Amphetamines

They are stimulants or "uppers" usually made synthetically in illegal labs. The effects include stimulation of the central nervous system, a sense of well-being and higher energy, a release of social inhibitions, and feelings of cleverness, competence and power. These are similar to the effects of cocaine but last longer. The term "amphetamine" refers to a large class of stimulants: amphetamines (black beauties, white bennies), dextroamphetamines (dexies, beans), and methamphetamines (crank, meth, crystal, speed). They can be taken orally, injected, smoked or snorted. Chronic use can cause paranoia, picking at the skin, auditory and visual hallucinations, and extremely violent and erratic behavior. Amphetamines are addictive
Back to the top

Barbiturates

They are sedating medications that were used as sleep aids years ago but are rarely prescribed for insomnia today, due to their overall safety risks
Back to the top

Benzodiazepines

They are a class of psychotropic drugs that have a hypnotic and sedative action, used mainly as tranquilizers for the control of symptoms due to anxiety or stress and as a sleeping aid for insomnia; they have been associated with dependence and addiction in some patients
Back to the top

Cocaine

Cocaine, from the leaves of the coca plant, is one of the most powerfully addictive drugs. Cocaine is distributed on the street in two main forms: cocaine hydrochloride, a white crystalline powder that can be snorted or dissolved in water and injected, and crack cocaine hydrochloride that has been processed with ammonia or baking soda and water into a freebase cocaine. These chips, chunks or rocks can be smoked. Heavy use of cocaine may produce hallucinations, paranoia, aggression, insomnia and depression. Cocaine in powder form is also called coke, snow, nose candy, flake, blow, big C, lady, white and snowbirds
Back to the top

Marijuana

Also called weed, pot, reefer, grass, dope, ganja, mary jane and hash - is the drug most often used in this country. It is a mix of dried, shredded flowers and leaves of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). Most users roll loose marijuana into a cigarette (called a "joint"). The drug can also be smoked in a water pipe, called a "bong" Some users mix marijuana into food or use it to brew a tea. Hash users either smoke the drug in a pipe or mix it with tobacco and smoke it as a cigarette. A new way of smoking marijuana is to slice open a cigar and replace the tobacco with marijuana, making a "blunt". When smoked with a 40-ounce bottle of malt liquor, it is called a "B-40" All forms of cannabis are mind-altering (psychoactive) drugs
Back to the top

Methaqualone

Nonbarbiturate sedative/hypnotic that produces sleep for about 6 to 8 hours. It also produces muscular relaxation, feelings of contentment, and total passivity
Back to the top

Opiates

Substances that come from the opium poppy, as well as any substance that dulls the senses, relieves pain, and causes deep sleep. Some, such as morphine and codeine, are helpful in dulling the pain of cancer and other ailments. Others, such as heroin, can be deadly, and all are potentially addictive
Back to the top

Phencyclidine

Also known as PCP, is a white crystalline power with a distinctively bitter chemical taste. PCP turns up on the illicit drug market in a variety of tablets, capsules and colored powders. It is snorted, smoked or eaten. When smoked, PCP is often applied to a leafy herb such as mint or parsley, or to tobacco or marijuana. It is called "crystal supergrass" and "killer joints" when mixed with marijuana. PCP was developed as an intravenous anesthetic. Medical use of PCP in humans was discontinued because patients often became agitated, delusional and irrational while recovering from its anesthetic effects. PCP is often sold on the street as "angel dust", "ozone", "wack", and "rocket fuel".
Back to the top

Propoxyphene

Is a mildly narcotic analgesic drug (trade name Darvon) related to methadone but less addictive
Back to the top