Aerosols,
gases and glues  back
to top |
| Also know
as |
Gases, Aerosols,
Glue, Thinners, Volatile Sub |
| Appearance and use |
All sorts of famous household
names. Each contain different substances with
different effects. Solvents are sniffed from a
cloth, a sleeve or a plastic bag. Some users
put a plastic bag over their heads and inhale
that way. Gas products can be squirted directly
into the back of the throat which makes it difficult
to control the dose. |
| Effects |
• Users say it's
like being drunk with dizziness, dreaminess and
fits of the giggles. It can be difficult to think
straight.
•
The hit is quite short so users tend to keep
repeating the dose to keep the feeling going.
•
Depending on what's being inhaled, some users
can hallucinate. This can last for up to 45 minutes.
•
It can give users a 'hangover' afterwards, giving
them the mother of all headaches and making them
sleepy.
•
Depending on the substance, it can give users
a red rash around their mouths |
| Risks |
• At best, you
risk nausea, vomiting and blackouts.
•
At worst, you risk fatal heart problems which
have been known to kill users the very first
time they sniff.
•
Squirting gas products down the throat is a particularly
dangerous way of taking the drug. It can make
your throat swell so you can't breathe and make
your heart slow to a dangerously low level.
•
You risk suffocation if you inhale from a plastic
bag over your head.
•
Sniffing can seriously affect your judgement
and when you're high, there's a very real danger
you'll try something reckless.
•
Long-term abuse of solvents has been shown to
damage the brain, liver and kidneys.
•
It can be hard to get the amount right. Just
enough will give the desired high, just a little
too much can result in coma.
•
Solvent abuse killed 64 people in 2000. A quarter
of these were people under 18.
•
Using solvents in combination with alcohol can
lead to an increased risk of death. |
| Alcohol back
to top |
| Also know as |
booze, bevy, pop |
| Appearance and
use |
Alcohol comes in all
kinds of forms. From the hard stuff - spirits
like whisky and vodka - to the Alco pops and
mixers that seem innocent but actually contain
more alcohol by volume than beer or cider. |
| Effects |
• Like most drugs,
alcohol will exaggerate whatever mood you're
in when you start drinking. So if you're on a
bit of a downer when you hit the pub, you might
just stay that way.
• Alcohol is a relaxant so in moderation it can reduce feelings of anxiety,
reduce inhibitions and make you feel more sociable.
• It takes your body an hour to process one unit of alcohol. So it doesn't
take a genius to work out that if you're downing them like there's no tomorrow,
your body won't be able to cope. And you'll end up plastered.
• One too many can strip you of your dignity. Slurring your words, loss
of balance and vomiting are just some of the effects that you may want to avoid.
Especially if you're trying to impress.
• Time is the only thing that will help you process alcohol. Even a bathful
of black coffee isn't going to sober you up if you've overdone it.
• Official guidelines recommend no more than 3-4 units a day for adult
men, 2-3 for adult women. One unit is half a pint of beer, lager or cider. One
small glass of table wine. Or a 25ml measure of spirits. |
| Risks |
• Dependence on
alcohol can creep up on you. Tolerance increases
with use so if you drink on a regular basis,
over time you'll need more and more alcohol to
reach the same state.
• It can make you mouthy, argumentative and aggressive. So if you discover
you're a nasty drunk you'd be wise to rein it. Especially if you want to keep
your mates.
• Alcohol is blamed for all kinds of problems in Britain from violent crime
to domestic violence and car related deaths.
• Serious overindulgence can lead to alcohol poisoning which could put
you in a coma or even kill you.
• Long-term use of alcohol has been linked with illnesses like liver damage,
stomach cancer and heart disease. |
| The Law |
Under 5 - It is illegal
to give an alcoholic drink to a child under 5
except in certain circumstances e.g under medical
supervision.
Under 14 - A person under 14 can't go into a bar or pub unless the pub has
a 'children's certificate'. If it doesn't they can only go into parts that
aren't licensed where alcohol is either sold but not drunk (e.g. a sales point
away from the pub), OR drunk but not sold (e.g. a beer garden or family room).
14 or 15 - 14 and 15 year olds can go anywhere in a pub but can't drink alcohol.
