken orally, licked off paper, gelatin, and liquid can be put in the eyes. |
| Mescaline and Peyote | Mesc, Buttons, and Cactus | Hard brown discs, tablets, capsules | Discs - chewed, swallowed, or smoked or Tablets and capsules - taken orally |
| Psilocybin | Magic Mushrooms, 'shrooms | Fresh or dried mushrooms | Chewed or swallowed |
Narcotics
Narcotics
initially produce a feeling of euphoria that often is followed by
drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting. Users may also experience
constricted pupils, watery eyes, and itching.
An overdose may produce slow and shallow breathing, clammy skin, convulsions, coma, and possible death.
Tolerance to narcotics develops rapidly and dependence is likely. The use of contaminated syringes may result in disease such as AIDS, endocarditis, and hepatitis.
Addiction in pregnant women can lead to premature, stillborn, or addicted infants who experience severe withdrawal symptoms.
| Type | What is it called? | What does it look like? | How is it used? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heroin | Smack, Horse, Mud, Brown sugar, Junk, Black tar, and Big H | White to dark-brown powder or tar-like substance | Injected, smoked, or inhaled |
| Codeine | Empirin compound with codeine, Tylenol with codeine, Codeine in cough medicine | Dark liquid varying in thickness, capsules, tablets | Taken orally, injected |
| Morphine | Pectoral syrup | White crystals, hypodermic tablets, or injectable solutions | Taken orally, injected, or smoked |
| Opium | Paregoric, Dover's Powder, Parepectolin | Dark brown chunks, powder | Smoked, eaten, or injected |
| Meperidine | Pethidine, Demerol, Mepergan | White powder, solution, tablets | Taken orally, injected |
| Other narcotics | Percocet, Percodan, Tussionex, Fentanyl, Darvon, Talwin, and Lomotil | Tablets or capsules | Taken orally, injected |
Designer Drugs
Illegal
drugs are defined in the terms of their chemical formulas. To
circumvent these legal restrictions, underground chemists modify the
molecular structure of certain illegal drugs to produce analogs known
as designer drugs. These drugs can be several hundred times stronger
than the drugs they are designed to imitate.
The narcotic analogs can cause symptoms such as those seen in Parkinson's disease: uncontrollable tremors, drooling, impaired speech, paralysis, and irreversible brain damage. Analogs of amphetamines and methamphetamines cause nausea, blurred vision, chills or sweating, and faintness. Psychological effects include anxiety, depression, and paranoia.
As little as one dose can cause brain damage. The analogs of phencyclidine cause illusions, hallucinations, and impaired perception.
| Type | What is it called? | What does it look like? | How is it used? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analog of Fentanyl (Narcotic) | Synthetic heroin, China white | White powder | Inhaled, injected |
| Analog of Meperidine (Narcotic) | MPTP (New heroin), MPPP, synthetic heroin | White powder | Inhaled, injected |
| Analog of Amphetamines or Methamphetamines (Hallucinogens) | MDMA (Ecstasy, XTC, Adam, Essence), MDM, STP, PMA, 2, 5-DMA, TMA, DOM, DOB, EVE | White powder, tablets, or capsules | Taken orally, injected, or inhaled |
| Analog of Phencyclidine (PCP) | PCPy, PCE | White powder | Taken orally, injected, or smoked |
Anabolic Steroids
Anabolic steroids are a group of powerful compounds closely related to
the male sex hormone testosterone. Developed in the 1930's, steroids
are seldom prescribed by physicians today. Current legitimate medical
uses are limited to certain kinds of anemia, severe burns, and some
types of breast cancer.
Taken in combination with a program of muscle-building exercise and diet, steroids may contribute to increases in body weight and muscular strength.
Steroid users subject themselves to more than 70 side effects ranging in severity from liver cancer to acne and including psychological as well as physical reactions. The liver and cardiovascular systems are most seriously affected by steroid use.
In males, use can cause withered testicles, sterility, and impotence. In females, irreversible masculine traits can develop along with breast reduction and sterility.
Psychological effects in both sexes include very aggressive behavior known as "roid rage" and depression. While some side effects appear quickly, others, such as heart attacks and strokes, may not show up for years.
Signs of steroid use include quick weight and muscle gains (when used in a weight training program); aggressiveness and combativeness; jaundice; purple or red spots on the body; swelling of feet and lower legs; trembling; unexplained darkening of the skin; and persistent unpleasant breath odor.
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