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NationalInstituteonDrugAbuse(NIDA)

Marijuana(Weed,Pot)Facts

https://www.drugabuse.gov

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TableofContents

DrugsThatPeopleMisuse

AlcoholFacts

BathSaltsFacts

Cocaine(Coke,Crack)Facts

E-CigaretteFacts

Heroin(Smack,Junk)Facts

Marijuana(Weed,Pot)Facts

MDMA(Ecstasy,Molly)Facts

Meth(Crank,Ice)Facts

PainMedicine(Oxy,Vike)Facts

Spice(K2)Facts

TobaccoandNicotineFacts

OtherDrugsPeopleUseandMisuse

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AlcoholFacts

Drinkslikebeer,maltliquor,wine,andhardliquorcontainalcohol.Alcoholistheingredientthatgetsyoudrunk.

Hardliquor—suchaswhiskey,rum,orgin—hasmorealcoholinitthanbeer,maltliquor,orwine.

Thesedrinksizeshaveaboutthesameamountofalcoholinthem:

12ouncesofregularbeer

8-9ouncesofmaltliquor

5ouncesofwine

1½ouncesofhardliquor

Beingdrunkcanmakeapersonfeelverysilly,angry,orsadfornoreason.Itcanmakeithardtowalkinastraightline,talkclearly,ordrive.Photoby:TheNationalInstituteofAlcoholAbuseandAlcoholismSomeslangnamesforalcoholare:

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Booze

Juice

Hooch

Sauce

NEXT:SignsofAlcoholMisuse

SignsofAlcoholMisuse

Photoby©istock.com/KatarzynaBialasiewiczDrinkingalcoholisnotnecessarilyaproblem,butdrinkingtoomuchcancausebadthingstohappen.Peoplewhodrinktoomuchalcoholmightforgetthingsthathappenedwhentheyweredrunk.Thisiscalledablackout.Peopledrunkonalcoholoften:

laughandtalkloudly

feeldizzy

haveblurryvision

havetroublestayingontheirfeetandswaywhentheywalk

slurwordswhentheytalk

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feelsleepyandrelaxed

passout

throwup

getviolent

Gettingdrunkcanleadyoutodoorsaythingsthatyouregretlateron.Italsomakesyoumorelikelytogetintoacarcrashandgethurt.

Afterdrinkingalot,peoplegetaheadacheandfeelsick.Thisiscalledahangover.

Peoplewhomisusealcohol,orpeoplewhoareaddicted,starthavingtodrinkmoreandmoretogetdrunk.Theymighthaveadrinkinthemorningtocalmdownorstopahangover.Theymightdrinkalone,andtheymightkeepitasecret.

Theymightforgetthingsthathappenedwhentheyweredrunk.Thisiscalledablackout.

NEXT:EffectsofAlcoholonBrainsandBodies

EffectsofAlcoholonBrainsandBodies

Photoby©istock.com/aijohn784Beingdrunkmakesyoumorelikelytogethurt

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orkilled.Alcoholisinvolvedinmanydeadlycarcrashes.Thesearejustsomeoftheproblemsalcoholcancause:

Diseases

Heavydrinkingovertheyearscanraiseyourriskforstroke(a“brainattack”),cancer,liverdisease,andotherillnesses.

Peoplecanforgettousecondomswhenthey'redrunk.TheycanthenhaveunsafesexandgetHIV/AIDSorhepatitis(aliverdisease).

ProblemswithYourBaby

Ifapregnantwomandrinksalcohol,itcancausebraindamage,whichcanleadtootherhealthproblemsinthebaby.

AccidentsorDeath

Beingdrunkmakesyoumorelikelytogethurtorkilled.Alcoholisinvolvedin:

60percentofdrownings,murders,anddeadlyburns

50percentofsevereinjuriesandsexualattacks

40percentofdeadlydrivingcrashes,deadlyfalls,andsuicides

BrainDamage

Heavydrinkingovertheyearscanpermanentlyhurtyourbraincells.Thiscanmakeithardtowalk,remember,orlearnnewthings.

AlcoholPoisoning

Youcandiefromdrinkingalotofalcoholatonetime,calledalcoholpoisoning.

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Itcanespeciallyhappentoyoungpeoplewhoarenotusedtodrinking.

Signsofalcoholpoisoning:

confusion

throwingup

slowedbreathing

cold,blueskin

coma(youcan’twakethemup)

seizures(whenyourbodystartstwitchingandjerkinguncontrollably)

Ifsomeoneyouknowhasanyofthesesigns,youshouldcall911rightaway.

Addiction

Youcangetaddictedtoalcoholjustlikeotherdrugs.Overtime,alcoholcanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyoustopdrinkingalcohol,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.

Peoplewhoaretryingtoquitdrinkingmight:

feelnervousandsad

shake

sweat

havetroublesleeping

Theywillfeelaverystrongneedtodrinkalcohol.

Fortunately,therearemedicinesandothertreatmentsthatcanhelpsomeone

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recoverfromalcoholaddiction.

Rememberthatevenifyougettreatment,itcanbehardtostopdrinking.Peoplewhostoppedusingalcoholcanstillfeelstrongcravingstohaveadrink,sometimesevenyearslater.Thisisnormal.Thisisalsowhyit’simportanttostayintreatmentforaslongasyourdoctorsuggests,andlearntoenjoyfriendshipsandactivitiesthatdonotcenterondrinking.

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BathSaltsFacts

PhotobyDEABathsaltsareillegaldrugsthatgetpeoplehigh.Peoplemakethemwithchemicalslikeonesfoundinthekhatplant,whichgrowsinmanypartsoftheworld.IllegalbathsaltsarenotrelatedtoproductslikeEpsomsaltsthatpeopleuseforbathing.