16 or 17 - 16 and 17 year olds can buy (or be bought) beer or cider so long
as it's bought to eat with a meal, but not in a bar (i.e. only in a place
specifically set aside for meals).
Under 18 - Except for 16 and 17 year olds having a meal in a pub, it's against
the law for anyone under 18 to buy alcohol in a pub, off-licence or supermarket.
It's also illegal to buy alcohol in a pub for someone who's not 18.
Anyone over 18 can buy and drink alcohol legally in licensed premises in
Britain. |
| Anabolic
steroids back
to top |
| Also know as |
Trade names include Sustanon
250, Deca-Durabolin, Dianabol, Anavar, Stanozolol |
| Appearance and
use |
Steroids can be bought
as tablets which are swallowed. They're also
bought as liquid which is injected. Popular with
bodybuilders, athletes and other sports people
because of their performance enhancing effects.
As not all tablets contain active ingredients,
it's not uncommon for some people to consume
10-100 times the medical dose. |
| Effects |
• Users claim the
drug makes them feel more aggressive.
• Sports enthusiasts claim steroids make them able to train harder.
• If taken during a strict exercise regime, they can help build muscle
mass.
• They may also help users recover from strenuous exercise faster |
| Risks |
• Normally calm
people can become aggressive or even violent.
• If you're young, abuse of anabolic steroids can stop you growing properly.
• Injecting any drug can cause vein damage, ulcers and gangrene. Dirty
or shared needles and other injecting works can help the spread of HIV and hepatitis.
• If you're male, you can get erection problems, grow breasts, become sterile
and develop acne. It can also make your testicles shrink. Quite a big price to
pay for impressive muscles.
• If you're female, you can get extra facial hair, a deep voice, shrinking
breasts and an increased risk of menstrual problems.
• You could experience dramatic mood swings and ultimately long-term depression.
• You may find that you start getting paranoid, confused and have trouble
sleeping.
• Steroids can also give you high blood pressure and increase your risk
of liver failure, stroke or heart attack. |
| The Law |
Anabolic steroids are
Class C drugs to be sold only by pharmacists
with a doctor's prescription. It's legal to possess
or import steroids as long as they're for personal
use. But possession or importing with intent
to supply (which includes giving them to friends)
is illegal and could lead to 14 years in prison
and an unlimited fine. |
| Cannabis back
to top |
| Also know as |
Bhang, black, blast,
blow, blunts. Bob Hope, bush, dope, draw, ganja,
grass, hash, hashish, hemp, herb, marijuana,
pot, puff, Northern Lights, resin, sensi, sensemilla,
shit, skunk, smoke, soap, spliff, wacky backy,
weed, zero. Some names are based on where it
comes from... Afghan, home-grown, Moroccan etc |
| Appearance and
use |
Cannabis comes in different
forms. Hash is a blacky-brown lump made from
the resin of the plant. It's quite often squidgey.
Grass or weed is the dried leaves of the plant.
It looks like tightly packed dried garden herbs.
Less common is sensemilla. This is bud grown in the absence of male plants
and has no seeds. And cannabis oil which is dark and sticky and comes in
a small jar.
Most people mix cannabis up with tobacco and smoke it as a spliff or a joint.
Some people put it in a pipe. Others make tea with it or stick it in food
like cakes. |
| Effects |
The effects of any drug
have a lot to do with who the users are with,
what mood they're in and how much of the drug
they take. Cannabis is no exception.
• Much like a cigarette, the effects are immediate and last from about
an hour to a few hours. Smoking more will make the effects last longer obviously.
• Smoking a spliff makes most people happy, relaxed and at peace with the
world but the effects vary from person to person. Some people have one puff and
feel sick. Others get the giggles until the muscles in their face hurt.
• Cannabis is quite an introspective drug. Once stoned, users can find
hidden depths in daytime television/ the most unlikely song lyrics.
• It's a mild hallucinogen. Colours and sounds appear brighter and sharper.
• It affects co-ordination. So it can make people a bit unsteady on their
feet. Doing complicated things like operating machinery is not a good idea.
• Some people use it to relieve muscle pain associated with illnesses like
MS (Multiple Sclerosis).
• Someone who's been smoking a lot will have bloodshot eyes, a dry mouth
and may well have their head in the fridge. Hunger pangs are known as 'getting
the munchies'.
