Ecstasy:
Ecstasy tablets are supposedly made up of the primary ingredient methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), but as the ingredients required to make synthetic drugs are becoming more difficult to obtain, the formulation of pills marketed as ecstasy can vary greatly. They are more likely to contain methamphetamine (speed) combined with a synthetic hallucinogen or para-methoxyamphetamine (PMA).
Ecstasy is known by a variety of other names, including: E, pills, Ex, pingers, E n C, eccy, MDMA, XTC, eggs and disco biscuits.
There are usually three phases experienced when taking ecstasy:
Coming up: the user may experience tightening of muscles, especially jaw, dilated pupils, visual distortions, nausea or vomiting, strong pulse, increased temperature, confusion and panic.
Plateauing: the user may experience feeling happy, more awake, relaxed, open, confident, talkative and have decreased urine output and increased thirst.
Coming down: the user can feel physically exhausted, depressed, anxious, paranoid, irritable, unable to sleep and the comedown will be more intense if they have taken other drugs, including alcohol.
Marijuana:
Marijuana (cannabis) primarily comes from the cannabis plant (cannabis sativa). The cannabis plant is also used to produce hashish (hash) and hash oil. Of the three, marijuana (cannabis) is the most common but all forms of the drug are capable of causing a variety of physical and mental problems resulting from intoxication and long-term use.
Marijuana (cannabis) is known by a variety of other names, including: pot, grass, weed, ya(r)ndi, rope, mull, dope, skunk, bhang, ganja, hash, chronic, reefer, joint, cone or spliff.
Marijuana (cannabis) produces a ‘high’ that generally makes the user feel more relaxed, happy and more talkative. It can also increase appetite.
When cannabis is used, THC is the main active chemical constituent absorbed into the bloodstream. THC crosses into the bloodstream and acts on the brain, flooding the receptors with the brain’s reward chemicals and producing the ‘high’ effect.
Ice:
Ice and base are methamphetamine, part of the amphetamine family of drugs which also includes speed. The difference between ice, base and speed is that ice is the most pure form, followed by base then speed. The 'high' experienced from ice and base is much more intense, and with intense reactions come powerful responses including comedown, the potential for dependence (addiction) and chronic physical and mental problems.
Ice is known as a variety of other names, including: crystal meth, meth, crystal, shabu, batu, d-meth, tina and glass. Base is also known as: speed dexedrine, dexies, dex, shad, go-ee, glass, tina, paste, oxblood, shabu, yabba and crank.
Both ice and base produce a very intense 'rush', and depending on how many times it is consumed this effect can last between four and twelve hours. Ice users experience a feeling of exhilaration and increased arousal and activity levels. They feel more awake and it suppresses appetite.
When ice or base is used, the receptors in the brain are flooded with monoamines. As more is taken, these receptors can be destroyed – and prolonged ice use can lead to a point when the user no longer feels pleasure without further ice use.
Speed:
Speed is part of the amphetamine family of drugs, which also includes ice. Ice is the purest form of the drug followed by base and then speed, however the potential for dependence (addiction) plus physical and mental problems associated with speed is still high.
Speed is also known by a variety of other names, including: whizz, go-ee, snow, zip, point, eve, gogo, pure, and gas.
When using speed the drugs are targeting the brain’s ‘reward system’ and users will often crave that feeling again, which can lead to addiction.
The sense of alertness and energy a person experiences is due to these drugs speeding up the messages between the brain and the body. This leads to an increased heart and breathing rate and higher blood pressure.
One of the most common effects of amphetamine overdose is ‘speed psychosis’. This closely resembles the effects of paranoid schizophrenia, and usually begins with a heightened awareness of the environment and feelings of paranoia, anxiety and tension.
Cocaine:
Cocaine, or coke as it is commonly known, is a stimulant and has a similar effect to amphetamines like speed and ice, but produces a more intense effect and shorter ‘high’ depending upon dosage. Cocaine is a white crystalline powder with a bitter numbing taste.
Cocaine hydrochloride can be further processed to produce cocaine base, which comes in two forms known as freebase and crack. Freebase is also a white powder, while crack generally comes in the form of crystals ranging in colour from white or creamy to transparent with a pink or yellow tinge.
Cocaine is known by a variety of other names, including: coke, Charlie, blow, C, pepsi, nose candy. Crack cocaine is also known as a variety of other names, including: rock, base and sugar block.
