Types of Drug Abuse
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Use and abuse of drugs and alcohol by teens is very common and can have serious consequences. In the 15-24 year age range, 50% of deaths (from accidents, homicides, suicides) involve alcohol or drug abuse.
Causes of Amphetamines Dependence . Genetic: If you have a parent with an amphetamine use problem, it is possible you inherited a susceptibility to develop the same disorder.
Abuse of anabolic steroids may lead to short-term effects such as mental problems. Extreme mood swings can also occur, including "roid rage"—angry feelings and behavior that may lead to violence. Continued steroid abuse can act on some of the same brain pathways and chemicals—including dopamine, serotonin, and opioid systems—that are affected by other drugs.
Doctors consider antidepressants safer because the drugs have less potential for abuse. Despite this, some people abuse antidepressant medications. A small but growing literature on the misuse and abuse of antidepressants consists largely of case reports. […] The most commonly reported motivation for abuse is to achieve a psychostimulant-like effect.
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona — Atypical antipsychotics, though not typically considered drugs of abuse, are now being used to enhance the effects of other drugs or as a way to counter the adverse effects of illicit substances, new research suggests.
Marijuana—also called weed, herb, pot, grass, bud, ganja, Mary Jane, and a vast number of other slang terms—is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried flowers of Cannabis sativa.
Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug. For thousands of years, people in South America have chewed and ingested coca leaves (Erythroxylon coca), the source of cocaine, for their stimulant effects. 1,2 The purified chemical, cocaine hydrochloride, was isolated from the plant more than 100 years ago.
Key Facts About Crack Abuse; Signs and Symptoms; Risks of Crack Abuse; Effects of Crack Abuse; Crack Abuse Treatment; Key Facts About Crack Abuse. What Is Crack? Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine. Crack's popularity, in part, was due to its appeal for drug users seeking an inexpensive, ultra-potent, fast acting high.
Types of Depressants. Drugs that are classed as depressants include: Ethyl alcohol; Barbiturates; Benzodiazepines; Ethyl Alcohol. Alcohol, also known as ethyl alcohol, is the second most widely used psychoactive drugs in the world (caffeine is number one). While alcohol is a legal drug, it also has a high potential for abuse.
Hallucinogens are a diverse group of drugs that alter perception (awareness of surrounding objects and conditions), thoughts, and feelings. They cause hallucinations, or sensations and images that seem real though they are not.
Heroin is an illegal, highly addictive drug processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed pod of certain varieties of poppy plants. It is typically sold as a white or brownish powder that is "cut" with sugars, starch, powdered milk, or quinine.
Inhalants are volatile substances that produce chemical vapors that can be inhaled to induce a psychoactive, or mind-altering, effect. Although other abused substances can be inhaled, the term "inhalants" is used to describe a variety of substances whose main common characteristic is that they are rarely, if ever, taken by any route other than inhalation.
Marijuana—also called weed, herb, pot, grass, bud, ganja, Mary Jane, and a vast number of other slang terms—is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried flowers of Cannabis sativa.
Stimulants make people more alert, increase their attention, and raise their blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. Stimulants come in a variety of forms, including amphetamines, cocaine, and methamphetamines. Prescription medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are also often stimulants.
Caffeine; Nicotine; Cocaine; Methamphetamine; Prescription stimulants; Caffeine. Caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive drug in the world, found in coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate candy and soft drinks. While caffeine has several positive effects such as increasing energy and mental alertness, heavy use can cause symptoms such as anxiety and insomnia.