Drugs A–Z

What happens when you take it? Amphetamines act like adrenaline on the brain. Your breathing and heart rate speed up, and you feel more alert, energetic and confident. It takes effect in half an hour and lasts for four to six hours.

Negatives:

In the short term, it can produce restlessness or anxiety, particularly if the user was tired when taking the drug. Sleep patterns can be badly affected, even by very small doses.
Overdoses can occur at relatively low levels and may cause muscle spasms, convulsions and occasionally coma or the collapse of blood vessels in the brain, which kills. Overdoses are much more likely if speed is injected.
Heavy use can lead to abrupt mood swings, delusions and paranoia and in extreme cases it can cause amphetamine psychosis (a recognised condition in its own right).
Associated health risks include damage to the liver, to blood vessels (especially in the eyes), high blood pressure, rashes and tooth decay.

Notes:

Addiction: Amphetamine use also carries the risk of addiction and the more you use, the more you need to take to get the same buzz.
Street wraps are normally only about 5% pure so on the grounds of the impurities alone it is inadvisable to inject or snort it.
Never inject amphetamines.
Don’t take large doses.
If you’re in a club ensure you sip water and use the chill out area.
If you have heart or blood pressure problems, or if you are taking anti–depressants or contraceptive pills, avoid taking amphetamines.

Barbiturates

Also called: Barbie, Downers, Sekkies, Barbituates

Class: B

What is it? Barbiturates are prescription sedatives, and usually come in tablet or capsule form, and are usually taken orally, anally or intravenously.

What happens when you take it? Small doses (one or two tablets) make you feel relaxed, sociable and good–humoured. Your breathing is depressed. In larger doses the sedative effect predominates producing a drunken effect similar to alcohol. Effects last three to six hours and are magnified if you take it at the same time as other sedatives, such as alcohol.

Negatives:

Because the sedative depresses breathing, Barbiturates can kill due to respiratory failure.
Heavy users are susceptible to bronchitis, pneumonia and hypothermia.
As well as the usual hazards of injecting, injecting barbiturates increases the risk of overdose, gangrene and skin abscesses.

Notes:

Use of injected barbiturates is probably the most dangerous form of drug abuse.
Barbiturates also carry a high risk of psychological and physical dependence.
The lethal dose is not much higher to the normal dose, and is even lower when combined with other sedatives.

Cannabis

Also called: Marijuana, Pot, Grass, Hash, Weed, Skunk

Class: B

Cannabis and the Law: Cannabis is bought in fractions of an ounce and if you are caught with anything over a quarter you may be accused of intent to supply. It now carries various levels of penalty depending on how many times you get caught and how much you are carrying; ranging from 14 years imprisonment for dealing and the possibility of an unlimited fine, 5 years for possession and an £80 on the spot fine to various levels of police warnings. It’s worth noting that now we are classed as adults and therefore are subject to harder prosecution.

What is it?

Skunk: Much stronger variant of cannabis. The upgrade in legal status is a result of its increasing domination of the market. Note that “Pot” is not what it was in the 60’s.
Hashish is a brown block of compressed resin, prepared for smoking by heating and crumbling into a pipe or joint.
Marijuana is the leaves and flowers from a mature female cannabis plant.
Sensimilla is a much stronger type prepared by growing plants without seeds (skunk is one popular variant). It comes as buds and small leaves that vary in terms of appearance but are often green with small orange hairs.
Cannabis oil can also be produced, which is even stronger and is a Class A drug.

What happens when you take it? Cannabis affects mood, attention, memory, perception and patterns of thinking. You will normally become relaxed and giggly. You may later develop an intense desire for food, nicknamed “the munchies”. Recently some very powerful varieties have become available (e.g. super skunk, purple haze and northern lights) which can cause mild hallucinations. These stronger varieties have also been associated with increased paranoia and mental illness. The hangover from cannabis is usually mild, often manifesting itself in tiredness and a slight fogginess the following day.

