Marijuana (Pot, Weed, Dope)

Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in America, with 97.8 million people over twelve saying they've tried it! Marijuana is also known as weed, pot, dope, herb...you get the idea! The drug, which acts as a mild hallucinogen, is actually the bud and leaves of the cannabis plant. Weed is usually smoked, but it can also be mixed in foods or brewed as tea. When you smoke marijuana, you'll feel mellow, relaxed, and generally happy. You may feel very hungry, a phenomenon known as the "munchies." But as your high continues, you might experience paranoia or confusion. You'll notice an increased heart rate and a loss of coordination. Excessive marijuana use can cause the same problems as tobacco smoking, such as bronchitis and emphysema. Despite its illegal status, marijuana is approved for controlled medicinal uses in several of the U.S. states. Marijuana has been illegal since 1937, and now you know the real deal with pot.

Smack, H, junk...whatever you call it, heroin is addicting! Heroin is an opiate drug which is semi-synthetic. That means it's part man-made-derived from the drug morphine-and part natural-morphine comes from the poppy flower. Heroin is a powder that can be "cooked" into a liquid and delivered via injection. It can also be sniffed or smoked. It takes ten seconds to feel the impact of injected heroine, while other methods take minutes. After taking heroin, you'll feel a rush of well-being, followed by a blissful, euphoric state. Because it's derived from morphine, heroin also provides pain relief and slowed breathing. The intense ecstasy of heroin lasts a few hours, and when it wears off, cravings often occur. Long-term heroin users often suffer from weakened immune systems and malnourishment. Even death can result. Because the drug is injected intravenously, heroin users have an increased risk of contracting HIV and hepatitis. Remember: Heroin is very addicting and is illegal.

There's a lot of hype about GHB, so what's the deal with this drug anyway? Gama hydroxybutyric acid goes by its share of aliases, like GHB, Liquid X, and Grievous Bodily Harm. GHB is a man-made depressant which is only legal to treat the sleep disorder narcolepsy. When taken as a street drug, the clear, odorless liquid is often mixed in drinks. It can also be snorted as a powder. GHB's effects are relatively short-lived, and usually peter out within several hours. When you take GHB, you may feel euphoric and very relaxed. GHB's physical affects vary, but often include nausea, dizziness, and drowsiness. With higher doses, the drug's effects can quickly become more serious, with results including seizures, respiratory distress, and even coma. GHB is a popular "date rape drug," as the colorless liquid can be easily mixed with alcoholic drinks. With the exception of its controlled use in narcoleptic patients, Gama hydroxybutyric acid is illegal in the United States.

If you've ever been to a rave, you've likely been offered Special K-but we're not talking about cereal here! Ketamine hydrochloride is a man-made anesthetic that moonlights under names like Special K, Kid-Rock, and K. Ketamine is available legally as an animal tranquilizer. When taken as a street drug, Special K can be snorted, swallowed, or injected. After doing K, you will likely feel as if you've had several cocktails. You may even feel like you're walking on marshmallows. Depending on how much you do, you may fall into what's known as a K-hole, where you'll feel detached from your body and be physically incapacitated. Many Special-K users experience nausea and cold sweats, particularly when the drug is taken at high doses. Because of its anesthetic properties, people on K may get hurt without realizing it. Recently, ketamine has been reported on the street as a "date-rape" drug. Large doses of K can induce unconsciousness and even cardiovascular failure. Although ketamine hydrochloride is available for medicinal purposes, it is illegal for recreational use.

About 6 percent of Americans have used methamphetamine recreationally. What's the real deal with meth? Methamphetamine, also known as meth or ice, is a man-made central nervous system stimulant. The drug is available by prescription for treating ADD, extreme obesity, and the sleep disorder, narcolepsy. Meth can be distributed illegally in a number of preparations, and can be injected, snorted, smoked, or swallowed. Immediately after taking meth, you'll feel extreme euphoria and a heightened libido. You'll experience a seemingly boundless burst of energy accompanied by a severe decrease in the need to eat or sleep. Many users report a fascination with repetitive tasks, and some mention feeling as if bugs are crawling on their skin. The long term effects associated with meth use include rapid tooth decay, or "meth mouth," brain damage, long-term paranoia, and psychosis. Remember that methamphetamine is illegal in the United States when not prescribed.

