What Works: Schools Without Drugs Part 14

The use of cocaine can cause death by disrupting the brain's control of the heart and respiration.

Type What is What does it How is it called? look like? it used?

------------------------------------------------------------------- Cocaine c.o.ke White crystalline Inhaled Snow powder, often through Flake diluted with nasal White other ingredients pa.s.sages Blow Injected Nose Candy Smoked Big C s...o...b..rds Lady ------------------------------------------------------------------- Crack or Crack Light brown or Smoked cocaine Freebase rocks beige pellets--or Rock crystalline rocks that resemble coagulated soap; often packaged in small vials -------------------------------------------------------------------

OTHER STIMULANTS

Effects

Stimulants can cause increased heart and respiratory rates, elevated blood pressure, dilated pupils, and decreased appet.i.te. 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 large 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 What does it How is it called? look like? it used?

------------------------------------------------------------------- Amphetamines Speed Capsules Taken orally Uppers Pills Injected Ups Tablets Inhaled Black Beauties through Pep Pills nasal Copilots pa.s.sages b.u.mblebees Hearts Benzedrine Dexedrine Footb.a.l.l.s Biphetamine ------------------------------------------------------------------- Metham- Crank White powder Taken orally phetamines Crystal Meth Pills Injected Crystal A rock which Inhaled Methedrine resembles a through Speed block of paraffin nasal pa.s.sages ------------------------------------------------------------------- Additional Ritalin Pills Taken orally Stimulants Cylert Capsules Injected Preludin Tablets Didrex Pre-State Voranil Tenuate Tepanil Pondimin Sandrex Plegine Ionamin -------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPRESSANTS

Effects

The effects of depressants are in many ways similar to the effects of alcohol. Small amounts can produce calmness and relaxed muscles, but somewhat 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, thereby multiplying the risks.

The use of depressants can cause both physical and psychological dependence. Regular use over time may result in a tolerance to the drug, leading the user to increase the quant.i.ty consumed. When regular users suddenly stop taking large doses, they may develop withdrawal symptoms ranging from restlessness, insomnia, and anxiety to convulsions and death.

Babies born to mothers who abuse depressants during pregnancy may 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 What does it How is it called? look like? it used?

------------------------------------------------------------------- Barbiturates Downers Red, yellow, blue, Taken orally Barbs or red and blue Blue Devils capsules Red Devils Yellow Jacket Yellows Nembutal Seconal Amytal Tuinals ------------------------------------------------------------------- Methaqualone Quaaludes Tablets Taken orally Ludes Sopors ------------------------------------------------------------------- Tranquilizers Valium Tablets Taken orally Librium Capsules Equanil Miltown Serax Tranxene -------------------------------------------------------------------

HALLUCINOGENS

Effects

Phencyhdine (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 movement are slowed down.

Muscular coordination worsens and senses are dulled. Speech is blocked and incoherent.

Chronic users of PCP report persistent memory problems and speech difficulties. Some of these effects may last 6 months to a year following prolonged daily use. Mood disorders--depression, anxiety, and violent behavior--also occur in later stages of chronic use, users often exhibit paranoid and violent behavior and experience hallucinations.

Large doses may produce convulsions and coma, heart and lung failure, or ruptured blood vessels in the brain.

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 appet.i.te, sleeplessness, and tremors.

Sensations and feelings may change rapidly. It is common to have a bad psychological reaction to LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin. The user may experience panic, confusion, suspicion, anxiety, and loss of control.

Delayed effects, or flashbacks, can occur even after use has ceased.

Type What is What does it How is it called? look like? it used?

------------------------------------------------------------------- Phencychdine PCP Liquid Taken orally Angel Dust Capsules Injected Loveboat White crystalline Smoked--can Lovely powder be sprayed Hog Pills on cigarettes, Killer Weed parsley, and marijuana ------------------------------------------------------------------- Lysergic Acid LSD Brightly colored tablets Taken orally Acid Acid Impregnated blotter paper Licked off Diethylamide Green or Red Thin squares of gelatin paper Dragon Clear liquid Gelatin and White Lightning liquid can Blue Heaven be put in Sugar Cubes the eyes Microdot ------------------------------------------------------------------- Mescaline Mesc Hard brown discs Discs--chewed, and Peyote b.u.t.tons Tablets swallowed, Cactus Capsules or smoked Tablets and capsules-- taken orally ------------------------------------------------------------------- Psilocybin Magic Fresh or dried mushroom Chewed and mushrooms swallowed Mushrooms -------------------------------------------------------------------

NARCOTICS

Effects

Narcotics initially produce a feeling of euphoria that often is followed by drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting. Users also may experience constricted pupils, watery eyes, and itching. An overdose may produce slow and shallow breathing, clammy skin, convulsions, coma, and possibly death.

