A Brief History of Drugs
Drugs are chemical compounds that modify the way the body and mind work. Most people think that these biological activities should help or heal sick people or animals. There is, however, no known drug that is not harmful or even poisonous at high doses, and much of the scientific work on drugs has attempted to widen the gap between effective and toxic doses.
The word drug has acquired bad connotations in recent years because the widespread abuse of a few chemicals that affect the central nervous system has become a serious sociological problem. Nevertheless, drugs act on many other organs in the body, can benefit as well as harm the nervous system, and have made possible a revolution in the way modern doctors treat disease. Just as there is no health benefit without potential toxicity, there is no absolute goodness about drugs. However, their enormous health benefits outweigh the drawbacks in individual cases. The history, discovery, manufacture, action, acceptance, and rejection of drugs are the themes of this book.
It used to be said that what distinguishes humans from animals is that people take drugs. This old adage is no longer quite true. Rats and monkeys that have been addicted experimentally to some drugs will inject themselves with those drugs to support their addictions. But otherwise the old saying still holds.
Methylamphetamine
Methylamphetamine (commonly referred to as methamphetamine) is one of a group of stimulant drugs called amphetamines that act on the brain and nervous system. Like cocaine and amphetamines, methylamphetamine has stimulant properties but is much longer acting. The crystalline form – sometimes called ‘Ice’ – like ‘crack cocaine’ can be easily smoked and can rapidly lead to high blood levels. It’s also long-acting compared to crack so it’s an extremely powerful and addictive stimulant.
The effects
*It can bring on a feeling of exhilaration and produces increased arousal and activity levels.
*People feel more awake and it suppresses appetite.
*Smoking the purer crystalline form (also known as 'crystal meth' or 'ice') produces a very intense 'rush' similar to that produced by crack cocaine but longer-lasting - between 4 and 12 hours.
Chances of getting hooked
Extended use can lead to psychological and physical dependence. Injecting the drug intravenously or smoking it is highly addictive .The greater potency of the 'ice' form, particularly when smoked, makes it a more dangerous drug than other forms of methylamphetamine.
The risks
*The drug can cause a rapid heart rate and a rise in blood pressure. The higher the dose, the greater these effects.
*Other acute effects include agitation, paranoia, confusion and violence.
*Methylamphetamine-induced psychosis has been widely reported in countries where there’s epidemic use. Psychosis is a serious mental state where you lose touch with a sense of reality. There is some evidence of long-term brain changes that may gradually improve after sustained abstinence.
*In cases of overdose – stroke, and lung, kidney and gastrointestinal damage can develop, and coma and death can occur.
*Methylamphetamine use can be associated with injecting and with sharing of paraphernalia with attendant risks of HIV and hepatitis virus infections.
*Using the drug may also increase libido and risky sexual behaviour thereby increasing further the risk of blood borne virus transmission in some.
Cocaine
Cocaine powder, freebase and crack are all forms of cocaine. They are stimulants with powerful, but short-lived, effects. Stimulants temporarily speed up the processes of your mind and body. ‘Freebase’ cocaine and ‘crack’ cocaine, can be smoked, and so can reach the brain very rapidly in high dosage. Snorted powder cocaine is absorbed more slowly. Hence, smoked freebase or crack tends to be much stronger and more addictive than snorted powder cocaine. However, all forms of cocaine prepared for injection (whether powder cocaine or crack) can also reach the brain rapidly in high doses and so can be very addictive too.
The effects
*Taking cocaine makes users feel on top of the world. Its effect is like the stimulant ‘amphetamines’ (speed) but is stronger and doesn't last as long. People taking it feel wide-awake, confident and on top of their game.
*Cocaine is a stimulant, so it can raise the body’s temperature, make the heart beat faster and stave off feelings of hunger.
*The effects of crack smoking are virtually immediate, peaking for about two minutes and lasting for only about 10 minutes. For snorted coke there is a slower time to peak but the effects still don’t last that long (around 20-30 minutes).
Chances of getting hooked
Coke is very addictive. It can be difficult to resist the craving and strong psychological dependence due to changes in the brain. Recent evidence suggests possible long-term changes to the nervous system. Although psychological dependence is more of a problem than physical withdrawal symptoms - low moods and feeling very rough soon after stopping can tempt people to take more coke.
The risks
*Some people are over-confident on it and so may take very careless risks.
*The hit from coke doesn't last long and from ‘crack’ lasts even less. When the effects start to wear off there can be a very strong temptation to take more, particularly with the long ‘come down’, the crash period can happen days later.
*Crack and cocaine powder users have died from overdoses. High doses can raise the body's temperature, cause convulsions and respiratory or heart failure. Risk of overdosing increases if crack is mixed with heroin, barbiturates (sedatives) or alcohol.
*Cocaine is highly risky for anybody with high blood pressure or a heart condition. Perfectly healthy, young people can have a fit or heart attack after taking too much coke and you may not know you’ve got a pre-existing heart condition.
*Those who get into cocaine very often find they begin to crave it more. And because the effects wear off so quickly, cocaine and crack can become an expensive habit to keep.
*Using cocaine a lot makes people feel depressed and run down.
*People who use crack or coke regularly often develop serious problems with anxiety and paranoia. It's a known cause of panic attacks.
*Large or frequent use of coke tends to knock sexual desire on the head.
*Cocaine can bring previous mental health problems to the surface. If a close relative of yours has had serious mental health problems, it’s possible there might be an increased risk for you in taking cocaine.