Oxycodone is a prescription drug, but you don't need a doctor's note to get it --or abuse it -- on most college campuses. You may know oxycodone by one of its street names, which include "oxy," "oxycotton" and "hillbilly heroin". When taken as prescribed, oxycodone is a powerful pain reliever similar to morphine. When taken, Oxycodone creates a euphoric feeling and is very effective in mitigating pain. Oxycodone is the primary ingredient in prescription painkillers like Percodan, where it is combined with aspirin, and Percocet, where it is combined with acetaminophen. It is also available in an extended-release formula known as Oxycontin. No matter which formulation is taken is used, it is usually swallowed whole or crushed and snorted. Once taken, oxycodone travels to the brain's central nervous system, where it binds to opioid receptors in the pleasure centers of the brain, producing an intense euphoria. Depending on the quantity of Oxycodone consumed, the euphoria and pain relief can last from five to eight hours. Oxycodone is highly addictive, and tolerance to the drug's effects can build up over a relatively small number of uses. An oxycodone overdose can lead to loss of consciousness, seizures, coma, or even death. While oxycodone may seem to offer a pleasurable escape, remember that there can be severe consequences, and know that using oxycodone without a prescription is illegal.

Eminem and Courtney Love both got hooked out on hydrocodone - and it's almost as easy to get on a college campus as it is in Hollywood. Hydrocodone is a drug which is similar to morphine, and is legally prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain as well as dry, hacking coughing associated with bronchitis or sinusitis. Recreationally, the drug is taken because it causes euphoria, sedation and numbing mental effects. Hydrocodone is most commonly combined with acetaminophen to form the prescription drug Vicodin, but it is also available mixed with ibuprofen as Vicoprofen, and combined with aspirin as Lortab ASA. Recreational users of hydrocodone usually swallow pills whole or crush them and snort the powder.Once ingested, hydrocodone travels to the brain's central nervous system, where it binds to opioid receptors in the pleasure centers of the brain, producing an euphoria and sedation, which is part of the reason why it is so addicting. In fact, with daily use, most people will become addicted to hydrocodone within one week, experiencing physical withdrawal symptoms without the drug. Unfortunately, hydrocodone overdoses are common, and can lead to slowed breathing, unconsciousness, and even death. Over time, constant abuse of this drug may also result in potentially life-threatening liver failure. Although there are over 200 drugs which include hydrocodone that can be legally prescribed in the U.S., they are still illegal and unsafe for use without a prescription. Be mindful of the risks aif you choose to take hydrocodone recreationally.

"Wanna be sedated?" A prescription drug in the benzodiazepine family is how many college students achieve this particular goal. Benzodiazepines are depressants, a group of drugs which relieve anxiety and can induce sleep. Two of the most well known drugs in this group are Xanax,or alprazalam and Valium, or diazapem. You may also have heard these drugs referred to as downers, benzos, or tanks. These drugs can be legally prescribed, and are usually taken to combat insomnia, to promote relaxation, or to ease anxiety. These drugs are taken recreationally for similar reasons. Users also take benzodiazepines to come down from the high of a stimulant, like cocaine. Benzodiazepines are available in short-acting versions designed for use at night, like temazapem, also called Restoril, and in long-acting versions for day, like Xanax or Valium. The drug Rohypnol, which is sometimes referred to as a "roofie," is a powerful member of the benzodiazepine family. Although Rohypnal is not even legal for prescription use in the U.S., roofies can be acquired illegally, and are often used as a date rape drug. After they are consumed, these drugs act on the central nervous system, increasing production of the neurotransmitter GABA, which leads to slowed brain function. Most benzodiazepines act quickly on your system, and while the effects of some will last for just an hour or two, others can have an impact that lasts considerably longer. This class of drugs can be addictive over time, and an overdose can lead to confusion, sleepiness, or even a coma. People who use benzodiazepines over long periods of time can experience amnesia, hostility, and disturbing dreams. For these reasons, all benzodiazepines require a doctor's prescription for use, and should be taken cautiously without a physician's supervision.

You're probably not familiar with the medication known as methylphenidate, but you almost certainly know what Ritalin is. Methylphenidate is the generic name for the prescription drug Ritalin, which is known on the street as Vitamin R, Rids, and R-ball. Ritalin is prescribed legally for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, as well as for the sleeping disorder narcolepsy. When used without a prescription, Ritalin is taken to stimulate the body, and has effects that are quite similar to cocaine in many ways. Ritalin is very popular on college campuses due to its appetite suppressing, fatigue fighting, and concentration enhancing effects. Ritalin is usually taken recreationally by crushing the drug and snorting the power. Once in the body, Ritalin acts to arouse the brain stem and cortex. The drug also stimulates the release of the feel-good hormone dopamine. Abuse of Ritalin may lead to physical addiction for this reason. A dose of Ritalin lasts three to four hours, while an extended-release tablet will work for up to eight. If you take too much Ritalin, you may experience a rapid heartbeat, blurred vision, and in more serious cases, fainting, or even a seizure. Over time, the insoluble fibers in Ritalin tablets may block small blood vessels, which can lead to potential cardiovascular complications and lung damage. Ritalin is illegal without a prescription, so one should be very careful if using it recreationally.

