Specific Drugs and Their Effects

Drug Name:
Alcohol
Effects:
Addiction (alcoholism), dizziness, nausea, vomiting, hangovers, slurred speech, disturbed sleep, impaired motor skills, violent behavior, fetal alcohol syndrome, respiratory depression and death (high doses).

Drug Name:
Amphetamines
Effects:
Addiction, irritability, anxiety, increased blood pressure, paranoia, psychosis, depression, aggression, convulsions, dilated pupils, dizziness, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, malnutrition. Increased risk of exposure to HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases if injected.

Drug Name:
Metamphetamines
Effects:
Addiction, irritability, aggression, hypothermia, stroke, paranoia, psychosis, convulsions, heart and blood vessel toxicity, hallucinations, arrhythmia, formication (the sensation of insects creeping on or under your skin).

Drug Name:
Ecstasy
Effects:
Psychiatric disturbances, including panic, anxiety, depression, and paranoia. Muscle tension, nausea, blurred vision, sweating, increased heart rate, tremors, hallucinations, fainting, chills, sleep problems, and reduced appetite

Drug Name:
Ritalin
Effects:
Loss of appetite, fevers, convulsions, and severe headaches. Increased risk of exposure to HIV, hepatitis, and other infections. Paranoia, hallucinations, excessive repetition of movements and meaningless tasks, tremors, muscle twitching.

Drug Name:
Herbal Ecstasy/Ephedrine
Effects:
Increased heart rate and blood pressure. Seizures, heart attacks, stroke, and death.

Drug Name:
Designer Drugs
Effects:
Instant respiratory paralysis. Potency creates strong possibility for overdose, many of the same effects as heroin.

Drug Name:
Cocaine
Effects:
Addiction, pupil dilation, elevated blood pressure and heart rate. Increased respiratory rate, seizures, heart attack, insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, irritability, increased body temperature, death from overdose.

Drug Name:
Crack
Effects:
Same as cocaine

Drug Name:
Heroin
Effects:
Addiction. Slurred speech, slow gait, constricted pupils, droopy eyelids, impaired night vision, nodding off, respiratory depression or failure, dry itching skin, and skin infections. Increased risk of exposure to HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases if injected.

Drug Name:
PCP
Effects:
Hallucinations. Out-of-body experiences, impaired motor coordination, inability to feel physical pain, respiratory attack, disorientation, fear, panic, aggressive behavior. Increased risk of exposure to HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases if injected. Death.

Drug Name:
LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethyl amide)
Effects:
Elevated body temperature and blood pressure, suppressed appetite, sleeplessness, tremors, chronic recurring hallucinations.

Drug Name:
Mushrooms
Effects:
Increased blood pressure, sweating, nausea, hallucinations.

Drug Name:
Inhalants
Effects:
Headache, muscle weakness, abdominal pain, severe mood swings and violent behavior, nausea, nose bleeds; liver, lung, and kidney damage; dangerous chemical imbalances in the body, lack of coordination, fatigue, loss of appetite, decreases in heart and respiratory rates, hepatitis, or peripheral neuropathy from long-term use.

Drug Name:
Marijuana
Effects:
Bloodshot eyes, dry mouth, impaired or reduced comprehension, altered sense of time, reduced ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination --such as driving a car, paranoia, intense anxiety attacks, altered cognition, making acquisition of new information difficult; impairments in learning, memory, perception, and judgment; difficulty speaking, listening effectively, thinking, retaining knowledge, problem solving.

Drug Name:
Steroids
Effects:
Liver cancer Sterility, masculine traits in women and feminine traits in men, aggression, depression, acne, mood swings.

Drug Name:
Tobacco
Effects:
Addiction, heart disease, cancer of the lung, larynx, esophagus, bladder, pancreas, kidney, and mouth. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis, spontaneous abortion, low birth weight.