Drug abuse is the recurrent use of illegal drugs, or the misuse of prescription or over-the-counter drugs with negative consequences. These consequences may involve
Substance abuse; Illicit drug abuse; Narcotic abuse; Hallucinogen abuse
Marijuana is also called “grass,” “pot,” “reefer,” “joint,” “hashish,” “cannabis,” “weed,” and “Mary Jane.”
About 2 in 5 Americans have used marijuana at least once in their life.
Marijuana comes from a plant called hemp (Cannabis sativa). The main, active ingredient in marijuana is THC (short for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). This and other ingredients, called cannabinoids, are found in the leaves and flowering parts of the marijuana plant. Hashish is a substance taken from the tops of female marijuana plants. It contains the highest amount of THC.
How fast you feel the effects of marijuana depend on how you use it:
Marijuana acts on your central nervous system. Low to moderate amounts of the drug may cause:
Other effects can include:
, , and in heavy users
Regular users may have withdrawal effects when they stop marijuana use. These may include:
The medical use of marijuana is controversial, yet it’s active ingredient (THC) is legal for medical purposes in at least 16 states. (Whole marijuana is illegal, even for medical use.)
THC has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the following medical purposes:
PCP is an illegal drug that comes as a white powder, which can be dissolved in alcohol or water. PCP may be smoked, shot into a vein, or taken by mouth. How quickly it affects you depends on how you take it.
Different doses of PCP may cause different effects:
, similar to .
, heart , , , and even death.
Because of the pain-killing (analgesic) properties of PCP, users who get seriously injured may not feel any pain.
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is a strong hallucinogen. Only tiny amounts are needed to cause effects, such as hallucinations.
LSD use may cause:
Other commonly abused hallucinogens include:
Hallucinogens can lead to extreme anxiety and loss of touch with reality, called “bad trips”. These experiences can come back as a “flashback,” even without using the drug again. Such experiences typically occur during times of increased stress, and tend to occur less often and intensely after stopping the drugs.
Cocaine is a strong stimulant. The abuse of cocaine increased dramatically in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but is now on the decline. Other names to describe different forms of cocaine include “crack,” “coke,” “snow,” and “speedball.”
Cocaine may be taken in different ways:
Smoking cocaine typically produces a nearly instant and intense sense of joy (euphoria). Other effects include:
Regular users of cocaine may need larger amounts of the drug to feel these effects. Regular users of cocaine may develop:
Heavy use may cause paranoia, which can lead to violence.
Amphetamines are stimulants. Other names used to describe amphetamines or methamphetamines include “crystal,” “go,” “crank,” and “cross-tops.”
Amphetamines can be very addictive. Prescription amphetamines are considered controlled substances. Over-the-counter (OTC) amphetamine look-alike drugs are often abused. These drugs typically contain caffeine and other stimulants, and are sold as appetite suppressants or stay-awake/stay-alert aids.
Signs and symptoms of stimulant use include:
Inhalant use became popular with young teens in the 1960s with “glue sniffing.” Since then, a greater variety of inhalants have become popular. Inhalant use typically involves younger teens or school-age children.
Commonly abused inhalants include:
Negative effects of inhalant abuse include:
Opiates come from opium poppies. These drugs include morphine and codeine. Opioids are artificial substances that have the same effect as morphine or codeine. The term “narcotic” refers to either type of drug.
Narcotics are powerful painkillers that cause drowsiness (sedation) and, sometimes, feelings of euphoria.
These drugs include:
Signs and symptoms of narcotic use include:
Because heroin is commonly injected into a vein (used intravenously), there are health concerns about sharing contaminated needles among IV drug users. Complications of sharing contaminated needles include
, HIV infection, and .
These substances produce sedating and anxiety-reducing effects, which may be therapeutic in some cases and lead to abuse or dependence in others.
These types of drugs include:
Signs and symptoms of excessive alcohol or other depressant use include:
A number of other illegal drugs have become popular and available in recent years, including:
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There are a number of different support groups available to help those with drug abuse. They include:
Samet JH. Drug abuse and dependence. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 32.