Bathsaltsareawhiteorbrowncrystalpowder.Theyaresoldinsmallpackageswithawarningthatsaysyouarenotsupposedtoeatthem("notforhumanconsumption").Sellersusethismessagetoconfusethepolice,andtohidethefacttheyaredrugs.

Peopleusuallyswallow,snort,smoke,oruseaneedletoinject(shootup)bathsalts.

Somenamesofbathsaltproductsare:

Flakka

CosmicBlast

IvoryWave

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VanillaSky

WhiteLightning

NEXT:SignsofBathSaltUse

SignsofBathSaltUse

Thehighthatpeoplecanhavewhentakingthesedrugsislikehavingalotofenergy.Youmightfeelveryfriendlytowardotherpeopleandtalkalot.Butbathsaltscanalsomakeyoudizzy,afraid,andviolent.Youmightsee,feel,orhearthingsthatyouthinkaretherewhenthey'rereallynot.Youcanstarttothinkaboutendingyourlife.

Somepeopleendupintheemergencyroomorevendieaftertakingbathsalts.Theriskishighestwhenpeoplesnortorinjectthedrug.

NEXT:EffectsofBathSaltsonBrainsandBodies

EffectsofBathSaltsonBrainsandBodies

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Photoby©iStock.com/knapeBathsaltscanmakeyoufeelsickandstarttosweat.Thesearejustsomeoftheproblemsbathsaltscancause:

YouFeelSick

Bathsaltscancausenosebleedsandmakeyousweat.Theycanalsomakeyoulosesleepandthrowup.Theycanalsomakeyouverythirsty.

YouDon’tActLikeYourself

Somepeoplewhotakebathsaltscanbecomeextremelyannoyedandviolent.

MuscleBreakdownandKidneyFailure

Bathsaltscanmakeyourmusclesweaker.Theycanalsomakeyourkidneysstopworking,affectinghowyougotothebathroom.

HeartAttack

Bathsaltscancauseyourhearttobeatfasterandyourbloodpressuretogoup.Thiscangiveyouaheartattack,whichcouldleadtodeath.

HIV/AIDS,Hepatitis

SharingusedneedlestoinjectbathsaltscangiveyouHIV/AIDSorhepatitis(aliverdisease).

Overdose

Anoverdosehappenswhenapersonusesenoughofadrugtohaveaverybadreactionordeath.Peopleoverdoseonbathsaltsbecausetheytaketoomuchofthedrug.Youcandiefromabathsaltsoverdose.

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Addiction

Youcangetaddictedtobathsalts.Overtime,itcanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyousuddenlystopusingbathsalts,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.

Whenthehighgoesawayorifyouaretryingtoquit,youmight:

feeldepressedoranxious

gettheshakes

haveproblemssleeping

havementalproblems,likebelievingpeopleareouttogetyou

havestrongcravingstousebathsaltstofeelgoodagain

Fortunately,counselingcanhelpsomeonewithabathsaltsaddiction.

Evenifyougettreatment,itcanbehardtostayoffthedrug.Peoplewhostoppedusingbathsaltscanstillfeelstrongcravingsforthedrug,sometimesevenyearslater.Itisbesttoneverstartusingthem.

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Cocaine(Coke,Crack)Facts

Photoby©istock.com/KondorCocaineisawhitepowder.Peoplecansnortitupthenose.Theycanalsomixitwithwaterandinject(shootup)itintotheirarmwithaneedle.Cocainecanalsobemadeintosmallwhiterocks,calledCrack.It'scalledCrackbecausewhentherocksareheated,theymakeacrackingsound.Crackissmokedinasmallglasspipe.

Cocainecanmakeyoufeelfullofenergyandincontrolofyourworld.Butitcanalsomakeyourestless,scared,orangry.

Someslangnamesforcocaineare:

Coke

Coca

Snow

Flake

Blow

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NEXT:SignsofCocaineUse

SignsofCocaineUse

Photoby©istock.com/TheMalniCocainespeedsupyourwholebody.Yourheartbeatsfast.Youtalk,move,andthinkfast.Yourbodyfeelstoohot.Youmightshakeandtwitch.Youdon'tsleeporeatmuch.

Cocainecanmakeyoufeelhappyandexcited.Butthenyourmoodcanchange.Youcanbecomeangry,nervous,andafraidthatsomeone'souttogetyou.Youmightdothingsthatmakenosense.

Afterthehighofthecocainewearsoff,youcan"crash"andfeeltiredandsadfordays.Youalsogetastrongcravingtotakethedrugagaintotrytofeelbetter.

Peoplewhosnortcocaineupthenosecangetnosebleeds.Youcanevenloseyoursenseofsmell.Yournosemayberunnyallthetime,likeyoualwayshaveacold.

Peoplewhoinjectcocainewillhavemarkswheretheneedlewentin,usuallyontheirarms.

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NEXT:EffectsofCocaineonBrainsandBodies

EffectsofCocaineonBrainsandBodies

Thesearejustsomeoftheproblemscocainecancause:

Sickness

Cocainecancausestomachpainandheadaches.Itcanmakeyoushake,throwup,orpassout.

NoAppetite

Cocainecanmakeyounotwanttoeat.Overtime,youmightlosealotofweightandgetsick.

HeartAttackandStroke

Cocaineraisesyourbloodpressureandmakesyourheartbeatfaster.Thiscanhurtyourheart.Itcanleadtoaheartattackorstroke(a“brainattack”).Somepeoplediebecauseofit.

HIV/AIDS,Hepatitis

PeoplewhoinjectdrugslikecocainecangetHIV/AIDSorhepatitis(aliverdisease)iftheyshareusedneedles.Peoplealsogetthesediseasesbyhavingunsafesex.Theymayforgettousecondomsbecausethey'rehighonthedrug.

Overdose

Anoverdosehappenswhenapersonusesenoughofadrugtohaveaverybadreactionordeath.Acocaineoverdosecancauseaheartattackorstroke,andyoucandie.Ifsomeoneyouknowhasanyofthesesigns,youshouldcall911

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rightaway.

