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Love for Life |
The possibility that you may come into contact with drugs is ever increasing.
You may have heard about drugs from your friends, brothers or sisters, TV,
magazines or you may even have tried some already.
Drugs can be used in
ways that do not lead to problems with your health straight away or the habit
may not seem addictive but the only 100% safe use of drugs is not to use them at
all.
A decision to take a
drug is like any other decision in your life - yours. Don't be afraid to
say “No!” Make your own decision!
The most common drugs
available and being used locally within Northern Ireland are - Cannabis,
Ecstasy, Speed, LSD, Magic Mushrooms, Solvents and Poppers. It is
important to realise that alcohol and tobacco are also drugs that must be
regarded as dangerous and should be avoided.
Friends may tell you
that drugs are exciting and that they make you feel really good. However,
it's best for you to know all the facts about drugs and how they can affect you.
No matter what any of
your friends tell you, nobody can really know how any drug will affect you!
It all depends on:
-
your height and weight
-
what drug you are taking
-
how much you take
-
how you feel at the time
-
where you are
-
what you expect to happen
-
your own body's physical reaction
-
what other drugs you have been taking
-
how often you take drugs
-
how long you have been taking drugs
-
how you take the drugs
Drugs are widely used
in everyday life. Doctors prescribe drugs to their patients every day.
Caffeine is a drug that is present in tea, coffee and Coca Cola, it acts as a
stimulant - it gets you going! Perhaps
the question is not “should I use drugs?” but rather “is this drug
necessary and safe, and is it likely to cause any damage to my health?”
A drug is any
chemical substance that causes changes in the mind (psychoactive) or the body
(physiological). Some drugs can do both. Drugs can basically be put
into four categories. These are outlined below;
Depressants
- These drugs slow down how the brain and body works. Examples are
alcohol, cannabis, tranquillisers and solvents.
Hallucinogens
- These drugs can change the way a person sees things, such as light and colour,
and can cause hallucinations (see strange things that aren't really there).
Examples are LSD and magic mushrooms.
Stimulants
- These drugs speed up or stimulate the brain or body systems. Examples
are amphetamine sulphate (speed), cocaine, caffeine and 'poppers'.
Opiates
- These drugs reduce pain. Examples are heroin and morphine.
It is important to
remember that different drugs work in different ways and that some drugs may
fall into more than one category, e.g. Ecstasy combines hallucinogenic and
stimulant effects.
It is also important
to remember that some legal drugs are more dangerous than some illegal ones.
You cannot say that it is alright to use a drug just because it is legal.
Too much of any drug will kill you, and alcohol and tobacco are responsible for
far more deaths every year in the U.K. than all the other drugs put together.
Cannabis
- marijuana, grass, dope, pot, spliff, weed, skunk, ganja, herb, wacky-backy,
blow, hash
Cannabis is usually
smoked, like a cigarette, although it can be eaten. It can look like a
small lump (resin) or like a dried weed (grass). It is sold in small
amounts called 'deals'.
Cannabis can
sometimes make you feel relaxed and can make you want to talk a lot. It
might make you start to laugh.
Cannabis can also
make you feel scared, sick, forgetful and do real harm to your throat and lungs.
Some people end up not being able to stop using it.
LSD
- acid, tabs, trips, strawberries
LSD usually comes on
little paper squares (tabs) with bright pictures on them.
LSD tabs are taken by
putting them in the mouth.
LSD can make you
feel, hear and see things that aren't really there. This is called 'taking
a trip'.
LSD can make you feel
happy, but you can also start seeing horrible things like in a nightmare.
LSD - some people
have serious accidents while they're 'having a trip'.
Magic
Mushrooms - mussies, mushies
Magic Mushrooms have
similar effects to LSD. Small amounts can cause excitement and happiness,
larger amounts can lead to shapes and colours looking different.
Magic Mushrooms, like
LSD, can also cause many problems. A lot of wild mushrooms are also
poisonous and can make people very sick. There may be feelings of nausea,
dizziness, vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pains.
Ecstasy
- XTC, adam, eve, doves, e
Ecstasy comes as a
little white, brown, pink or yellow tablet or a capsule.
Ecstasy can make you
feel happy and full of energy, but it can also make you feel scared, confused
and very, very ill.
Ecstasy can damage
your body by poisoning bits inside, like your liver.
Ecstasy can make your
body very hot when you dance which can lead to really bad problems including
coma and death.
Poppers
- amyl and butyl nitrites, poppers bottles are only 5-6cms tall
Poppers come in
little bottles, are usually held under your nose and can make you feel 'high'
for about 5 minutes.
Poppers can lead to
fainting and breathing problems and are also very dangerous for people with
heart problems.
Speed
- whizz, uppers, amphetamines, paste, sulph, meth, base, go-faster
Speed is a white
powder and comes in 'wraps' and sometimes capsules.
Speed can make you
feel wide awake and sure of yourself. But it can also make you feel
scared, very tired, fed up and not able to sleep. People often find that
they are unable to stop using this drug.
Solvents
- aerosol sprays, tins of gas, glues, paint, correction fluids, petrol, marker
pens
Solvents can make you
feel 'drunk' but are very dangerous and can lead to death.
1 out of 4 people who
die sniffing solvents are first time 'sniffers'.
You may wonder ... if
drugs are available and you know people who take them, then maybe they're okay!
You may hear that drugs can make you feel relaxed and happy - but more than
likely they will cause you harm.
Risks to your
Body
These depend on the type and strength of the
drug, the amount taken, where and how it's taken and the person taking it.
There are different possible effects on the body - including a change in heart
rate and blood pressure, exhaustion, collapse, and in a few cases, death.
It is possible to become dependent on drugs (need to take them all the time)
leading to withdrawal symptoms when the body doesn't get the drug, e.g. stomach
cramps, sweating, sleeplessness or worry.
Risks to your
Head/Brain
Effects may include feeling bad about yourself, feeling sad or lonely.
These feelings may last for a short time or may last for 2/3 days after use.
It is possible that the user may need to take drugs all the time in order to
cope with the bad things in life.
Risks to your
Friends and Family
People who take drugs may be nasty and unfriendly to the people they usually
like and they may also get worse at their schoolwork. Drug taking can lead
to bad behaviour - stealing, joy-riding. Drug users are likely to be
involved in accidents, be moody and get into fights.
Risks with the
Police
These include being sent to prison for using a drug or for giving it to someone
else. Users may also be sent to prison for being involved in crime to get
money to pay for their drug taking. The resulting criminal record can
affect the life of the person in many ways, including future job prospects and
travel to certain countries.
Misuse of Drugs
Act (1971)
Having and supplying a drug (including supplying friends), which is described as
illegal by the Act, is against the law and carries with it the risk of being
fined money and/or going to prison.
Love for Life
6 Banbridge Road
Waringstown
Craigavon
Northern Ireland
BT66 7QA
Telephone - (028) 3882 0555
Fax - (028) 3882 0550
Web - www.loveforlife.org.uk
Email - info@loveforlife.org.uk
Copyright © 2001 Love for Life