This is what I’ve learned from all my research.

The Effects of Ketamine

Ketamine is an anesthetic that has been approved for both human and animal use in medical settings since 1970. About 90% of the Ketamine sold today is intended for veterinary use. Illegally it is sold alone or as part of mixtures of LSD, Amphetamine or Ecstasy. A single dose of ketamine may last 4-6 hours but lingering effects can last up to 2 days. Along with GHB and "ruffies", Ketamine has become known as a "date rape" drug.

Slang or Street Names for Ketamine:
Special K, K, Vitamin K, Cat Valium

Method of Ingestion:
Ketamine is either swallowed, smoked, snorted, or injected.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Ketamine:

·         Impaired attention, learning ability, memory

·         Delirium

·         Amnesia

·         Impaired motor function

·         High blood pressure

·         Depression

·         Potential fatal respiratory problems

The Effects of Narcotics

Narcotics are highly addictive drugs that are used medically to kill pain. They are often prescribed by doctors to relieve moderate and severe pain (except heroin, which is illegal in the United States). The physical withdrawal symptoms of narcotics are insomnia, tremors, nausea, chills, muscular pains and uncontrollable kicking (hence the expression "kicking the habit").

The most common narcotics are the following:

·         Codeine
Codeine is a derivative of the opium poppy. It is the least addictive type of narcotic and most widely used in medical treatment. It is prescribed in pure tablets or in tablets containing other pain relievers. Codeine is also found in some prescription liquid cough remedies.

·         Morphine
Morphine is also derived from the opium poppy. It is precribed by doctors and used in hospitals and is one of the most effective drugs for the relief of pain. It can be taken in tablet or liquid (injectible form).

·         Heroin
Heroin was used as a legal narcotic in the United States until its high potential for addiction was learned. Today, it is only sold illegally on the street. Pure heroin is a white powder but heroin on the street can vary in color from white to dark brown due to additives and impurities. Heroin addicts are known as "junkies" because of the "junk" with which heroin is cut.

·         Hydromorphone
Hydromorphone is commonly referred to as "Dilaudud." It is sold as either a tablet or injectible fluid. Dialudid is semi-synthetic and at least twice as potent as morphine. It is widely sought by narcotics addicts.

Method of Ingestion:
Swallowed in pill form, sniffed, smoked or injected

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Narcotics:

·         Euphoria

·         Drowsiness

·         Apathy

·         Nausea and vomiting

·         Slurred speech

·         Constricted pupils

·         Decreased physical activity

·         Convulsions

·         Respiratory depression

·         Greater susceptibility to infection.

·         Increased risk of hepatitis or AIDS from infected needles

·         Coma

·         Death

The Effects of Inhalants

Inhalants are usually substances that most people do not think of as drugs and can often be purchased at a grocery or hardware store. They are a diverse group of substances that are inhaled to give the user an immediate head rush or high. The effects include slurred speech, blurred vision, ringing in ears, loss of balance, nausea, vomiting and drowsiness. The effects can last 30-40 minutes. Inhalants block the flow of oxygen in a person's body and contain chemicals that can destroy brain cells. The use of inhalants can have serious or lethal effects on persons who abuse them. Even one-time use can result in coma or death.

Some examples of the most common substances used as inhalants are:

·         Solvents
Strong glues (model airplane glues, etc.), correction fluid for typewriters, gasoline, paint thinners, polish and polish removers, cleaning and lighter fluids.

·         Aerosols
Propellant from any aerosol can (hair spray, spray paints, whipped cream, etc.).

·         Anesthetics
Nitrous oxide ("laughing gas"), halothane, amyl nitrite (a prescription heart medicine) and butyl nitrite (whose slang names are "rush" and "locker room")

Method of Ingestion:
Inhalants are sniffed or "huffed" directly from the source or in plastic and paper bags held over the face. Saturated rags are sometimes held over the nose and mouth.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Using Inhalants:

·         Asphyxiation or suffocation

·         Sudden cardiac arrest

·         Numbness and tingling in hands and feet

·         Blood and bone marrow changes

·         Damage to kidneys, liver, lungs, and central nervous system

·         Weight loss

·         Electrolyte imbalance

·         Reduced physical and mental capabilities

·         Loss of sense of smell/taste

·         Irreversible brain damage

The Effects of Ecstacy

Ecstasy is a very powerful central nervous system stimulant that is widely used at clubs or at all-night dance parties known as "raves". It is a synthetic drug produced illegally in clandestine laboratories. Ecstasy is seldom pure and the amount in a capsule or tablet is likely to vary considerably. Paraphernalia can include blow pops or lollipops, baby pacifiers or nasal inhalers.