Signsofacocaineoverdoseare:

throwingup

chestpain

fastheartbeat

shaking

feelinghot

panic

hallucinations(seeingthingsthataren’tthere)

Addiction

Itiseasytolosecontrolovercocaineuseandbecomeaddicted.Overtime,itcanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyoustoptakingthemedicine,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.

Peopleaddictedtococainemighttakebiggerdosesortakeitmoreoftentogethigh.Acocainehighusuallydoesn'tlastverylong.Sopeopletakeitagainandagaintotrytokeepfeelinggood.

Peoplewhoaretryingtoquittakingcocainemight:

actnervousandrestless

feelverysadandtired

havebaddreams

besuspiciousofpeopleandthingsaroundthem

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Theywillfeelastrongneedtotakethedrug.

Fortunately,counselingcanhelpsomeonewithcocaineaddiction.

Ifyougettreatment,itcanbehardtostayoffthedrug.Peoplewhostoppedusingcocainecanstillfeelstrongcravingsforthedrug,sometimesevenyearslater.

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Marijuana(Weed,Pot)Facts

Photoby©iStock.com/sale123Marijuanaisamixofdried,shreddedleavesandflowersfromthemarijuanaplant.Itisoftengreen,brown,orgray.

Therearemanywaystousemarijuana.Peoplecan:

rollmarijuanaupandsmokeitlikeacigarette(calledajoint)oracigar(calledablunt)

smokemarijuanainapipe

mixitinfoodandeatitorbrewitasatea

smokeoilsfromthemarijuanaplant(thisiscalled“dabbing”)

useelectronicvaporizers(“vapepens”)to“vape”

marijuanaoil

Dabbingandvapingareontherise.

Marijuanacanmakeyoufeelsilly,relaxed,sleepy,andhappy—ornervousand

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scared.Itmaychangeyoursensesofsight,hearing,andtouch.Marijuanacanmakeithardtothinkclearly.Inrarecases,somepeoplestartseeingthingsthatarenotreal,calledhallucinations.

Someslangnamesformarijuanaare:

Weed

Pot

Grass

Herb

Boom

NEXT:SignsofMarijuanaUse

SignsofE-CigaretteUse

Thenicotineine-cigarettescanmakeyoufeelgood.Itcanalsoraiseyourbloodpressure.Yourheartmightbeatfaster.Youmightbreathefaster.Anditcanmakeyounotwanttoeat.

E-cigarettesdon’tsmelllikethesmokefromcigarettesandmightnothaveanodor.Butthecartridgesmighthaveflavoredliquidthatcansmelllikefruit,mint,orcandy.Ifyousmellthesescentsanddon’tseeanyoftheseitemsaround,itcouldbeane-cigarette.

Somee-cigaretteslooklikeeverydayitems,likepensorUSBdrives.Ifyouseesomeoneholdingtheseitemsalot,youcantakeacloserlooktoseeiftheyareactuallye-cigarettes.

Oneimportantpartofane-cigaretteiscalledtheatomizer.Thisturnstheliquidintheproductintoavapor.Afterawhile,theseburnout.Ifyoufindanatomizerinthegarbage,someoneinyourhousemightbeusinge-cigarettes.

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NEXT:EffectsofE-CigarettesonBrainsandBodies

EffectsofE-CigarettesonBrainsandBodies

InhalingChemicals

Somepeoplethinkthatbecausee-cigarettesdon’tusetobacco,theyarenotbadforyou.Butthevaporthatgoesintoe-cigarettesandvaporizerscanhavechemicalsthatmighthurtyou.Thesechemicalscanbeverydangerouswhentheyareinhaled.Researchersarestudyingtheeffectsofthesechemicals.

HealthProblemsforBabies

Ifapregnantwomanusese-cigarettesthatcontainnicotine,herbabymightbeborntooearlyortoosmall.Nicotinecancausehealthproblemsforthebaby.

HealthProblemsforTeens

Theteenyearsareimportantforbraingrowth.Yourbraingrowsuntilyou’reabout25yearsold.Therefore,usingnicotineproductsinanyform,includinge-cigarettes,canchangethewaythebraingrows.

NicotinePoisoning

Nicotinepoisoningoftenhappenswhenyoungchildrenchewnicotinegumorpatchesthatpeopleusetoquit.Ortheymightswallowe-cigaretteliquidthatcontainsnicotine.

Signsofanicotinepoisoningare:

havingtroublebreathing

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throwingup

fainting

headache

heartbeatingreallyfastorreallyslowly

Ifachildhasanyofthesesignsaftereatingordrinkingnicotine,youshouldcall911rightaway.

Addiction

Youcanbecomeaddictedtothenicotineine-cigarettesjustlikeotherdrugs.Whenyousmokee-cigarettes,thenicotinequicklygivesyouasmallrushofpleasureandenergy.Butitsoongoesaway.Thismakesyouwanttousee-cigarettesagainandagainthroughouttheday.

Overtime,nicotinecanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyoustopusingit,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.

Peoplewhoaretryingtostopnicotineusemight:

becranky

haveproblemspayingattention

havetroublesleeping

eatmore

cravenicotine

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Photoby©Shutterstock.com/PedroBentoFortunately,therearemanywaystoquitusinge-cigarettes.Someexamplesare:

counseling

nicotinereplacementtherapy,likechewinggumandpatches

medicines

Somepeoplethinkthatusinge-cigaretteswillhelpthemquitsmokingregularcigarettes,butthereisnoproofthate-cigaretteshelppeoplestopsmoking.Also,studieshaveshownthatteenswhousee-cigarettesarelikelytostartsmokingcigarettesinthefuture.

Thephonenumber1-800-QUIT-NOWwillconnectyouwithpeoplethatcanhelpyouquit.