Negatives:

Smoking cannabis can cause nausea (especially if combined with alcohol), paranoia and short term memory loss.
Repeated use can lead to apathy and chronic lethargy, things that can cause concern to University and College authorities.
All of the ill effects of tobacco are also associated with cannabis smoking (as they are often consumed together). These effects are compounded as joints rarely have filters (which would greatly decrease tar intake); two to three joints a day have the same effect as smoking twenty cigarettes a day.

Notes

Occasional cannabis use can also lead to nicotine addiction due to the tobacco used when smoking.
Use cannabis with people you trust and take steps to make sure you will be safe on your way home.
There is some evidence that suggests vitamin C reduces the “fogginess” caused by the drug and speeds your return to normality.

Cocaine

Also called: Snow, Charlie, Rock, Coke

Class: A

What is? The most common form of the drug is a white powder. Usually snorted, it can also be injected or dissolved in water.

What happens when you take it? Cocaine in any form produces a feeling of well–being, exhilaration, indifference to fatigue and a sense of greater physical strength and mental capacity. Your heart rate and breathing increase, blood pressure rises and your appetite is suppressed. The form in which the drug is taken has a powerful influence on the length and power of the high induced. Generally the faster the drug is absorbed into the bloodstream (more particularly the brain), the greater the high and the shorter–lasting the effects.

Negatives:

When coming down, you are likely to feel tired, anxious and may have panic attacks.
Large or frequent doses taken over a short period can leave the user restless, confused and paranoid.
Cocaine is rapidly metabolised by the body, so the effects tend to be short lived.
Even occasional or infrequent snorting can cause a running nose and a slight collapse of the nasal cartilage.
Prolonged use may cause a permanently runny or itchy nose, ulceration, sores and in some cases the total collapse of the nasal cartilage.
Long–term use may cause brain damage by withering the dopamine–bearing nerves or by damaging the small blood vessels in the brain.
Coke is also very addictive, and the psychological dependence is often difficult to overcome due to changes in the structure of the brain.

Notes:

In rare incidences, sudden death can result from the first use.
Use cocaine powder, use low doses, and do not use over long periods.
Apart from anything else it will bankrupt you and destroy your nose.

Ecstasy

Also called: E, Doves, Pills, MDMA, Mandy

Class: A

What is it? In its pure form MDMA is a white powder. Pills sold as ecstasy range from white to beige depending on their purity and what the drug is mixed with. A single ecstasy pill generally contains about 120mg of MDMA. Smaller pills purporting to be pure MDMA are also available, as is MDMA in powder form. These are rarely as pure as they claim to be, but in order to avoid an overdose you must assume they are.

What happens when you take it? Coming up can last anything from 20 to 60 minutes; it can be a smooth transition to the plateau or may be a sudden change. The plateau lasts typically between three and six hours depending on the dose taken and the tolerance of the user. This is followed by comedown, which can take hours or happen very quickly.

Negatives:

During the come down, the user becomes very tired (particularly after dancing all night) and depleted serotonin levels can lead to depression. Muscle–ache is also common.
MDMA is not in itself very dangerous in the short term, but the substances it is cut with may well be.
Side effects include nausea, dizziness and jaw tension (many users carry gum with them to alleviate this by chewing).
Some people feel depressed for a couple of days after taking E.
The long–term effects of ecstasy are not yet fully understood.
Long–term use can cause liver and kidney damage and may affect the immune system, especially in women.

Notes:

Other drugs such as PMA and ketamine are often sold as ecstasy and the effects they have are very different, and may take longer to kick in. This often leads to “doubling up” and taking too much and when the effect is different to what you were expecting it can be very distressing.
Dehydration is a big risk. Don’t drink alcohol or caffeinated drinks and be sure to sip water regularly to stop your brain from overheating. However, do not drink large amounts of water quickly. Water is not an antidote to ecstasy and drinking too much too quickly can kill.
If you feel uncomfortably hot in a club go to the chill out area or outside.
Eat something salty or have an isotonic drink before you go out to help the body hold onto essential minerals.
There is no quality control associated with ecstasy manufacture and it is a very serious risk that users do not know what a tablet may contain and in what proportions.