Slang or Street Names for Ecstasy:
XTC, X, Adam, Clarity, Rolls, Beans, Love Drug, Lover's Speed, MDMA

Method of Ingestion:
Ecstasy is taken orally by pill or capsule, snorted, smoked, or injected.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Ecstasy:

·         Nervousness

·         Rapid heartbeat

·         Hyper-excitability

·         Teeth grinding

·         Scratching/rubbing of skin

·         Eye twitching

·         Panic attacks

·         Muscle cramping

·         Seizures

·         Loss of consciousness

·         Death

The Effects of Tobacco

Tobacco is a plant that grows in many of the southern states of the U.S. It is a large leafed plant that is dried and either smoked (cigarettes, cigars and pipes) or placed in the mouth (chewing tobacco and dip or snuff). Nicotine is the poisonous, psychoactive drug contained in all tobacco products. It stimulates the central nervous system and is highly addictive. Approximately 365,000 people die every year from tobacco related diseases.

Cigarettes, Cigar and Pipe Tobacco Facts:

Smoke from burning tobacco contains more that 3,000 chemicals. Three of the most poisonous chemicals are:

·         Tar:
Tar is a sticky, gummy residue created by burning tobacco. It damages a smoker's lungs and respiratory system. If a person smokes one pack of cigarettes a day, he will accumulate up to 8 ounces of tar in his lungs in a year. Damage to a smoker's lungs can lead to lung cancer, emphysema, and acute bronchitis.

·         Carbon Monoxide:
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. It enters the bloodstream and replaces some of the oxygen in a smoker's bloodstream. Carbon Monoxide damages a smoker's circulatory system and can lead to heart disease.

·         Hydrogen Cyanide:
Hydrogen cyanide is a poisonous gas that temporarily paralyzes the cilia (tiny hairs that line the nose and bronchial tubes). Cilia help to keep the lungs free from germs. Long term smoking results in the permanent destruction of the cilia. Damage to the lungs can lead to lung cancer, acute bronchitis, emphysema and other lung ailments.

Method of Ingestion:
Smoked.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Smoking Tobacco:

·         Increased blood pressure and heart rate

·         Acute/chronic bronchitis

·         Diminished sense of smell/taste

·         Gastric ulcers

·         Premature and increased facial wrinkling

·         Emphysema

·         Heart disease

·         Cancer of the mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, lungs, pancreas, cervix, uterus, and bladder

Chewing Tobacco and Dip (Snuff) Facts:

Chewing tobacco and dip (snuff) are smokeless products made from crushed, ground tobacco leaves that have been sweetened or flavored. These products are placed in the mouth between the cheek and the gums and mix with a "dipper's" or "chewer's" saliva. Tobacco's psychoactive drug, nicotine, is absorbed into the bloodstream through the blood vessels of their mouth lining. Smokeless tobacco products are just as addicting as cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco.

Method of Ingestion:
Smokeless tobacco is placed between the cheek and gum in the mouth. It mixes with a user's saliva.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Smokeless Tobacco:

·         Increased blood pressure and heart rate

·         Tooth decay

·         Discolored teeth and gums

·         Bad breath

·         Gum ulcers

·         Gingavitis (gum disease)

·         Tooth loss

·         Pre-cancerous lesions (white patches) on cheek and gums

·         Cancers of the mouth, tongue, lips, gums, throat, esophagus

The Effects of Hallucinagens

Hallucinagens are psychoactive drugs that distort reality and scramble a person's senses. The best known hallucinogens include phencyclidine (PCP, "angel dust"), lycergic acid diethylamide (LSD, "acid"), mescaline from the peyote cactus and psylocybin ("shrooms"). The effects of hallucinagens are both psychological and physical. All of these drugs produce changes in the user's perception, thought and mood. Time may appear to stand still and forms and colors seem to change and take on new significance. This could be a pleasurable experience or terrifying one. The overall effects of hallucinogens are highly unpredictable each time they are used.

