Alcohol
Substance produced by fermentation of carbohydrates by yeast, or by distillation. It is a central nervous system depressant.
Signs of alcohol use:
- Slurred speech
- Unsteady walking
- Speaking loudly
- Clumsiness
- Flushed face
- Smell of alcohol on the breath
Effects of use (immediate):
- Intoxication (drunk)
- Changed perception of what is seen, heard and felt
- Increased heart rate
Effects of use (long term):
- Damage to the fetus (fetal alcohol syndrome)
- Nervous system damage
- Pancreatic damage
- Heart rhythm disturbances
- Heart muscle damage
- Increased incidence of gastrointestinal
- and (in women) breast cancer
- Stomach ulcers
- Addiction (if drinking starts before age of fifteen years, up to 40 percent of such
individuals may be classified as alcohol dependent at some point in their lifetime)
Tobacco
Derived from dried leaves of the tobacco plant. Nicotine is the primary addictive component. Tobacco smoke contains numerous carcinogens (cancer-causing agents). Tobacco is causally related to five million deaths a year worldwide
Signs of use:
- Smell of tobacco
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Nicotine stains on fingers; discolored teeth
Effects of use (immediate):
- Temporarily increased attention
- Anxiety reduction for some
- Nausea
- Dizziness
Effects of use (chronic):
- Bronchitis
- Emphysema
- Lung, larynx, esophagus, mouth, bladder cancer (90 percent of all lung cancers related to smoking)
- Coronary artery disease
- Atherosclerosis
- Hypertension
- Stroke
Marijuana
Obtained from the hemp (cannabis plant). The most psychoactive component is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol).
Signs of use:
- Characteristic smell on breath and clothes
- Bloodshot eyes
- Talkative
- Inappropriate laughing
- Dilated pupils
- Dryness of mouth
Effects of use:
- Relaxed state
- Feeling of well-being
- Impaired attention span
- Impaired short-term memory
- Poor motor coordination
- Increased appetite
- Increased heart rate
- Increased blood pressure
- Chronic use can lead to lung disease, with tar and carbon monoxide absorption three to five times the amount absorbed by tobacco smokers. Marijuana smoke contains carcinogens. Memory, learning, attention and integration, as well as personality, are adversely affected by marijuana use
Signs of overdose:
- Anxiety
- Extreme drowsiness
- Slurred speech
- Acute panic reaction
Cocaine
Central nervous system stimulant obtained from the cocoa plant.
Signs of cocaine use:
- Rapid speech
- Restlessness
- Dry mouth
- Runny nose
- Large (dilated) pupils
Effects of use:
- Initially, increased alertness
- Increased energy
- Loss of appetite
- Elevated mood (euphoria)
- Sleeplessness
- Weight loss with long-term use
- Suspiciousness/feelings of persecution
- Increase in blood pressure
- Increased heart rate
- Addiction
Duration of effects:
- Powder cocaine (snorted): 15-30 minutes
- Crack (smoked): 5-10 minutes
Causes of death (overdose):
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Respiratory arrest
Heroin
This is an opiate (derived from the opium poppy) and is categorized among the narcotic drugs. Prescription narcotics are used medically for pain relief.
Signs of heroin use:
- Sluggish mannerisms
- Slowed speech
- Sleepiness
- Constricted ("pinpoint") pupils, unresponsive to light
- Injection sites may be seen
Effects of use:
- Elevated mood
- Slowed breathing and pulse rate
- Lowered blood pressure
- Nausea
- In overdose, death due to respiratory arrest
- Duration of general effects: 4 to 6 hours
PCP (Phencyclidine)
An illegal anaesthetic drug that results in bizarre behavior and hallucinations.
Signs of use:
- Change of walk (gait)
- Distant attitude and behavior
As doses increase:
- Disintegration of memory, identity and environmental perception
- Jerking eye movements
- Nausea
- Drooling
- Dizziness
- Stiffness and/or numbness of extremities
- Blank stare
- Feeling of detachment from the environment
- Rage, violence and a feeling of invulnerability
Signs of overdose:
- Seizures
- Coma
- PCP-related deaths often related to accidental injuries; also cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest and stroke
Ecstasy
MDMA-3,4 - (methylenedioxymethamphetamine)
It is derived from methamphetamine.
Signs of use (low doses):
- Stimulation
- Mild visual distortions
- Apparent disconnectedness from the immediate environment
- Signs of use (higher doses):
- Impaired ability to interact with people and situations normally
Noticeably strange behavior:
- Anxiety/panic
- Elevated body temperature
- Rapid heart beat
- Deaths have been reported
