A number of substances are commonly misused and abused. These substances can cause a wide range of both short and long-term effects, even after just one use. The consequences of drug misuse and abuse can be serious, and in many cases, reach far beyond the individual using the substance.
Some of the most commonly abused drugs include:
The opioid crisis is a complex problem that arose as a result of both prescription drug and heroin misuse. The overprescription of legal opioid medications led to the greater availability of pills and social acceptability of using and sharing pills. The availability of heroin at a low cost also increased. In some cases, it is both easier and cheaper to get heroin than prescription opioids. Heroin is chemically very similar to prescription opioids; both have the potential to produce euphoric effects and become dangerously addictive.
Source: drugabuse.gov
Opioids are a class of drugs that includes heroin, fentanyl and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin,® Percodan® or Percocet®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®, Lortab® or Lorset®), codeine, morphine and others listed below. Common street names for prescription opioids include: footballs, demmies, dillies, hillbilly heroin, perks, vikes and hydros.
Opioid pain medication may be prescribed following injury or surgery. They are generally safe when taken as prescribed for a short period of time. Because opioids can produce feelings of euphoria, they are often misused and taken in a different way or in a larger quantity than prescribed, or taken without a doctor’s prescription. Misuse can quickly lead to dependence, and possibly addiction, overdose or death.
4 out of 5 heroin users started with prescription opioids.
The first symptoms of dependence can appear in as little as one week of use. As a physical dependence or tolerance develops, a higher dose of the medication may be needed to experience the same relief. When the prescriptions run out, some individuals turn to heroin to avoid withdrawal since it has similar effects on the body as prescription opioids.
Opioid withdrawal can be extremely uncomfortable. Symptoms may include tremors, nausea, muscle aches and pains, restlessness, cold or hot flashes, depression, fever, agitation and anxiety.
Additional details available at: www.drugabuse.gov.
Many prescription and over-the-counter medicines can have addictive properties when overused for a significant period of time. Even something as simple as a nasal inhaler to clear clogged passages can adversely affect a body’s natural ability to respond. Consult with your physician to determine a safe timetable and dosage, and to review any possible interactions with other drugs or even herbal remedies.
Additional details available at: www.drugabuse.gov.
Heroin, also known as “smack” or “junk”, is an opioid made from morphine. It can come in powder or a sticky tar-like form. Heroin can be white, rose gray, brown or black in color. The coloring comes from additives, like sugar or caffeine, that have been used to dilute, or “cut”, it.
Heroin can be injected, smoked or snorted. When used, the drug creates a sensation of being high that feels like intense joy or euphoria. The “high” is very short lived.
Street heroin is sometimes “cut” with strychnine or other poisons. The various additives do not fully dissolve, and when they are injected into the body, can clog the blood vessels that lead to the lungs, kidneys or brain. This itself can lead to infection or destruction of vital organs. Buying heroin on the street poses an increased risk for overdose since it is difficult to know what could be mixed in with the substance.
Today, heroin is commonly laced with fentanyl, an opiate 100 times more powerful than morphine that amplifies the potency and toxicity of both drugs. Fentanyl-laced heroin, which is commonly used as an elephant tranquilizer, is responsible for a growing percentage of overdose deaths throughout the United States.
Additional details available at: www.drugabuse.gov.
Alcohol is a legal substance that can have a strong effect on the body. It works as a depressant on the central nervous system, slowing down mental and bodily processes. Alcohol can produce a broad range of side effects, including loss of coordination, reduced inhibitions, motor impairment and slurred speech. The effects of alcohol on the body vary from person to person depending on a variety of factors including age, health status, family history, frequency of consumption and amount of alcohol consumed.
Drinking alcohol is not automatically a cause for concern, but a variety of consequences can arise from drinking too much. Excessive alcohol use includes binge drinking, heavy drinking and alcohol consumption by people who are underage or pregnant.
An infrequent binge drinker may be able to stop on his or her own. Someone addicted to alcohol, however, may not be able to without help. In many cases, prolonged binge drinking can develop into alcoholism. Anyone whose life is negatively affected by alcohol on a consistent basis is considered to have an alcohol use disorder.
Underage alcohol consumption is particularly risky and dangerous because it impairs judgement, can interfere with brain development and increases the risk of alcohol dependence later in life. To help protect the young people in your life, learn more about the contributing factors to underage drinking at SAMHSA.gov.