Heroin

Also called: Skag, Smack, Gear, H

Class: A

What is it? Heroin is an opiate, similar to morphine. In its pure form it is a white powder. However, street heroin is usually light brown, having been cut with chalk, caffeine or flour. It is usually sold in small paper packets (wraps) and can be smoked or snorted, but is usually injected.

What happens when you take it? Heroin depresses your brain activity including reflexes like coughing, breathing and heart rate. You very quickly achieve a strong sense of well–being and the disappearance of all physical pain. In higher doses the user often feels detached from reality. Initially, the effects last up to four hours but the more you use it, the more you need to achieve the same high; some addicts require up to 8 fixes a day.

Negatives:

Initial use is accompanied by nausea and vomiting and the skin may become itchy.
In the long–term, constipation and reduced sex drive are common.
Withdrawal symptoms for regular users of heroin can occur between 6 and 12 hours after the last dose and include hot and cold sweats, stomach and muscle cramps, sleeplessness, diarrhoea and vomiting.

Notes:

Injection related dangers include the risk of HIV and hepatitis B from dirty needles.
Heroin is also often cut with substances that can cause a variety of health problems themselves.
It is quite common for users to overdose because a batch is purer than they expected.
The addictive properties of heroin are well known and result in incredibly powerful psychological and physical addiction and eventually users often have to shoot up just to feel normal.
There is no safe way to take heroin, although risk of HIV and Hepatitis B can be minimised by never sharing injecting equipment and exchanging used needles for new ones at the Bridge Project.

Ketamine

Also called: Special K, Ed, K, Kitkat

Class: C

What is it? Ketamine is a horse tranquiliser, although it has other pharmaceutical uses in both humans and animals. In this form it is found as a liquid, which can be injected or swallowed. It is also available as a pill or powder and can be snorted or smoked. Ketamine is commonly sold as, or is cut with, ecstasy. In such cases the anaesthetic effects are the polar opposite to those expected.

What happens when you take it? Ketamine is a dissociative drug, meaning that you feel that your mind is separated from your body. Other psychological effects are similar to those of LSD, including hallucinations, euphoria and synaesthesia (where you “see” sounds and “hear” colours). Effects last up to three hours, during which time you may be unable to move.

Negatives:

Effects last up to three hours, during which time you may be unable to move.
The initial rush can be accompanied by vomiting, nausea, slurring of speech, numbness and irregular muscle co-ordination.
It is possible to become psychologically, although not physically, addicted to Ketamine.
The anaesthetic effect gives the potential for the user to injure themselves unwittingly, compounded by hallucinations, which can lead to confusion when the user cannot distinguish reality from drug induced illusion.

Notes:

Don’t take it with other drugs, especially depressants such as alcohol.
If you have taken ketamine, stay calm and stay out of situations in which you could hurt yourself.

LSD

Also called: Acid, Nashers, Tabs, Blots

Class: A

What is it? Almost all LSD sold in the UK is taken orally. It usually comes on blotting paper or cardboard sheets cut into 5mm squares with printed images. It is also sold in tiny tablets (microdots), on sugar cubes, in gelatine strips or in capsules. The LSD content of these cards can vary but the average dose is around 75 micrograms, giving a trip lasting about eight hours.

What happens when you take it? The average dose of an LSD card is around 75 micrograms, giving a trip lasting about eight hours. The greater the dosage the more the trip becomes an internal experience of the mind, which can be an extremely frightening and potentially damaging experience. A typical LSD trip can be described in four stages:

30 to 60 minutes after the drug is taken, colours appear sharper, moving objects leave traces behind them and patterns appear when you close your eyes.
Over the second hour the effects intensify. Patterns are now seen while your eyes are open, and familiar objects can seem distorted or unreal.
In the next stage, time slows to a standstill. You may feel “outside your body”.
In the final stage, the sensations subside, although it can take a day for the effect to wear off entirely.