Tolerance to narcotics develops rapidly and dependence is likely. The use of contaminated syringes may result in diseases such as AIDS, endocarditis, and hepat.i.tis. Addiction in pregnant women can lead to premature, stillborn, or addicted infants who experience severe withdrawal symptoms.

Type What is What does it How is it called? look like? it used?

------------------------------------------------------------------- Heroin Smack Powder, white to dark Injected Horse brown Inhaled Brown Sugar Tar-like substance through Junk nasal Mud pa.s.sages Big H Smoked Black Tar ------------------------------------------------------------------- Methadone Dolophine Solution Taken orally Methadose Injected Amidone ------------------------------------------------------------------- Codeine Empirin Dark liquid varying Taken orally compound in thickness Injected with Capsules Codeine Tablets Tylenol with Codeine Codeine Codeine in cough medicines ------------------------------------------------------------------- Morphine Pectoral White crystals Injected syrup Hypodermic tablets Taken orally Injectable solutions Smoked ------------------------------------------------------------------- Meperidine Pethidine White powder Taken orally Demerol Solution Injected Mepergan Tablets ------------------------------------------------------------------- Opium Paregoric Dark brown chunks Smoked Dover's Powder Powder Eaten Parepectolin ------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Percocet Tablets Taken orally Narcotics Percodan Capsules Injected Tussionex Liquid Fentanyl Darvon Talwin Lomotil -------------------------------------------------------------------

DESIGNER DRUGS

Effects

Illegal drugs are defined in terms of their chemical formulas. To circ.u.mvent these legal restrictions, underground chemists modify the molecular structure of certain illegal drugs to produce a.n.a.logs known as designer drugs. These drugs can be several hundred times stronger than the drugs they are designed to imitate.

The narcotic a.n.a.logs can cause symptoms such as those seen in Parkinson's disease--uncontrollable tremors, drooling, impaired speech, paralysis, and irreversible brain damage. a.n.a.logs 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 a.n.a.logs of phencyclidine cause illusions, hallucinations, and impaired perception.

Type What is What does it How is it called? look like? it used?

------------------------------------------------------------------- a.n.a.logs of Synthetic White powder Inhaled Fentanyl Heroin resembling heroin through (Narcotic) China White nasal pa.s.sages Injected ------------------------------------------------------------------- a.n.a.logs of Synthetic White powder Inhaled Meperidine Heroin through (Narcotic) MPTP (New nasal Heroin) pa.s.sages MPPP Injected PEPAP ------------------------------------------------------------------- a.n.a.logs of MDMA (Ecstasy, White powder Taken orally Ampheta- XTC, Adam, Tablets Injected mines and Essence) Capsules Inhaled Metham- MDM through phetamines STP nasal (Hallucino- PMA pa.s.sages gens) 2, 5-DMA TMA DOM DOB ------------------------------------------------------------------- a.n.a.logs of PCPy White powder Taken orally Phency- PCE Injected clidine TCP Smoked (PCP) (Hallucinogens) -------------------------------------------------------------------

_Sources of Information_

TOLLFREE INFORMATION

1-800-554-KIDS--THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF PARENTS FOR DRUG-FREE YOUTH (NFP).

A national information and referral service that focuses primarily on preventing drug addiction in children and adolescents. By referral to the caller's "State networker" or a member group in the caller's community, NFP also provides a.s.sistance to anyone concerned about a child already using alcohol or drugs. Call between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm (Eastern time).

1-800-241-9746--PRIDE DRUG INFORMATION LINE.

A national resource and information center, Parents' Resource Inst.i.tute for Drug Education (PRIDE) refers concerned parents to parent groups in their State or local area, gives information on how parents can form a group in their community, provides telephone consulting and referrals to emergency health centers, and maintains a series of drug information tapes that callers can listen to, free-of-charge, by calling after 5:00 pm.

1-800-638-2045--NATIONAL INSt.i.tUTE ON DRUG ABUSE (NIDA), U.S.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.

A national information service that provides technical a.s.sistance to individuals and groups wis.h.i.+ng to start drug prevention programs.

Currently, the program focuses on the establishment of the "Just Say No To Drugs" clubs.

1-800-662-HELP--NIDA HOTLINE.

NIDA Hotline is a confidential information and referral line that directs callers to cocaine abuse treatment centers in the local community. Free materials on drug abuse are also distributed in response to inquiries.