If you've had your wisdom teeth removed, you've probably received nitrous oxide gas. But have you ever taken it to party? You may know nitrous oxide by other names, like laughing gas, noz, or whippits. It is used legally as an anesthetic and relaxant in minor dental surgery. But nitrous can also be inhaled illegally, usually to experience a giddy, float-y sensation, and a release from pain. Outside of a doctor's office, nitrous oxide is most commonly found as a whipping agent in store-bought whipped cream dispensers. To obtain nitrous from the dispensers, users employ a "cracker," which is a tool made of heavy-duty brass or plumbing hardware. Users typically inflate a balloon or a plastic bag with nitrous oxide from a tank or a one-use 'charger', and then inhale the gas for its effects. Nitrous oxide expelled directly from a tank or canister is extremely cold, and there is danger of giving oneself frostbite of the nose, lips and vocal cords, when inhaled directly. For this reason, it's usually discharged into a thick-walled balloon or a mask before being inhaled. Immediately after taking nitrous, a user may fall down as his or her motor skills become impaired. A burst of happy stimulation will often be followed by disorientation, sleepiness, or nausea. The effects of whippits don't usually last more than a few minutes, which is why some people inhale several balloons over a short span of time. In the short term, nitrous may cause death by asphyxiation, particularly when inhaled through a mask. Whippits can also lead to immediate lung damage, or frostbite. With chronic use, nitrous oxide may also cause neuropathy, a condition in which nerve fibers are permanently damaged, resulting in weakness, tingling, and numbness. Despite these risks, nitrous is rarely addictive. If you chose to use nitrous oxide recreationally, recognize that you're breaking the law, and that if you are not careful, that you might hurt yourself.

In the past twenty years, sales of cough medicine have risen 400%-and the reason has nothing to do with colds! Over-the-counter cough medications like Robitussin and Coricidin contain an active ingredient called dextromethorpane, or DXM. Ina typical pharmacy, you might find over 125 legal products that contain DXM, which is, in fact, a close relation to codeine, an opiate used as an anti-cough medication. Recreationally, these medications which contain DXM are known by other names- like robos, skittles, red devils, and triple-c. When it's used as directed, DXM is taken in 15 to 30 milligram doses to help ease coughing. However, when consumed in doses of 100 milligrams or more, the drug begins to generate mild hallucinations and feelings of exhilaration and disassociation. Recreational users often prefer to take many "skittle" pills at once, although syrup containing DXM is also an option. The DXM high usually takes about fifteen minutes to kick in, and can last for several hours. But aside from the desired euphoria, the drug may also cause blurry vision, impaired judgment, severe dizziness, and paranoia. If an overdose occurs, vomiting, unconsciousness, a dangerously high heart rate, and seizures may result. Given these potentially sever side effects, it's possible to die from a large overdose of DXM cough medication.Dextromethorphan generally does not produce withdrawal symptoms characteristic of physically addictive substances, but there have been cases of psychological addiction, and not much is known about the long-term effects of abuse. Bottom line? When taken in quantities over those directed for a cough, DXM may be dangerous, and should be used with caution.

From the white-out on your desk to the cooking spray in your common area, there are more than 1,000 typical household agents that can be inhaled to get a cheap high. You're probably familiar with some of the substances that are easily obtainable around the house that you can use to get a short high. Abuse of household products is generally referred to as huffing, bagging, or gliding. Indeed, new research suggests that 12% of teenagers have tried huffing by the time they finish their senior year of high school. The most common inhalants include spray paint, correction fluid, nail polish, cleaning fluids, rubber glue, paint thinner, and aerosolized computer cleaner. These products can be inhaled directly from the container, or poured onto a rag or roll of toilet paper and "huffed." Fumes from these household inhalants can also be breathed in through a plastic bag, also referred to as "bagging." Regardless of the delivery method, euphoria and dissociative intoxication effects occur within seconds of inhaling. On the downside, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, confusion, and shortness of breath are also common inhalation side effects. Despite the negative effects, simple household agents are extremely addictive, resulting in withdrawal symptoms after as few as several uses. Even one attempt at huffing can produce fatal cardiac arrhythmia, a condition more commonly known as "sudden sniffing death syndrome." With long-term abuse, these agents can result in permanent brain damage, muscle weakness, and fatal liver damage. Because of their negative effects and high potential for addiction, household good should only be used in the manner they were intended.