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Heroin(Smack,Junk)Facts

Photoby©istock.com/BestfotostudioHeroinisawhiteorbrownpowderorablack,stickygoo.Peoplecanmixheroinwithwaterandinjectit(shootup)withaneedle.Theycanalsosmokeitorsnortitupthenose.Heroinisatypeofopioid,whichmeansitissimilartothepainmedicinesthatcomefromthepoppyplant.

Heroincancausearushofgoodfeelingsjustafterit'staken.Somepeoplethrowuporfeelitchyaftertakingit.Somepeoplemaywanttosleepandtheirheartrateandbreathingcanslowdown.Whenthedrugwearsoff,theymayfeelastrongurgetotakemore.

Someslangnamesforheroinare:

Smack

Junk

H

Blacktar

Horse

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NEXT:SignsofHeroinUse

SignsofHeroinUse

Heroincangiveyouafeelingofcomfortandhappiness.Itcanalsomakeyoufeelliketheworldhassloweddown.Peopleonheroinmaythinkslowlyandmightmoveslowly.

PhotobyWikimediaCommons/MyosisHeroincanmakepeoplefeelsleepy,likethey'reinadream.

Heroinmakesthepupilsinaperson’seyesgetverysmall.Apupilistheblackcircleinthecenterofeacheye.

Peoplewhoinject(shootup)heroinmayhavemarksontheskinwheretheneedlewentin.

Whenheroinwearsoff,peoplemight:

havepaininmusclesandbones

getchills

throwup

beunabletosleep

feelnervous

feelitchy

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NEXT:EffectsofHeroinonBrainsandBodies

EffectsofHeroinonBrainsandBodies

Photoby©istock.com/KatarzynaBialasiewiczHeroincanmakeyouthrowup.Thesearejustsomeoftheproblemsheroincancause:

SicknessandItchiness

Heroincanmakeyouthrowupandfeelveryitchy.

StoppedBreathing

Heroincansloworstopyourbreathing.Itcankillyou.

HIV/AIDS,Hepatitis

SharingusedneedlestoshootupheroincangiveyouHIV/AIDSorhepatitis(aliverdisease).Peoplecanalsogetthesediseasesbyhavingunsafesex.Theymayforgettousecondomsbecausethey'rehighonthedrug.

Overdose

Anoverdosehappenswhenapersonusesenoughofadrugtohaveaverybadreactionordeath.Manypeoplediefromheroinoverdosesbecauseitcanslow

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aperson’sbreathing,evenstoppingit.Peopleoverdoseonheroinbecausetheycan'ttellhowstrongitisuntiltheytakeit.Signsofaheroinoverdoseare:

slowbreathing

won’twakeup

sloworstoppedheartbeat

bluelipsandfingernails

cold,dampskin

shaking

unabletospeak

Ifsomeoneyouknowhasanyofthesesigns,youshouldcall911rightaway.Saythatthepersonisn'trespondingorbreathing.

OverdoseTreatment

Naloxoneisamedicinethatcanquicklystopanopioidoverdose.Ifsomeoneoverdosesonpainmedicine,itcansavetheirlife.

Addiction

PrescriptionopioidpainmedicineslikeOxycontinandVicodinhaveeffectssimilartoheroin.Researchsuggeststhatmisuseofthesemedicinesmayopenthedoortoheroinuse.

Itcanbeveryeasytobecomeaddictedtoheroin.Overtime,heroincanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyoustopusingheroin,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.

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Youcanbecomeaddictedtoheroinifyouinjectit,snortit,orsmokeit.Itdoesn’tmakeadifference.Peoplewhogetaddictedtoheroinneedtokeeptakingittofeelnormal.Overtime,theymightneedtotakemoreandmoreofittogetthesamehigh.Theymighthavepainintheirmusclesandbones,getchills,throwup,andfeelnervous.Theywillfeelaverystrongneedtotakethedrugtofeelbetter.

Fortunately,therearemedicinesthatcanhelpsomeonewithheroinaddiction.Counselingcanalsohelp.

Rememberthatevenifyougettreatment,itcanbehardtostayawayfromheroin.Yourbodymightcraveit.Thesecravingscanstillhappenyearslater.Itmaytakemanytriestostopusingheroin.Thisiswhyit’simportanttostayintreatmentforaslongasyourdoctorsuggests.

SignsofMarijuanaUse

©iStock.com/RusNSomeonetakingmarijuanacan:

getdizzy

laughfornoreason

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havered,bloodshoteyes

forgetthingsthatjusthappened

Marijuanamakesyoufeelliketimeisslowingdown.Minutescanfeellikehours.Atthesametime,everydaysights,sounds,andtastesmayseemreallyinterestingorfunny.

Marijuanacanmakeyoufeelveryhungry.Youwanttoeatlotsofjunkfood.Somepeoplecallthis"themunchies."

Peoplewhosmokemarijuanaoftensmelllikeitafterwards.Marijuanasmellssweeterthancigarettesmoke.Apersonmightuseincense,cologne,orperfumetotrytohidethesmell.

NEXT:EffectsofMarijuanaonBrainsandBodies

EffectsofMarijuanaonBrainsandBodies

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©iStock.com/stockdevilMarijuanasmokecanhurtyourlungsandcausesomeofthesamecoughingandbreathingproblemsfacedbypeoplewhosmokecigarettes.Thesearejustsomeoftheproblemsmarijuanacancause:

MemoryProblems

Marijuanamakesithardtorememberthingsthatjusthappenedafewminutesago.Thatmakesithardtolearninschoolortopayattentiontoyourjob.

HeartProblems

Usingmarijuanamakestheheartbeatfastandraisesyourriskofhavingaheartattack.

CoughingandBreathingProblems

Peoplewhosmokemarijuanacangetsomeofthesamecoughingandbreathingproblemsaspeoplewhosmokecigarettes.Marijuanasmokecanhurtyourlungs.

