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NationalInstituteonDrugAbuse(NIDA)
Cocaine(Coke,Crack)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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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.