Each of the three forms of cocaine produces an intense ‘rush’, with the purity and the amount of the drug taken determining its intensity. Users feel a sense of euphoria, alertness, arousal, and increased confidence. All three forms suppress appetite.
When using cocaine, the rush experienced is actually the receptors in the brain being flooded with a neuro-chemical called dopamine. Because cocaine is tapping into the brain’s ‘reward system’, users begin to crave more of it to experience the same pleasure again. This is the reason many users find the drug to be so addictive.
GHB:
GHB is a drug commonly found in the dance scene and is sometimes referred to as liquid ecstasy due to its stimulating, euphoric and supposed aphrodisiac qualities. Chemically-speaking, it is not related to MDMA at all. Mildly salty in flavour, yet colourless and odorless, it’s also used a date-rape drug – when mixed with alcohol, it can intoxicate quickly.
Other names include: Fantasy, grievous bodily harm (GBH), liquid ecstasy, liquid E, G.
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a depressant drug that contains sedative and, at sufficient doses, anaesthetic properties (that means it knocks you out). Depressant drugs slow brain and central nervous system activity.
GHB has been identified as a 'date-rape drug' because it leaves users with amnesia, impaired movement and speech. It can be easily camouflaged in drinks as it is difficult to taste.
Heroine:
Heroin is one of a group of drugs known as "opiates". Other opiates include opium, morphine, codeine, pethidine, oxycodone, buprenorphine and methadone. Heroin and other opiates are depressants. Depressants do not necessarily make you feel depressed. Rather, they slow down the activity of the central nervous system and messages going between the brain and the body.
Heroin is known by a variety of other names, including: horse, hammer, H, dope, smack, junk, gear and boy.
Heroin produces a ‘rush’ minutes after taking it, leading to a feeling of warmth and contentment. In larger doses it can cause the user to feel drowsy and very relaxed. Heroin is also known to greatly reduce physical and psychological pain when taken. A central nervous system depressant, heroin actually slows down the brain functions, and in particular the control of breathing, which can slow down or even stop. At the same time blood pressure and body temperature drops and the heartbeat can become irregular.
Ecstasy tablets are supposedly made up of the primary ingredient methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), but as the ingredients required to make synthetic drugs are becoming more difficult to obtain, the formulation of pills marketed as ecstasy can vary greatly. They are more likely to contain methamphetamine (speed) combined with a synthetic hallucinogen or para-methoxyamphetamine (PMA).
Ecstasy is known by a variety of other names, including: E, pills, Ex, pingers, E n C, eccy, MDMA, XTC, eggs and disco biscuits.
There are usually three phases experienced when taking ecstasy:
Coming up: the user may experience tightening of muscles, especially jaw, dilated pupils, visual distortions, nausea or vomiting, strong pulse, increased temperature, confusion and panic.
Plateauing: the user may experience feeling happy, more awake, relaxed, open, confident, talkative and have decreased urine output and increased thirst.
Coming down: the user can feel physically exhausted, depressed, anxious, paranoid, irritable, unable to sleep and the comedown will be more intense if they have taken other drugs, including alcohol.
Marijuana:
Marijuana (cannabis) primarily comes from the cannabis plant (cannabis sativa). The cannabis plant is also used to produce hashish (hash) and hash oil. Of the three, marijuana (cannabis) is the most common but all forms of the drug are capable of causing a variety of physical and mental problems resulting from intoxication and long-term use.
Marijuana (cannabis) is known by a variety of other names, including: pot, grass, weed, ya(r)ndi, rope, mull, dope, skunk, bhang, ganja, hash, chronic, reefer, joint, cone or spliff.
Marijuana (cannabis) produces a ‘high’ that generally makes the user feel more relaxed, happy and more talkative. It can also increase appetite.
When cannabis is used, THC is the main active chemical constituent absorbed into the bloodstream. THC crosses into the bloodstream and acts on the brain, flooding the receptors with the brain’s reward chemicals and producing the ‘high’ effect.
Ice:
Ice and base are methamphetamine, part of the amphetamine family of drugs which also includes speed. The difference between ice, base and speed is that ice is the most pure form, followed by base then speed. The 'high' experienced from ice and base is much more intense, and with intense reactions come powerful responses including comedown, the potential for dependence (addiction) and chronic physical and mental problems.