DruggedDriving

Drivingwhenyou'rehighonmarijuanaisdangerous.Itissimilartodrivingdrunk.Yourreactionstotrafficsignsandsoundsareslow.It'shardtopayattentiontotheroad.Andit'sevenworsewhenyou'rehighonmarijuanaandalcoholatthesametime.

NotCaringaboutLife

Overtime,peoplewhousemarijuanacanget"burntout."Theydon'tthinkaboutmuchordomuch.Theycan'tconcentrate.Theydon'tseemtocareaboutanythingbutsmokingmarijuana.

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Overdose

Anoverdosehappenswhenapersonusesenoughofadrugtohaveaverybadreactionordeath.Peoplecanoverdoseonmarijuanawhentheytaketoomuchofit.Thiscancauseveryuncomfortablesideeffects.Inrecentyears,emergencyroomdoctorsareseeingmoreoverdosesinpeoplewhoeatmarijuanaedibles(gummies,lollipopsandotherfoods).Ittakeslongertofeelhighfromediblesthanfromsmoking.Becauseofthis,sometimespeopleeattoomuchbecausetheythinkitisn’tworking.

Signsofmarijuanaoverdoseare:

alotofanxiety(feelingveryworried)

panicattacks

paranoia(thinkingpeopleareouttogetyou)

hallucinations(seeingthingsthataren’tthere)

Wedonotknowofanypersonwhohasdiedfromusingjustmarijuana.

Addiction

Althoughsomepeopledon'tknowit,youcangetaddictedtomarijuanaafterusingitforawhile.Overtime,itcanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyoustopusingit,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.

Thisismorelikelytohappentopeoplewhousemarijuanaeverydayorwhostartedusingitwhentheywereteenagers.Theymightneedtosmokemoreandmoreofittogetthesamehigh.

Peoplewhoaretryingtoquitusingmarijuanacan:

beinabadmood

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feelnervous

havetroublesleeping

Theywillfeelastrongneedtotakethedrug.

Fortunately,thereiscounselingthatcanhelpsomeonewithamarijuanaaddiction.

Rememberthatevenifyougettreatment,itcanbehardtostayoffthedrug.Peoplewhostoppedusingmarijuanacanstillfeelstrongcravingsforthedrug,sometimesevenyearslater.Thisisnormal.Thisisalsowhyit’simportanttostayintreatmentforaslongasyourdoctorsuggests.

NEXT:Whatismedicalmarijuana?

Whatismedicalmarijuana?

PhotobyNIDAThemarijuanaplanthaschemicalsthatcanhelpwithsomehealthproblems.Morestatesaremakingitlegaltousetheplantasmedicineforcertainillnesses.

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Butthereisn’tenoughresearchtoshowthatthewholeplantworkstotreatorcuretheseconditions.Also,theU.S.governmentstilldoesn'tthinkofmarijuanaasmedicine,soit'sstillillegalatthenationallevel.

Afewmedicineshavebeenmadeaspillsandoils.Thesemedicineshavechemicalsthatareliketheonesinthemarijuanaplant,butarenotthesametypethatpeopleusuallysmoke.Theycan:

treatnauseaifyouhavecancer

makeyouhungryifyouhaveAIDSanddon’tfeellikeeating

Smokingmedicalmarijuanacanalsohurtyourlungs.Theseandothereffectsonthebrainandbodycouldmakemarijuanamedicinemoreharmfulthanhelpful.

Anotherproblemwithmarijuanaasamedicineisthattheingredientsaren'texactlythesamefromplanttoplant.There'snowaytoknowwhatyou'regetting.

Scientistsaretryingtofindwaystomakesafemedicinesfrommarijuana.

NEXT:MDMA(Ecstasy,Molly)Facts

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PainMedicine(Oxy,Vike)Facts

Photoby©iStock.com/DavidTulkPainmedicinesmakepainfeelbetteraftersurgeryorinjuries.Youneedadoctor'snote(calledaprescription)tobuystrongpainmedicines,called“opioids.”Prescriptionpainmedicinesarelegalandhelpfultousewhenadoctorordersthemtotreatyourmedicalproblem.

Youmayhaveheardpeopletalkingalotaboutopioidslately.Peoplesometimestakethemwithoutadoctor'sprescriptiontogethigh.Drugdealerssellthesepillsjustliketheysellheroinorcocaine.Somepeoplegetorstealthesepillsfromotherpeople.

Somepeoplethinkthatprescriptionpainmedicinesaresafertousethan"street"drugsbecausetheyaremedicines.Prescriptionpainmedicinescanbeasdangerousasheroinorcocaine.Infact,theyhavemostofthesamechemicalsasheroin.

Examplesofprescriptionpainmedicinesare:

oxycodone(brandnames:OxyContin®orPercocet®)

hydrocodone(brandname:Vicodin®)

Painmedicinesareusuallywhite,round,orovalpills.Theycanbeswallowed,smoked,orcrushedintoapowderthatissnortedorinjectedwithaneedle.

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Likeheroin,painpillscancausearushofgoodfeelingswhenthey'refirsttaken.Theycanalsomakeyouwanttothrowup.Theycanmakeyouverysleepy.Andyoucangetaddictedtothem.

Someslangnamesforoxycodoneare:

Oxy

Cotton

Percs

Someslangnamesforhydrocodoneare:

Vikes

Vikings

NEXT:SignsofPainMedicineUseandMisuse

SignsofMDMAUse

©iStock.com/LajosRapasiSomepeoplefeelverytiredorhavetroublefocusingwhentheytrytoquitMDMA.

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MDMAmakespeoplefeelveryfriendlyandloving,butithasnegativeeffectstoo.Youcanbecomemoodyorhavesleepproblems.