There is a flip side:
• Even hardcore smokers can get anxious, panicky and suspicious.
• Cannabis screws with short-term memory.
• Eating or drinking the drug delays the effects and can make them stronger
and longer lasting. |
| Risks |
Most of the risks associated
with cannabis are linked to regular, heavy use.
• Smoking cannabis may be more harmful than smoking tobacco. Cannabis has
a higher concentration of chemical 'nasties' that cause cancer.
• Smoking anything can give you heart problems, bronchitis and cancer.
Smoking it with tobacco can get you hooked on tobacco.
• Cannabis can make asthma worse. And it's a bad idea with heart disease,
high blood pressure or if you are at risk from strokes.
• Regular, heavy use makes it harder to learn and concentrate. Being stoned
all the time isn't going to win anyone 'Employee Of The Month'.
• Frequent use of cannabis can cut a man's sperm count and suppress ovulation
in women.
• Some people begin to feel tired all the time and can't seem to get motivated.
• Some research has shown that cannabis may worsen mental illnesses like
schizophrenia. It may also slow down any recovery from these illnesses. If you've
got a history of mental illness in the family you should think very carefully
about getting stoned.
• Cannabis can cause a range of mental health problems from short lived
and more common problems such as anxiety and paranoid feelings, to less common
difficulties with actual psychotic states that may require medical treatment.
These problems may fade away over several days after stopping using cannabis
but occasionally may require a stay in hospital.
• Smoking cannabis when pregnant may harm the baby. Babies tend to be lower
in birth weight and to have developmental problems.
- Cannabis is illegal; it's a Class B drug.
- If you’re caught with cannabis the
police will always take action.
|
| Cocaine/crack back
to top |
| Also know as |
coke, charlie, C, white,
Percy, snow, toot. |
| Appearance and
use |
Coke is a white powder
that's usually divided into lines on a smooth
surface and snorted up the nose with a rolled
up tenner or a straw. It can be smoked and is
sometimes made into a solution and injected. |
| Effects |
• Taking coke makes
users feel on top of the world. It's a bit like
speed (amphetamines) but it's stronger and doesn't
last as long. People taking it feel wide awake,
confident and on top of their game.
• Coke's a stimulant it raises body temperature, makes the heart beat faster
and staves off feelings of hunger.
There is a flip side.
• After a big night on coke it's not unusual for people to feel like they've
got the flu.
• Some people act like they're the greatest... dancer.. lover.. comedian
on the planet. Usually they're not.
• The hit from coke doesn't last long (20-30 minutes).
• When the effects start to wear off there's a strong temptation to take
more. |
| Risks |
• Crack and cocaine
users have died from overdose. High doses can
raise the body's temperature, cause convulsions
and respiratory arrest. Risk of overdosing increases
if crack is mixed with heroin, barbiturates or
alcohol.
• Cocaine is bad news for anybody with high blood pressure or a heart condition.
Perfectly fit, young people can have a fit or heart attack after taking too much
coke.
• Those who get into coke often find they begin to crave it more and more.
• Using it a lot makes people feel depressed and run down.
• Too much sniffing coke and you're sneezing lumps out of your nose into
a hanky.
• People who use crack or coke regularly often develop serious problems
with anxiety and paranoia. It's a known cause of panic attacks.
• Because the effects wear off so quickly, cocaine and crack are expensive
drugs. A cocaine habit can seriously damage your wallet.
• Very large doses can cause death from heart or respiratory problems.
You may not know you have a pre-existing heart condition.
• Large or frequent use of coke tends to knock sexual desire on the head.
• If there have been previous mental health problems coke could bring those
problems to the surface again. Injecting any drug can cause vein damage, ulcers
and gangrene. Dirty or shared needles and other injecting works can help the
spread of HIV and hepatitis.
• It's easier to overdose injecting. Cocaine is a local anaesthetic and
it deadens pain at the injection site. This makes it harder for injectors to
notice the damage they may be doing.
• Using alcohol and cocaine together can be deadly.
• Injecting a mixture of cocaine and heroin, known as a 'Speedball' is
one of the most dangerous cocktails you can put in a human body. It is also potentially
deadly.