Negatives:

The most notable risk with taking LSD is having a bad trip. It is important if someone has a bad trip to remain with them and comfort them until the effects wear off.
Long–term effects of LSD upon the mind are not well understood.
LSD may trigger underlying mental problems, producing delusions, paranoia and, sometimes, schizophrenic states. Most cases do subside, but some can last for months.
About a quarter of users experience flashbacks to a previous trip but, whilst distressing, they are generally not dangerous.

Notes:

Take every effort to minimise the likelihood of a bad trip.
Only take it if you are in a good mood, and only with people you like and trust.
If you want to come down, drink lots of orange juice as there is some evidence that vitamin C helps.
If you have a history of mental illness then it is advisable to stay away from LSD.

Magic Mushrooms

Also called: Liberty caps, Shrooms, Mushies

Class: A

What is it? Liberty cap is the most commonly consumed hallucinogenic mushroom in the UK. It is found growing wild in many fields or meadow areas. It is crucially important to identify the correct type of mushroom, as many of the fungi growing wild in the UK are extremely toxic.

What happens when you take it? The effects are similar to those of LSD. In low doses (two to four mushrooms), you feel stoned, relaxed and quite euphoric. If you’ve taken higher doses (20+) you experience hallucinations and distortions of colour and sound. Effects are felt within about half an hour and last 6 to 12 hours, depending on the amount taken.

Negatives:

Bad effects from magic mushrooms also include those associated with bad trips such as paranoia and fear.
Mushrooms can also trigger off asthma attacks and other allergic reactions in some people.

Notes:

The greatest danger is from eating a poisonous variety of mushroom by mistake.
Don’t eat them on your own in case you need to be rushed to hospital.
Tolerance builds up quickly and you may need several days of abstinence for the same dose to have an effect.
If you have any history of mental illness, it’s best to stay away from any kind of hallucinogen, including mushrooms.

Nicotine

Also called: Ciggies, Fags, Baccy, Tabs

Class: Legal

What is it? Nicotine is a stimulant found in tobacco leaves, which vaporises into smoke when burnt. Nicotine is also available in patches, sprays and gum produced to help people quit smoking.

What happens when you take it? In small amounts nicotine stimulates nerve impulses in the central and the automatic nervous systems. In large amounts nicotine inhibits these systems. Smoking a few cigarettes increases pulse rate and blood pressure, reduces appetite and skin temperature and produces symptoms of stimulation. Nicotine can be used to ease stress and anxiety.

Negatives:

Despite the misleadingly mild high, nicotine is strongly physically addictive, with most “social” smokers being or becoming addicted without realising.
First time smokers often feel sick and dizzy.
Large doses in anyone can produce vomiting, tremors and convulsions.
Smoking inhibits your breathing and therefore seriously affects your ability to move fast without shortage of breath.
The long–term effects of smoking are widely publicised: smoking is directly responsible for 35,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the UK and 70,000 deaths from other cardiovascular diseases.

Notes:

Tobacco is the only drug listed here that, if bought and used according to the manufacturer’s instructions, is likely to kill you.
Nicotine can also affect people who haven’t chosen to take it via passive smoking.
The addictive effects of nicotine are well known to all, especially to those trying to quit!
There is no safe way to smoke. But the chief medical officer’s advice is to leave a long stub and not to breathe in too deeply.
Don’t smoke if you are pregnant or if you are around children or pregnant women.

Poppers

Also called: Liquid gold, Ram, Rush, Yellows

Class: Legal

What is it? Clear yellow liquid, normally sold in glass phials and are often found in sex shops, sold as “room aromas”. Poppers are not illegal to possess, but supply can be an offence under the Medicines Act.

What happens when you take it? Once sniffed the user instantly feels a rush, light–headedness, dizziness and flushing of the face and neck. The effects fade two to five minutes after use. It relaxes the muscles, and consequently is used by many to try to prolong orgasm or to aid anal sex.

