Drug abuse

LSD is an extremely potent hallucinogen with only minuscule doses required to produce effects. Compared to LSD, psilocybin is 100-200 times less potent and mescaline (peyote) is about 4,000 times less potent.

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Hallucinogens are commonly associated with extreme anxiety and absence of contact with reality at the height of the drug experience ("bad trips"). As a "flashback," these experiences can recur without further ingesting the drug. Such experiences typically occur during times of increased stress and tend to decrease in frequency and intensity if the individual stops taking the drugs.

STIMULANTS ("speed," "crack," "coke," "snow," "crank," "go," "speedball," "crystal," "cross-tops," "yellow jackets")

Cocaine

The abuse of cocaine increased dramatically in the late 1980s and early 1990s but is now on the decline.

Cocaine may be inhaled through the nose ("snorting") or dissolved in water and administered intravenously. When mixed with heroin for IV use, the combination is referred to as a speedball.

Through a simple chemical procedure, cocaine may be changed into a smokeable form known as freebase or crack. Smoking produces an instant and intense euphoria (sense of joy) attractive to abusers. Other effects include local numbness, powerful stimulation of the central nervous system, and feelings of increased confidence and energy, along with decreased inhibition.

Increased use and dependence to cocaine are probably related to its specific characteristics of producing an extremely pleasurable high that is very short lived. This encourages the user into more frequent or regular use to attain the desired effects.

Both tolerance and dependence may occur with chronic use of cocaine. Regular users may exhibit mood swings, depression, sleep problems, memory loss, social withdrawal, and loss of interest in school, work, family, and friends. Because heavy use may cause paranoia, cocaine users may become violent.

AMPHETAMINES

During the 1950s and 1960s, amphetamines were commonly prescribed for conditions such as fatigue, obesity, and mild depression. Such use has ceased as the drugs have a high potential for addiciton and are now categorized as controlled substances.

Over-the-counter (OTC) amphetamine look-alike drugs are often abused. These drugs typically contain caffeine and other stimulant ingredients, and are marketed as appetite suppressants or stay-awake/stay-alert aids.

If taken in high doses, these OTC drugs may cause the same high and other effects associated with amphetamines. Regular users may exhibit irritability, restlessness, sleep disturbances, tremors, dilated pupils, skin flushing, and weight loss over time.