Additional details available at: www.drugabuse.gov.
Cocaine is a drug extracted from the leaves of the coca plant. It is a potent brain stimulant and one of the most powerfully addictive drugs. Crack is a derivative of cocaine.
Cocaine is distributed illegally as a white crystalline powder. It can be snorted, rubbed into the gums or dissolved in water and injected.
Crack is cocaine hydrochloride that has been processed with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water into chips, chunks or rocks. Crack cocaine can be smoked.
The effects of cocaine are short lived. Once the drug leaves the brain, it leads to a “coke crash” that includes depression, irritability and fatigue. Smoking crack/cocaine can produce a particularly aggressive paranoid behavior. When addicted individuals stop using cocaine, they often become depressed.
Additional details available at: www.drugabuse.gov.
A variety of common household products can have addictive properties when inhaled directly. These include model airplane glue, nail polish remover, cleaning fluids, hair spray, gasoline, the propellant in aerosol whipped cream, spray paint, fabric protector, air conditioner fluid (Freon), cooking spray and correction fluid.
Within seconds of inhalation, the user experiences intoxication along with other effects similar to those produced by alcohol. This includes slurred speech, an inability to coordinate movements, dizziness, confusion, delirium, nausea and vomiting. In addition, inhalants may cause lightheadedness, hallucinations and delusions.
Because intoxication lasts only a few minutes, people using inhalants often seek to prolong their high by continuing to inhale repeatedly over the course of several hours. Doing this can cause loss of consciousness and death.
Prolonged inhalant use can cause damage to the parts of the brain that control thinking, moving, seeing and hearing. Possible effects can range from mild impairment to severe dementia.
Additional details available at: www.drugabuse.gov.
Marijuana, which is also known as pot, ganja, weed, grass and dope, is an addictive drug made from dried cannabis sativa hemp plant.
The active chemical in marijuana, THC, moves quickly through the bloodstream to act on cannabinoid receptors in areas of the brain that control memory, concentration, perception and movement.
Marijuana is the most commonly abused illegal drug in the United States. It is usually rolled into cigarette form and smoked (joint) or smoked through a water pipe (bong). Occasionally, it is brewed as tea or mixed with food, such as brownies.
A marijuana “high” is achieved when mental and physical faculties are noticeably altered. Highs vary with potency, dose, chemical composition, method of consumption and setting.
Additional details available at: www.drugabuse.gov.
Methamphetamines are powerful, highly addictive stimulants that affect the central nervous system. Also known as meth, chalk, ice, and crystal, methamphetamines take the form of a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol.
Meth should not be confused with its parent drug group, amphetamines. At comparable doses, much greater amounts of the drug get into the brain, making it a more potent stimulant. Methamphetamines have longer-lasting and more harmful effects on the central nervous system. These characteristics make it a drug with high potential for widespread abuse.
A meth user will exhibit increased activity levels and talkativeness, decreased appetite and euphoria – unlike opioid users, whose body functions, including breathing, will be suppressed to the point of unconsciousness.
Additional details available at: www.drugabuse.gov.
Nicotine, found in all tobacco products, is a highly addictive drug that acts in the brain and throughout the body. Tobacco products include cigarettes, e-cigarettes, hookah and pipe tobacco, cigars, snuff, dip, chew and snus. Dip and chew contain significantly more nicotine than cigarettes.
Nicotine is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. Within 10 seconds of entering the body, it reaches the brain, releasing adrenaline and creating a buzz of pleasure and energy. However, the buzz fades quickly, leaving the body craving more.
The body is able to build up a high tolerance to nicotine, so tobacco users need to increase the amount used in order to experience the same pleasurable effects and prevent withdrawal symptoms.
Electronic Cigarettes have become more popular since they were introduced in the United States in 2007. They are designed to mimic cigarettes, with an aerosol giving them the nicotine found in normal cigarettes. Their popularity has coincided with rising cigarette prices, as well as a way of stopping smoking entirely.
While they are considered by some to be safer than cigarettes, clinical studies about the safety and efficacy of e-cigarettes have not been submitted to the FDA. The FDA and other national health organizations have warned about the potential health risks and the safety of these products is virtually unknown.
Additional details available at: www.drugabuse.gov.