AfterpeopletakeMDMA,theymight:

feeldizzy

havemusclecramps

clenchtheirteeth

haveafastheartbeat

havehighbloodpressure

feelveryhot

Thiscanbedangerousincrowdsoronthedancefloorwhereit'salreadytoohot.Oncetheeffectswearoff,youcouldfeelsadornervousfordays.

HeavyuseofMDMAcangiveyouproblemsthatlastalongtime.Youmayfeelconfusedordepressedalot.Oryoumighthaveproblemswithyourmemory.

NEXT:EffectsofMDMAonBrainsandBodies

EffectsofMDMAonBrainsandBodies

ThesearesomeproblemsthatMDMAcancause:

Sickness

MDMAcanmakeyouthrowup.Youmightalsogetthechillsorthesweats.

Overheating

MDMAcanmakeyourbodyvery,veryhot.

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NoAppetite

MDMAcanmakeyounotwanttoeat.Overtime,youmightlosetoomuchweightandgetsick.

Overdose

PeoplecanoverdoseonMDMA.Yourbodycangetsohotthatitcancauseliver,kidney,orheartfailure.Inrarecases,youcanevendie.

Addiction

YoucanbecomeaddictedtoMDMA.Overtime,itcanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyoustopusingit,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.IfyouareaddictedtoMDMAandtrytoquitthedrug,youcanfeel:

irritable

nervous

depressed

verytired

unabletofocus

likeyouneedtotakemoreMDMA

Fortunately,counselingcanhelpsomeonewithanMDMAaddiction.

Rememberthatevenifyougettreatment,itcanbehardtostayoffthedrug.PeoplewhostoppedusingMDMAcanstillfeelstrongcravingsforthedrug,sometimesevenyearslater.Thisisnormal.Thisisalsowhyit’simportanttostayintreatmentforaslongasyourdoctorsuggests.

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Meth(Crank,Ice)Facts

Photo©byDEAMethamphetamine—methforshort—isawhite,bitterpowder.Sometimesit'smadeintoawhitepilloraclearorwhiteshinyrock(calledacrystal).

Smokingmethisthemostcommonwayitisused.Somemixthepowderwithliquidandinjectit(shootup)intotheirbodieswithaneedle.Otherstakethemethpowderbymouthorsnortitupthenose.

Methcausesarushofgoodfeelingsatfirst.Peoplewhotakeitcanthenfeelnervous,overlyexcited,angry,orafraid.Theirthoughtsandactionsgoreallyfast.Theymightfeeltoohot.

Someslangnamesformethare:

Crank

Ice

Crystal

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Glass

Chalk

NEXT:SignsofMethUse

SignsofMethUse

©istock.com/kieferpixMethcanmakeaperson'smoodchangequickly.Forexample,someoneusingmethmightbecomeangryandviolent.Methspeedsupbreathingandraisesbloodpressure.

Methcanmakepeoplehyperactive—fulloftoomuchenergy.Theymighttalkandmovearoundalot.Theymightnotstoptoeatorsleep.

Peoplewhousemethoftenscratchtheirskin,causingsores.Theymighthaveburnsontheirlipsorfingersfromholdingahotmethpipe.

Methcanmakeaperson'smoodchangequickly.Forexample,theymightfeelexcited,andthenbecomeangryandviolent.Theymightfeelafraidthatsomeone'souttogetthem.Theymightwanttoendtheirownlife.

NEXT:EffectsofMethonBrainsandBodies

EffectsofMethonBrainsandBodies

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Photoby©istock.com/watanyouThesearejustsomeoftheproblemsmethcancause:

Overheating

Methcanmakeyourbodysohotthatyoupassout.Sometimesthiscankillyou.

CrankBugs

Methcanmakeyoufeellikebugsarecrawlingonorunderyourskin.Itmakesyouscratchalot.Scratchingcausessoresonyourfaceandarms.

MethMouth

Peoplewhousemethcanbreak,stain,orrottheirteeth.Theyoftendrinklotsofsweetthings,grindtheirteeth,andhavedrymouth.Thisiscalled"methmouth."

LookingOld

Peoplewhousemethcanstartlookingold.Theyburnalotofenergyanddon'teatwell.Thiscanmakethemloseweightandlooksick.Theirhandsorbodymightshake.Theirskinlooksdullandhassoresandpimplesthatdon'theal.

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Theirmouthlookssunkenastheteethgobad.

HIV/AIDS,Hepatitis

PeoplewhoinjectmethcangetHIV/AIDSorhepatitis(aliverdisease)iftheyshareusedneedles.Peoplealsogetthesediseasesbyhavingunsafesex.Theyoftenforgettousecondomsbecausethey'rehighonthedrug.

Overdose

Peoplecanoverdoseonmethwhentheytaketoomuchofit.Sometimesdrugdealersaddotherdangerouschemicalstomeththatcanhelpcauseanoverdose.Theymightgetsohotthattheypassout.Iftheydon’tgethelprightaway,theycandie.Amethoverdosecanalsocauseastroke(“brainattack”),heartattack,orliverfailure.Thesecanallcausedeath.

Addiction

Youcanbecomeaddictedtometh.Overtime,itcanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyoustopusingmeth,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.

Peoplewhogetaddictedtomethstartneedingtotakemoreofittogetthesamehigh.Peoplewhousuallysnortmethortakeitbymouthmightstarttosmokeorinjectittogetastronger,quickerhigh.

Methusecanhurtdifferentpartsofyourbrain.Itcancausethinkingandemotionalproblemsthatdon'tgoaway.Evenafteryouquitusingmeth,thethoughtscancomeback.Forexample,youmightfeel,hear,orseethingsthataren'tthere.Youmightthinkthatpeopleareouttogetyouorstartbelievingstrangeideasthatcan'treallybetrue.

Peoplewhoaretryingtoquittakingmethmight:

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feelsad

getreallytiredbuthavetroublesleeping

feelangryornervous

beunabletofeelhappy

Theywillfeelaverystrongneedtotakethedrug.