Ice is known as a variety of other names, including: crystal meth, meth, crystal, shabu, batu, d-meth, tina and glass. Base is also known as: speed dexedrine, dexies, dex, shad, go-ee, glass, tina, paste, oxblood, shabu, yabba and crank.
Both ice and base produce a very intense 'rush', and depending on how many times it is consumed this effect can last between four and twelve hours. Ice users experience a feeling of exhilaration and increased arousal and activity levels. They feel more awake and it suppresses appetite.
When ice or base is used, the receptors in the brain are flooded with monoamines. As more is taken, these receptors can be destroyed – and prolonged ice use can lead to a point when the user no longer feels pleasure without further ice use.
Speed:
Speed is part of the amphetamine family of drugs, which also includes ice. Ice is the purest form of the drug followed by base and then speed, however the potential for dependence (addiction) plus physical and mental problems associated with speed is still high.
Speed is also known by a variety of other names, including: whizz, go-ee, snow, zip, point, eve, gogo, pure, and gas.
When using speed the drugs are targeting the brain’s ‘reward system’ and users will often crave that feeling again, which can lead to addiction.
The sense of alertness and energy a person experiences is due to these drugs speeding up the messages between the brain and the body. This leads to an increased heart and breathing rate and higher blood pressure.
One of the most common effects of amphetamine overdose is ‘speed psychosis’. This closely resembles the effects of paranoid schizophrenia, and usually begins with a heightened awareness of the environment and feelings of paranoia, anxiety and tension.
Cocaine:
Cocaine, or coke as it is commonly known, is a stimulant and has a similar effect to amphetamines like speed and ice, but produces a more intense effect and shorter ‘high’ depending upon dosage. Cocaine is a white crystalline powder with a bitter numbing taste.
Cocaine hydrochloride can be further processed to produce cocaine base, which comes in two forms known as freebase and crack. Freebase is also a white powder, while crack generally comes in the form of crystals ranging in colour from white or creamy to transparent with a pink or yellow tinge.
Cocaine is known by a variety of other names, including: coke, Charlie, blow, C, pepsi, nose candy. Crack cocaine is also known as a variety of other names, including: rock, base and sugar block.
Each of the three forms of cocaine produces an intense ‘rush’, with the purity and the amount of the drug taken determining its intensity. Users feel a sense of euphoria, alertness, arousal, and increased confidence. All three forms suppress appetite.
When using cocaine, the rush experienced is actually the receptors in the brain being flooded with a neuro-chemical called dopamine. Because cocaine is tapping into the brain’s ‘reward system’, users begin to crave more of it to experience the same pleasure again. This is the reason many users find the drug to be so addictive.
GHB:
GHB is a drug commonly found in the dance scene and is sometimes referred to as liquid ecstasy due to its stimulating, euphoric and supposed aphrodisiac qualities. Chemically-speaking, it is not related to MDMA at all. Mildly salty in flavour, yet colourless and odorless, it’s also used a date-rape drug – when mixed with alcohol, it can intoxicate quickly.
Other names include: Fantasy, grievous bodily harm (GBH), liquid ecstasy, liquid E, G.
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a depressant drug that contains sedative and, at sufficient doses, anaesthetic properties (that means it knocks you out). Depressant drugs slow brain and central nervous system activity.
GHB has been identified as a 'date-rape drug' because it leaves users with amnesia, impaired movement and speech. It can be easily camouflaged in drinks as it is difficult to taste.
Heroine:
Heroin is one of a group of drugs known as "opiates". Other opiates include opium, morphine, codeine, pethidine, oxycodone, buprenorphine and methadone. Heroin and other opiates are depressants. Depressants do not necessarily make you feel depressed. Rather, they slow down the activity of the central nervous system and messages going between the brain and the body.
Heroin is known by a variety of other names, including: horse, hammer, H, dope, smack, junk, gear and boy.
Heroin produces a ‘rush’ minutes after taking it, leading to a feeling of warmth and contentment. In larger doses it can cause the user to feel drowsy and very relaxed. Heroin is also known to greatly reduce physical and psychological pain when taken. A central nervous system depressant, heroin actually slows down the brain functions, and in particular the control of breathing, which can slow down or even stop. At the same time blood pressure and body temperature drops and the heartbeat can become irregular.