• Taking coke when you're pregnant can damage your baby. Coke causes miscarriage,
premature labour and smaller babies and may cause congenital abnormalities. Babies
born to mothers who keep using throughout their pregnancy show withdrawal syndrome. |
| The Law |
Cocaine and crack are
Class A drugs - illegal to have, give away or
sell. Possession can get you up to seven years
in jail. Supplying someone else with it can get
you life and an unlimited fine. |
| Ecstasy back
to top |
| Also know as |
E, pills, brownies, burgers,
disco biscuits, hug drug, 'Mitsubishi's', 'Rolex's',
'Dolphin's', XTC |
| Appearance and
use |
Pure Ecstasy is a white
crystalline powder known to chemists as MDMA.
Ecstasy sold on the street is usually in tablet
form although it's getting more common to see
it sold as powder. E's come in all sorts of colours
and some of them have pictures or logos stamped
into them.
They are usually swallowed although some people
do smoke or snort them.
The effects take about half an hour to kick in
and tend to last between 3 to 6 hours, followed
by a gradual comedown. |
| Effects |
• E gives people
an energy buzz that makes them feel alert and
alive. Clubbers love it because it means they
can dance for hours without feeling tired.
•
Ecstasy can take anything between 20 and 60 minutes
to kick in.
•
E makes people feel in tune with their surroundings.
Sounds and colours feel more intense. A certain
track of music can suddenly take on a spiritual
significance.
•
E makes emotions feel more intense. Users often
feel great love for the people they're with and
the strangers around them. E taken on its own
is 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 E).
•
E dilates the pupils, produces a tingling feeling,
tightens the jaw muscles, raises the body temperature
and makes the heart beat faster.
There is a flip side:
•
People who aren't on E aren't always best pleased
at being hugged by someone who's really sweaty.
Or having their girlfriend/boyfriend chatted
up by a random stranger.
•
Short-term effects can include anxiety, panic
attacks, confused episodes, first-time epileptic
fits and paranoia. Current evidence suggests
that long term use can cause depression, personality
change and memory loss.
•
No one knows what an E's got in it until they've
swallowed it. There may be negative side effects
from other ingredients in the tablet.
•
E can makes users feel a bit down afterwards.
Ecstasy Blues is the term given to the bad mood
many clubbers feel on Mondays and Tuesdays after
a big weekend. |
| Risks |
• There have been
over 200 ecstasy related deaths in the UK since
1996. Some are linked to the way ecstasy controls
the body's temperature control mechanism. E can
cause the body's temperature to rise to dangerously
high levels. Add to that a sweaty dance floor
and dehydration and there's the potential for
'double heat-stroke'. Some deaths have been linked
to other drugs like PMA which have been sold
as ecstasy.
•
Using E has also been linked to liver, kidney
and heart problems. Anyone using too much can
get paranoid and depressed as well.
•
Ecstasy affects the body's temperature control.
Dancing for long periods in a hot atmosphere
increases the chances of overheating and dehydration.
Make sure you take regular breaks from the dance
floor to cool down, especially if it's rammed.
Watch out for your mates. People can get so out
of their faces they don't realise they're in
danger of overheating or getting dehydrated.
Reduce the risks by sipping no more than a pint
of water or non-alcoholic fluid every hour.
•
Be careful - drinking too much can be dangerous
or even fatal. The drug can cause the body to
release a hormone which prevents the production
of urine. This means that if you drink a few
pints of liquid too quickly, it interferes with
your body's salt balance which can be as deadly
as not drinking enough water.
•
Some long-term users report getting colds, flu
and sore throats more often. But then staying
awake for 24 hours is always going to give your
immune system a battering.
•
There is speculation that the exhaustion and
dehydration associated with E can activate urine
infections like cystitis in women.
•
E's can contain toxic other chemicals like MPTP,
a drug known to cause irreversible Parkinson's
disease. It's highly unlikely that many E's have
MPTP in them. But the point is that taking E
is a gamble.
•
Anyone with a heart condition, blood pressure
problems, epilepsy or asthma can have a very
dangerous reaction to the drug. |
| The Law |
Ecstasy is a Class A
drug - illegal to have, give away or sell. Possession
can get you up to seven years in jail. Supplying
someone else with it can get you life and an
unlimited fine. |
| GHB back
to top |
| Also know as |
GHB, GBH, Liquid Ecstasy,
gammahydroxybutrate. |
| Appearance and
use |
GHB is usually sold as
an odourless liquid in small bottles or capsules.
