|
C9: Drugs Page 3 -Facts
Issue Navigation:
Site Navigation:
By Topic:
|
Drugs - Know the Score
CANNABIS/MARIJUANA -
- The most common illegal drug in the UK.
- Strengths vary. Whilst smoking one type might only have a mild affect, another can catch you by surprise and blow your head off.
- Messes up concentration, often making you forget what you were about to say or do.
- Slows up reaction times. Getting stoned increases the chances of having an accident while driving a car or bike. Many people feel fine to drive after a smoking session, but don't realise until too late that their reactions are much slower, and they fail to brake in time.
- It's illegal to have, buy, sell, or even to give away. Despite what you might have heard about police leniency, you can end up with a night in the cell and a criminal record.
ALCOHOL -
- Alcohol is a depressant, which slows down reactions, the nervous system and the way the body functions. In moderation it can make people feel more relaxed.
- Long term heavy drinking can lead to addiction, stomach and liver damage, obesity, mood swings and memory loss. It is for these reasons that long term heavy drinking wrecks homes, families and lives.
- Less heavy drinking also has it bad points. There is no doubt that alcohol increases the chances of accidents, e.g. traffic and pedestrian accidents, or accidents occurring whilst trying to operate machinery whilst drunk. Male violence against both men and women is also common due to drunkenness, as is sexual harassment.
- Unlike some other drugs, drugs like alcohol and tobacco are not illegal to own, consume, or buy. However, there are certain restrictions. For example, it is an offence to be drunk and disorderly in a public place and obviously to drive whilst under the influence of alcohol is both illegal and stupid. Also, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to buy alcohol, whether from a shop or a pub.
ECSTACY -
- A stimulant. Wakes you up and keeps you going. Unfortunately for those who take ecsatcy, the effects after the highest point can be pretty difficult to handle. Coming down varies as much as the pills themselves, and it can be a real shock to have a heavy come down.
- Taking an E results in a (rush( feeling, normally followed by a sense of calm. People say it makes them more aware of the surroundings and music, and makes them want to hug everyone near them. Others find it leads to a sick feeling, and their arms and legs feel stiff and their jaw muscles clench.
- It's impossible to tell what is in a pill just by looking at it, so there is no way of telling what you are buying. Different pills have different strengths, and once swallowed, there's no way of stopping the effects if you don't like it or can't handle it.
- Taking ecstacy raises the body temperature. The buzz of energy encourages people to dance for hours (more than they would normally), leading them to get hotter and more dehydrated. This is dangerous and has led to deaths, especially where someone has taken a pill and been drinking alcohol (a deadly combination).
- Ecstacy is illegal to buy, sell, own, take, or give away as a gift.
AMPHETAMINE -
- Another stimulant, which can keep you up for hours. Like with other drugs though, what comes up must come down. Hours after snorting or swallowing speed, it's common to feel mega-tired, hungry, depressed and irritable. These effects often last for a few days after the high.
- It can come as a powder or a pill, but can be mixed with all sorts of rubbish to make it cheaper to produce. Anything from baking powder to bleach has been known to be mixed in with the drug, and it is impossible to tell this by looking or tasting. Most people usually only find out when it makes them ill.
- Speed has a tendency to make people really talkative. They think they are coming out with loads of profound stuff - but if they ever heard themselves, they'd realise they were probably going on about a load of rubbish! It can also make people really edgy, anxious and a bit paranoid.
- Too much, too often and it leads to depression, anxiety, and mucks about with your regular sleep patterns. The tiredness caused by this can lead to increased usage of the speed in order to keep awake. Because of this, some people feel that they can't get by without it, and so become regular users. What they don't realise, is that on top of everything else, regular use can lead to violent changes in mood, and increased aggressiveness.
- Without a prescription, it is illegal to have or take this drug. Either way, it is illegal to sell or give away.
SOLVENTS -
- The above are all kinds of solvents. Most can be found in the house, along with dozens of other easily sniffable products.
- Effects of sniffing solvents come on very quickly, but disappear again almost as fast. It feels a bit like getting drunk really quickly, as users often feel light-headed and dizzy. Others say that they get dreamy and have strange visions, or just feel drowsy and sick. As it wears off, most users feel like they've got a bad hangover.
- Accidents are much more likely to happen when someone has been sniffing solvents, especially when they are in places like river banks, near train lines or by the side of motorways (all common places for solvent users to go to get high).
- Users are often known to get unconscious. Usually they come back round in a short while and are left with just a very bad headache and a lot of vomiting. However, there are many cases of death due to people swallowing their own vomit whilst unconscious, or from suffocating.
- Long-term use can lead to damage of the liver, brain and kidneys. It is also not that hard to become psychologically dependent on solvents.
- It is not actually illegal to buy, sell or use solvents. However, it is illegal to sell to anyone under 18 if you know they are going to use them to get high.
|
||
|
|||
- Regular use can lead to anxiety, panic attacks, confusion, and sleep problems.