Fortunately,thereiscounselingthatcanhelpsomeonewithamethaddiction.

Rememberthatevenifyougettreatment,itcanbehardtostayoffthedrug.Peoplewhostoppedusingmethcanstillfeelstrongcravingsforthedrug,sometimesevenyearslater.Thisisnormal.Thisisalsowhyit’simportanttostayintreatmentforaslongasyourdoctorsuggests.

SignsofPainMedicineUseandMisuse

Photoby©istock.com/WavebreakmediaPeoplewhogetaddictedtopainmedicinesneedtotakemoreofthedrugtogetthesamehigh.Somepeoplemightvisitdifferentdoctorsforprescriptionsandfillthematdifferentpharmacies.Theyalsomightstealthesepillsfrommedicinecabinetsofpeopletheyknow.Misusingpainmedicinecancause:

throwingup

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constipation(trouble"pooping")

pupilstogetverysmall(pupilsaretheblackcircleinthecenterofeacheye)

Whenpeoplesmoke,snort,orinjectpainmedicines,theygetastrongerhighthanswallowingthepills.Thisstrongerhighismoredangerousandcancauseproblemsbreathing.

NEXT:EffectsofPainMedicineMisuseonBrainsandBodies

EffectsofPainMedicineMisuseonBrainsandBodies

Photoby©istock.com/STEFANOLUNARDIPainmedicineabusecanputyouinacoma.That'swhennothingcanwakeyouup.Thesearejustsomeoftheproblemspainmedicinemisusecancause:

StoppedBreathing

Painmedicinemisusecansloworstopyourbreathing.

Coma

Painmedicinemisusecanputyouinacoma.That'swhennothingcanwakeyouup.

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Overdose

Manypeoplediefrompainmedicineoverdosesbecausetheystopbreathing.Infact,morepeopleoverdosefrompainmedicineseveryyearthanfromotherdrugs.

Signsofapainmedicineoverdoseare:

coldandsweatyskin

confusion,shaking

extremesleepiness

hardtowakethepersonup

unabletospeak

troublebreathing

coma

Ifsomeoneyouknowhasanyofthesesigns,youshouldcall911rightaway.Saythatthepersonisn'trespondingorbreathing.

OverdoseTreatment

Youcanoverdosefromheroinorprescriptionpainmedicineuse.Naloxoneisamedicinethatcanquicklyreverseanopioidoverdose.Ifsomeoneoverdosesonpainmedicine,itcansavetheirlife.Familiescankeepnaloxoneintheirhome.Askapharmacisthowtogetit.

Addiction

Prescriptionpainmedicinescanbehelpfulforyourpainbutitcanalsobeasaddictiveasheroin.Youcanbecomeaddictedtopainmedicines.Overtime,itcanchangethewayyourbrainworks.Ifyoustoptakingthemedicine,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.

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Thisiscalledaddiction.

Youcantakethefollowingstepstomakesureyouaretakingthedrugslikeyou’resupposedto:

Followthedirectionsasexplainedbyyourdoctororpharmacist.

Beawarethatsomedrugsandalcoholcanmakeyoursideeffectsworse.

Don’tstoporchangeyourdosewithoutfirsttalkingtoyourdoctoraboutit.

Don’tusesomeoneelse’sprescription.

Nevergiveyourmedicinestoothers.

Storeyourmedicinessafely.

Ifyouareaddicted,andyoutrytostop,youmight:

havepaininmusclesandbones

getchills

throwup

havediarrhea("theruns")

feelnervous,angry,orverysad

beunabletosleep

haveastrongneedtotakethedrug

Thegoodnewsisthattherearemedicinesthatcanhelp.Counselingcanalsohelp.

Rememberthatevenifyougettreatment,itcanbehardtostayawayfrommedicinesyouaren’tsupposedtotake.Yourbodymightcraveit.Thesecravingscanstillhappenyearslater.Itmaytakemanytriestostop.Thisisnormal.Thisisalsowhyit’simportanttostayintreatmentforaslongasyourdoctorsuggests.

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Spice(K2)Facts

Photoby©DEASpiceisanillegaldrug.Peoplemakeitbysprayingchemicalsontoshredded,driedplantmaterials.Theyalsocanmakeitaliquid.

Someofthechemicalsaresimilartotheonesinthemarijuanaplant.Thisiswhypeoplecallit"fakeweed."ItisimportanttoknowthatSpiceisnotthesameasmarijuana.Spicemayaffectyourbrainmorestronglythanmarijuana.Youcan'tpredictwhatwillhappenwhenyoutakeSpice.Theeffectscanbeveryseriousandcanevencausedeath.

PeopleusuallysmokeSpice.Somepeopleusealiquidformtovape(likeine-cigarettes)ortheyputitinadrink.Othersburntheliquidanduseitasincense.

Somenamesofothersimilarproductsare:

K2

BlackMamba

HerbalIncense

Joker

Kush

Skunk

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NEXT:SignsofSpiceUse

47

TobaccoandNicotineFacts

Photoby©iStock.com/MattCollingwoodTobaccoisaplantgrownforitsleaves.Theleavesaredriedandcrushedbeforetheyareputintobaccoproducts.

Tobaccohasalotofchemicalsthatcanhurtyourbody.Onemajorchemicaliscallednicotine.

Nicotineexcitesthepartsofthebrainthatmakeyoufeelgood.Itquicklygivesyouasmallrushofpleasureandenergy.Butitsoongoesaway.Thismakesyouwanttousemore.Sometimesnicotinecanmakeyounervousandjittery.

Peoplecansmoke,chew,orsnifftobacco.

Peoplecansmoketobaccowith:

cigarettes

cigars

pipes

hookahs(waterpipes)

Peoplecanchewtobaccowith:

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chewingtobacco

snuff

dip

snus

Peoplecansnifftobaccoaproductcalledsnuff,whichisputinthenoseandsniffed.