It's rarer but it does come in powder form. It
tastes slightly salty. A teaspoon or a capful
is a normal dose although strength of GHB varies
so it can be very difficult for people to know
how much they are taking. The effects start between
10 minutes to one hour after taking it and can
last up to a whole day. |
| Effects |
• A small capful
has a euphoric effect that makes users feel happy,
sensual and uninhibited. As more and more is
taken it acts like a sedative or downer and makes
people sleepy.
•
Too much and users feel disoriented and sick.
Muscles can go numb or start to spasm.
•
Excessive use can cause a fit or seizure. |
| Risks |
• It is very dangerous
and can be fatal when mixed with alcohol or other
drugs.
•
Users can lose consciousness, as it's hard to
know what strength the dose is.
•
Too many hits could cause sickness, stiff muscles,
fits and collapse.
•
No one knows what GHB could do to you 20 years
down the line.
•
Because GHB can really knock you out it's been
linked to drug assisted sexual assault. And because
it's almost tasteless it's easily slipped in
a drink.
You can develop both physical and psychological
dependency. |
| The Law |
GHB is a Class C drug
- illegal to have, give away or sell. Possession
can get you up to two years in jail. Supplying
someone else can get you up to fourteen. |
| Heroin back
to top |
| Also know as |
Brown, skag, H, horse,
gear, smack. |
| Appearance and
use |
Heroin comes as a white
powder when it's pure such as that used by doctors.
But thanks to the range of substances it's cut
with, street heroin can be anything from brownish
white to brown.
It can be smoked, snorted or dissolved in water
and injected. |
| Effects |
• Heroin slows
down body functioning and stops 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. |
| Risks |
• Deaths from overdose
occur. But the risk increases after a period
off the drug because the body's tolerance for
the drug goes down.
•
Excessive doses can lead to coma and even death
from respiratory failure.
•
If heroin is taken with other drugs, including
alcohol, overdose is much more likely.
•
Other downers such as benzodiazepine tranquillisers
are also associated with heroin overdose deaths.
•
There's 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.
•
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 of course
HIV/AIDS. |
| The Law |
Heroin is a class A drug.
This means that possessing it can lead to a prison
sentence of up to 7 years and an unlimited fine.
Supplying (which includes giving it to a friend)
could lead to a life sentence and another unlimited
fine. |
| Ketamine back
to top |
| Also know as |
Green, K, special K,
super K, vitamin k |
| Appearance and
use |
Legally produced ketamine
comes in liquid form which is injected. The illegally
produced version usually comes as a grainy white
powder which is snorted or bought as a tablet. |
| Effects |
• Ketamine can
cause perceptual changes like LSD, in addition
to its effects on reducing bodily sensation.
Users can trip for up to an hour and may feel
after-effects for some hours.
•
It can give the user an 'out of body' experience.
•
Some users say it feels like their mind and body
have been separated.
•
In some cases, users may be physically incapable
of moving while under the influence. |
| Risks |
• Because you don't
feel any pain when you're on ketamine, you're
in danger of injuring yourself badly and having
no idea you've done it.
•
High doses, especially with other depressant
drugs like alcohol, can dangerously supress breathing
and heart function.
•
Ketamine is very dangerous when it is mixed with
other drugs or even alcohol, for example it can
lead to unconsciousness with depressant drugs
or alcohol. It can also cause high blood pressure,
which can be particularly dangerous with drugs
like Ecstasy or amphetamines.
•
It can cause panic attacks, depression and in
large doses can exaggerate pre-existing mental
health problems such as schizophrenia.
•
If high enough doses are taken, the anaesthetic
effect can result in death from inhaling vomit. |
| The Law |
Ketamine is a Class C
drug which means that it's illegal to possess it
and to supply it. Possession can get you up to
two years in prison and/or an unlimited fine.
Supplying someone else, even your friends, can
get you 14 years in jail and/or an unlimited
fine. |
| KHAT back
to top |
| Also know as |
Khat, quat, qat, qaadka,
chat, Catha edulis |
| Appearance and
use |
Khat is a leaf which
is chewed over a number of hours. |
| Effects |
• Khat is a stimulant
and chewing it can make people feel more alert
and talkative.