Heroin
Heroin is a natural opiate made from morphine (opiates dull pain). Morphine is extracted from the opium poppy. Like many drugs made from opium, including synthetic opioids (e.g. methadone) heroin is a very strong painkiller. ‘Street’ heroin sold as 'brown' is sometimes used by clubbers as a chill out after a big night out. Brown is still heroin but some people mistakenly think it's not as addictive.
The effects
*Heroin slows down body functioning and substantially reduces physical and psychological pain.
*Most users get a rush or buzz a few minutes after taking it.
*A small dose of heroin gives the user a feeling of warmth and well-being.
*Bigger doses can make the user sleepy and very relaxed.
*The first dose of heroin can bring about dizziness and vomiting.
Chances of getting hooked
Heroin is highly addictive. Over time, effects of heroin on the brain cause 'craving' and a strong psychological desire to keep on using. Also tolerance builds and the desired effects reduce so much that users have to take more just to get the same effects and even more just to feel 'normal' or to avoid a very unpleasant withdrawal state.Drugs have been developed to help treat heroin addiction. These include opiate substitutes for heroin such as methadone and subutex (buprenorphine) and also drugs like naltrexone that block the effects of heroin so you can't get a high once you have become drug-free.
The risks
*Deaths from overdoses occur. But the risk increases after a period off the drug because the body's tolerance for the drug goes down.
*Overdoses can lead to coma and even death from respiratory failure (i.e. when breathing stops).
*If heroin is taken with other drugs, including alcohol, overdose is more likely. Other downers such as benzodiazepine tranquillisers are also associated with heroin overdose deaths.
*There's also a risk of death due to inhaling vomit as heroin stops the body's cough reflex working properly.
*Injecting heroin can do nasty damage to your veins and has been known to lead to gangrene (death and decay of body tissue, usually a digit or a limb) and tissue infections.
*The risks of sharing needles and other works to inject are well-known, putting you in danger of infections like hepatitis B or C and HIV/AIDS.
Cannabis(Dagga)
Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug in Britain. Made from parts of the cannabis plant, it’s a naturally occurring drug. It is a mild sedative (often causing a chilled out feeling or actual sleepiness) and it’s also a mild hallucinogen (meaning you may experience a state where you see objects and reality in a distorted way and may even hallucinate). The main active compound in cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
The effects
*Some people may feel chilled out, relaxed and happy, while others have one puff and feel sick.
*Others get the giggles and may become talkative.
*Hunger pangs are common and are known as 'getting the munchies'.
*Users may become more aware of their senses or get a feeling of slowing of time, which are due to its hallucinogenic effects.
*Clearly a stronger 'joint' (e.g. skunk or sinsemilla) may have more powerful effects, but users may moderate this by inhaling and using less.
Chances of getting hooked
There is some psychological dependence with cannabis (where there is a desire to keep taking the drug even in spite of possible harms) and this occurs in about 10% of users. There are no physical withdrawal symptoms from cannabis use. If you've only been using for a short while there should be no problem stopping but with continued regular use of cannabis, this can become more difficult. You’re also at risk of getting addicted to nicotine if you roll your spliffs with tobacco.
The risks
*Cannabis is risky for anyone with a heart problem as it increases the heart rate and can affect blood pressure.
*There’s also increasing evidence of a link between cannabis and mental health problems such as schizophrenia. If you’ve a history of mental health problems, depression or are experiencing paranoia, then taking this drug is not a good idea.
*Frequent use of cannabis can cut a man's sperm count and suppress ovulation in women. If you’re pregnant, smoking cannabis may harm the baby.
*Regular, heavy use makes it difficult to learn and concentrate. Some people begin to feel tired all the time and can't seem to get motivated.
*Some users may want to buy stronger herbal cannabis to get ‘a bigger high’ but unpleasant reactions can be more powerful when you use stronger strains, and stronger varieties may lead in time to more severe dependence or more severe mental health effects.
Ecstasy
This is often called the original designer drug because of its synonymous relationship with rave culture in the early 90s. Clubbers took ecstasy to stay awake and dance for hours. The effects take about half an hour to kick in and tend to last between 3 to 6 hours, followed by a gradual comedown.
The effects
*An E gives people an energy buzz that makes them feel alert and alive.
*Ecstasy makes people feel in tune with their surroundings – sounds and colours are more intense.
*Users often feel great love for the people they're with and the strangers around them. On its own, it’s not a drug that makes people violent.
*Lots of people feel chatty on E. (These chats don't always make sense to people who aren't on an E).
Chances of getting hooked
It's possible to build up tolerance to E, which means people take more to get the same buzz. You may also develop a psychological dependence (the desire to keep on using even in spite of potential harm).There’s some uncertainty about the long term side effects of Es. But evidence suggests it can cause damage to the brain causing long term problems – like depression, personality change and memory loss.
The risks
*Physical side effects can develop that include: dilated pupils, a tingling feeling, tightening of the jaw muscles, raised body temperature and the heart beats faster.
*Short-term effects of use can include anxiety, panic attacks, confused episodes and paranoid or psychotic states.
*Using Ecstasy has been linked to liver, kidney and heart problems. Anyone using too much can become paranoid and depressed.
*Some long-term users report getting colds, flu and sore throats more often. This may be attributed to staying awake for 24 hours, which puts your immune system under pressure.
*There’s research to suggest that the exhaustion and dehydration associated with Ecstasy can activate urine infections like cystitis in women.
*Anyone with a heart condition, blood pressure problems, epilepsy or asthma can have a very dangerous reaction to the drug.
Written By Khaider6
Source: http://www.talktofrank.com/home_html.aspx
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