Peoplecanalsovapenicotinewithe-cigarettesorvaporizers.YoucanlearnmoreabouttheseproductsinourE-CigaretteFacts.

Someslangnamesforcigarettesare:

smokes

cancersticks

coffinnails

Someslangnamesforchewingtobaccoandsnuffare:

chew

wad

dip

NEXT:SignsofTobacco/NicotineUse

EffectsofSpiceonBrainsandBodies

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Photoby©Shutterstock/SabphotoWhenthehighfromSpicewearsoff,youcanhaveheadachesorfeeldepressed.PeoplewhouseSpicesometimesendupintheemergencyroombecauseofaheartattack,kidneydamage,orseizures(whenyourbodystartstwitchingandjerkinguncontrollably).

ThesearesomeproblemsthatSpicecancause:

Sickness

Spicecancauseheadaches.Itcanalsomakeyouthrowup.

HeartAttack

Spicecancauseyourhearttobeatfasterandyourbloodpressuretogoup.Thiscangiveyouaheartattack,whichcouldleadtodeath.

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Overdose

PeoplecanoverdoseonSpice.MorepeoplearegoingtotheemergencyroomforSpiceoverdoses.Spicecancausedeath.

Addiction

YoucangetaddictedtoSpiceafterusingitforawhile.Overtime,itcanchangethewayyourbrainworks.IfyoustopusingSpice,yourbodycangetconfusedandyoucanstarttofeelreallysick.Thismakesithardtostop.Thisiscalledaddiction.

Whenthehighgoesaway,youcanhaveheadachesorfeelirritable,nervous,ordepressed.YouhavestrongcravingstotakemoreSpicetofeelgoodagain.

Atthistime,doctorsandscientistshavenottestedmedicinesorcounselingtotreataSpiceaddiction.Buttherearetreatmentprogramsavailablethatfocusonchangingbehaviors.

SignsofTobacco/NicotineUse

Photoby©istock.com/WavebreakmediaPeoplewhosmoketobaccomightgetacoughthatwon'tgoaway.Nicotineisthechemicalintobaccothatmakesyoufeelgood.Itcanalsoraiseyourbloodpressure.Yourheartmightbeatfaster.Youmightbreathefaster.Anditcanmakeyounotwanttoeat.

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Peoplewhosmoketobaccomightgetacoughthatwon'tgoaway.

Peoplewhosmokecigaretteswillusuallyhavehair,clothes,andbreaththatsmelllikecigarettes.

Peoplewhochewtobaccotendtospitalot.

Peopleoftensneezewhentheyinhalesnuff.

NEXT:EffectsofTobaccoandNicotineonBrainsandBodies

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OtherDrugsPeopleUseandMisuse

Photoby©iStock.com/davidfPeoplecaninhalespraypaintanduseitasadrug.Therearemanyotherdrugsthatpeopleuseandmisuse.Someofthedrugsinthiswebsitearecalled"clubdrugs."Theyaredrugsthatyoumightbelikelytofindatanightcluborparty.ExamplesareMDMA,methamphetamine,LSD,GHB,Rohypnol®,andketamine.

LSD(Acid)isaverystrongmood-changingchemical.Itismadefromanacidthatisfoundonfungusthatgrowsonryeandothergrains.

Peoplecantakeittwoways.Itcanbeapillthatyouswallow.ItcanalsobeasmallpieceofpaperthatiswetwithliquidLSD.Youputthispieceofpaperonyourtongue.

Itmakesyousee,hear,andfeelthingsthataren'tthere(hallucinations).Youmightseebrightcolors,prettypictures,orthingsthatscareyou.Itcancauseyourhearttobeatfaster,sleepproblems,panic,sweating,andparanoia.VisitthispageformoreinformationaboutLSD.

PCP(AngelDust)isapillorpowderthatpeoplecaneat,smoke,orsnortuptheirnose.Itwasfirstmadeinthe1950stohelpwithpainduringsurgery.It’snolongerusedforthispurposebecauseofitsbadsideeffects.Itmakespeoplefeelliketheyareinanotherworld.PCPalsooftenmakespeoplefeelangryand

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violentandtheyoftengetarrestedbecauseofviolentbehaviors.VisitthispageformoreinformationaboutPCP.

Inhalantsaredangerouschemicalsthatmakeyoufeelhighwhenyoubreathethemin(calledhuffing,snorting,bagging,orsniffing).Householdcleaners,spraycans,glue,andevenpermanentmarkerscontainthesechemicals.Inhalantscanmakeyoupassout,stopyourheart,stopyourbreathing,andkillyou.Visitthispageformoreinformationaboutinhalants.

GHBisaliquidorpowderthatisusedforpeopletofallasleepmoreeasily.However,somepeopleuseittomakeyoupassout.It'scalleda"daterape"drugbecausesomeonecansecretlyputitinyourdrink.Thismeansthatyoucan'tfightbackordefendyourselfagainstsomeonewhowantstohavesexwithyouwithoutpermission.VisitthispageformoreinformationaboutGHB.

Rohypnol®(Roofies)isamedicineusedtocalmsomeonedownorhelpthemsleep.Butpeoplealsousethisasa"daterape"pillbecauseitcanmakesomeonenotrememberwhathappenedforthetimerightaftertakingthepill.Itcanalsobeputinadrink.Visitthispageformoreinformation.

Ketamine(K,SpecialK)isamedicinethatisusedforpaininanimalsbutsomehumanstakeittogethigh.Itcanmakeyoufeelfarawayfromwhat'sgoingonaroundyou.Itcanalsomakeyoufeelscaredandbeunpleasant.Peopleusuallytakeitbymouth,snortitupthenose,orinjectit(shootup)withaneedle.Visitthispageformoreinformationaboutthisdrug.