Negatives:

The drop in blood pressure may cause unconsciousness, especially if the user is lying down and gets up too quickly.
Use is very dangerous for people with pre–existing blood pressure, heart or circulatory problems.
They also reduce the oxygen–carrying capacity of the blood and can cause methaemoglobinemia, where the lips and mouth turn blue. This can progress to shock, accompanied by vomiting and unconsciousness and in extreme cases, death.

Notes:

The drug is quickly expelled from the body, so long–term danger is slight.
Don’t take if you know you have any blood pressure, heart or circulatory problems.
Seek help immediately if your mouth and lips turn blue.
Poppers should never be taken along with viagra, as both result in a drop in blood pressure which can be lethal when combined.
They are highly flammable, so remember to keep them away from naked flames and cigarettes.
They are also toxic and can kill you if ingested.

Steroids

Also called: Bulkups, Anabs, Lifters, Roids

Class: C

What is it? Steroids come both in tablet form and as injectable ampoules.

What happens when you take it? Steroids can help increase muscle mass in conjunction with intensive exercise and a high protein diet. They work by slowing down the breakdown of muscle tissue; this allows muscle to develop more quickly and more powerfully.

Negatives:

Aggressive behaviour is common.
Long–term effects in men include growth of breasts, accelerated hair loss, acne, impotence, lowered sperm count and decreased testicle size. Apart from hair loss, these effects generally reverse when use is stopped.
Long–term effects in women include the development of male sexual characteristics such as increased body hair, a deepening of the voice, loss of hair on the head and a decrease in breast size.
Other long–term effects include liver damage and growth may be stunted in young people.

Solvents

Also called: Glue, Paint, Aerosols, Butane

Class: Legal

What is it? Glue, paint, aerosols and butane gas. They can all be inhaled.

What happens when you take it? The user will often feel either drowsy, or giddy and light headed. Hallucinations are not uncommon. The effects come on quickly, but are short lived, disappearing in a few minutes to half an hour.

Negatives:

Breathing and heart rate are depressed and deep or repeated inhalation can cause disorientation or loss of consciousness.
Headaches and poor concentration may affect you for up to a day.
There is also the risk of death through choking on vomit and direction inhalation of aerosols can freeze the lungs or cause production of a fluid in the lungs that can cause drowning.
Long term abuse can also cause damage to the brain, liver and kidneys.

Notes:

Solvents should never be abused.
There is no safe way to take them and they are associated with large numbers of drug deaths.

Tranquillisers

Also called: Tranqs, Norries, Eggs, Jellies

Class: C

What is it? Brand names include Valium (diazepam), Librium (chlorodiazepoxide), Atvian and Temazepam. They are usually taken orally (although Temazepam can be injected and sometimes they are available in suppository form to take anally). Tranquillisers have been used to add to the effects of other depressant drugs such as alcohol, or to offset the effects of stimulants. However, they rarely produce the same euphoria associated with barbiturates or alcohol. They are often used as come–downs off things like ecstasy and LSD.

What happens when you take it? Benzodiazepines depress the nervous system in a similar way to alcohol. They relieve tension and anxiety, relaxing the user. Higher doses lead to loss of inhibition and increased confidence. They are fast acting and the effects can last from four hours to a day depending on the drug and the dosage.

Negatives:

Effects can include insomnia, anxiety, shaking, agoraphobia and vomiting.
A few cases also report convulsions and mental confusion.
After two weeks or so, tolerance to the effects can start to build up, as will dependence.

Notes:

Some tranquilisers such as rohypnol are associated with sex crimes.
As with most other drugs, the risk is greatly increased when combined with alcohol.
Injecting melted down capsules or crushed tablets is also extremely dangerous and can be fatal.

Useful links

Drugs A–Z

Amphetamines

Barbiturates

Cannabis

Cocaine

Ecstasy

Heroin

Ketamine

LSD

Magic Mushrooms

Nicotine

Poppers

Steroids

Solvents

Tranquillisers