Method of Ingestion:
Swallowed in pill or liquid form. PCP is sometimes combined with marijuana, cocaine or other drugs.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Hallucinagens:

·         Increased heart rate and blood pressure

·         Dilated pupils

·         Numbness, weakness, and trembling

·         Nausea

·         Slurred speech

·         Impaired coordination

·         Convulsions

·         Depression, anxiety, paranoia

·         Violent behavior

·         Flashbacks

·         Persistent psychosis

·         Catatonic syndrome whereby user becomes mute and disoriented and makes meaningless and repetitive movements

·         Decreased awareness of pain that can lead to injuries

·         Heart and lung failure

·         Coma

·         Death

The Effects of Cocaine

Cocaine is a very powerful and highly addictive stimulant that comes from the coca plant that grows in Central and South America. The coca leaves are processed to extract small amounts of cocaine, which is made into a white powder known as cocaine hydrochloride. The cocaine is then smuggled into the United States by plane, boat or human carrier.

"Crack" is the street name given to tiny chunks of free-base cocaine. It is a smoke-able form of the drug extracted from cocaine hydrochloride powder. It is not a pure form of cocaine because the extraction process does not eliminate all the adulterants or "cuts". Its name comes from the crackling sound that is made when the drug is heated. Cocaine is both physically and psychologically addictive in any form.

Slang or Street Names for Cocaine:
Coke, Flake, Snow

Method of Ingestion:
Sniffed, Smoked, Injected

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Cocaine:

·         Intense, euphoric feeling followed by an equally intense "crash" or depressed feeling

·         Heart attacks

·         Lung damage

·         Chest pains

·         Erratic heart beat

·         Brain hemorrhage

·         Seizure

·         Death

·         Psychosis

·         Paranoia

·         Violent behavior

·         Heart attacks, strokes, respiratory failure

·         Brain seizures

·         Decreased ability of body to fight infection

·         Violent, erratic, paranoid behavior

·         Hallucinations and "coke bugs" (sensation of imaginary insects crawling over the skin)

·         Hepatitis or AIDS through shared needles

·         Confusion, anxiety, and depression

·         "Cocaine psychosis"losing touch with reality, loss of interest in friends, family, hobbies, sports, and other activities

Effects of Caffeine

Your brain produces a chemical called adenosine. When adenosine binds to the adenosine receptors in your brain, it causes all the activity to slow down and it makes you tired. Caffeine has a structure that is very similar to adenosine, so it binds to the adenosine receptors instead. This causes two things. (1) The activity in your cells does not decrease; it increases. (2) The blood vessels in your brain constrict.

Your body sees all this increased activity, and it thinks that it's in danger. So the pituitary gland sends messages to the adrenaline gland to produce adrenaline. The adrenaline causes your heart rate to increase and your liver to release more sugar into your bloodstream so that you have more energy.

In addition to increasing energy, caffeine has a few other functions as well. Caffeine also acts as a diuretic for many people. It is also an appetite suppressant. As long as you consume a moderate amount of caffeine, the positive effects of caffeine outweigh the negative effects.

How much is too much?

Most people experience what they believe to be positive effects from caffeine if they consume 50-300mg of caffeine (or 1 to 6 cups of iced tea). Some of these effects include alertness, energy, and the ability to concentrate. People who consume excessive amounts of caffeine can experience negative feelings, such as anxiety, nervousness, and insomnia.

Caffeine is a type of drug called a stimulant; it relieves drowsiness, helps you perform repetitive tasks, and improves your ability to work -- for some people. Caffeine is said to be addictive and can cause problems for some people because it can cause anxiety, inability to sleep, rapid breathing, upset stomach and bowels, and dizziness. It is possible to "overdose" on caffeine. Below are the symptoms a person may experience if he or she has had too much caffeine.

Symptoms of Caffeine Intoxication

physical restlessness
nervousness
excitement
insomnia
flushed face
increased urination
hard time digesting
muscle twitching
rambling thoughts and speech
rapid or irregular heartbeat
periods where you do not feel tired at all

Higher doses of caffeine may cause ringing in the ears or flashes of light, seizures, and possible fatal respiratory failure.