Information About Drugs
Gateway Drugs
Tobacco, Alcohol and Marijuana are the drugs that young people use most often. Each of them is destructive in its own right. Plus, the use of any one of them seems to "open the door" to involvement with other drugs.
Depressants
Depressants are chemical agents to induce sleep, relieve stress and allay anxiety. Alcohol is one of the oldest and most universal agents used for these purposes.
Narcotics
Originally referred to as substances that dulled the senses and relieved pain. The use is associated with unwanted effects including drowsiness, inability to concentrate, apathy, dilatation of blood vessels, and respiratory depression, severe depression pains in bones and muscles dependence and addiction.
Stimulants
As drugs of abuse, stimulants are frequently taken to produce a sense of exhilaration, enhance self esteem, improve mental and physical performance, increase activity, reduce appetite and to "get high". They are among the most potent agents of reward and reinforcement that underlie the problem of dependence.
Hallucinogens
Used by individuals of all ages and produces delusions and visual hallucinations that distort the user's sense of time and identity.
Cannabis
Cannabis contains chemicals called cannabinoids - one of these delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is believed to be responsible for most of the characteristic psychoactive effects of cannabis.
Inhalants
Inhalants are chemical vapors that produce mind-altering effects when users inhale them by sniffing or snorting.
Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs
Prescription drugs can be beneficial and essential for treating many illnesses when prescribed and taken as directed under a physician's supervision. However, when taken in larger amounts or for other reasons, or by other persons than those intended by the prescribing physician, they can be dangerous and even deadly.
Other Drugs
Such as Steroids and DXM (Dextromethorphan) or more commonly known as cough medicine, can be abused by taking large doses and could cause psychotic reactions.