•
It can also suppress the appetite.
•
Although it's a stimulant, many users report
a feeling of calm if it's chewed over a few hours.
Some describe it as being 'blissed out'. |
| Risks |
• If you use it
a lot, you may develop insomnia, heart problems
and sexual problems like impotence
•
It can give you feelings of anxiety and aggression.
•
Some people find it makes them irritable, in
some cases very angry and even violent.
•
It can make pre-existing mental health problems
worse.
•
Those with other problems such as unemployment
may be more prone to excessive use. |
| The Law |
Khat is not an illegal
drug in the UK. It can be used or traded without
penalty. Khat is an illegal substance in many
other countries like the US. Taking khat into
the US could attract a heavy prison sentence. |
| LSD back
to top |
| Also know as |
Acid, blotter, cheer,
dots, drop, flash, hawk, L, lightening flash,
liquid acid, Lucy, micro dot, paper mushrooms,
rainbows, smilies, stars, tab, trips, tripper,
window. Sometimes LSD is known by the pictures
on them e.g. strawberries. |
| Appearance and
use |
As a street drug it's
usually sold as tiny squares of paper, usually
with pictures on them. But it can be found
as a liquid or as tiny pellets.
A trip can take from 20 minutes to an hour to start and usually lasts about
12 hours. Once it's started you can't stop it. And until you take a tab
of acid you can't tell how strong it is or how it's going to affect you.
|
| Effects |
Acid has very random
and sometimes very frightening effects. Trips
feed off a person's imagination. One person can
spend 12 hours in a very happy place while someone
else who's bought the same stuff can spend 12
hours lost in their own fears and paranoia.
How the trip goes has everything to do with who you are, how you're feeling
and how comfortable you are with the people you are with.
• A trip can speed up and slow down time.
• Trips can speed up and slow down movement.
• Colour, sound and objects can get distorted. Think dancing wallpaper,
angry traffic cones and double vision.
• Trips can make a happy person happier and a freaked out person more panicky
and confused.
There is a flip side:
• If panic sets in the experience can be scary and confusing.
• Bad trips can be terrifying.
• Flashbacks sometimes happen. This is when part of the trip is re-lived
way after the trip was taken. This is usually weeks or months after taking the
LSD but can be longer. |
| Risks |
• There's no evidence
to suggest LSD does any long-term damage to the
body or long-term psychological damage.
• However, if you have mental health issues, acid can make them worse.
• If you have a history of serious mental health problems in your family
it may be a bad idea to take acid as it can bring underlying problems to the
surface.
• Avoid taking acid if you're in a bad mood. People have been known to
harm themselves during a bad trip. |
| The Law |
LSD is a Class A drug
- illegal to have, give away or sell. Possession
can get you up to seven years in jail. Supplying
someone else with LSD can get you life and an
unlimited fine. |
| Magic
Mushrooms back
to top |
| Also know as |
Liberties, magics, mushies,
liberty cap, psilcybe semilanceata, psilcybin,
shrooms, Amani agaric, Fly Agaric. |
| Appearance and
use |
Psilcybin mushrooms are
small and tan coloured and bruise blue when they're
touched. Amanita Muscaria are more like the red
and white spotted toadstools you see in fairytale
books. After picking, they're both either eaten
raw or dried out and stored. Most people take
between 1-5 grams. |
| Effects |
Both types of mushroom
give you a trip. Trips can be good or bad. A
good trip can be a lot of fun. A bad trip is
your worst nightmare come to life. Any sort of
trip can have quite random and sometimes very
frightening effects. Trips feed off a person's
imagination. One person can spend six hours in
a very happy place while someone else who's taken
the same mushrooms can spend six hours lost in
their own fears and paranoia.
How the trip goes has everything to do with who
you are, how you're feeling and how comfortable
you are with the people you are with.
The effects for both mushrooms can take between
30 minutes to two hours to happen. The strongest
part of the trip takes 4-10 hours and the after-effects
usually last a further 2-6 hours. The more you
take, the longer your trip could last.
•
Both mushrooms can distort colour, sound and
objects.
•
Both mushrooms can speed up and slow down time
and movement.
•
Both mushrooms can make you feel more emotionally
sensitive. Some people feel more creative and
enlightened.
•
Amanita's can give you the sort of out of body
experience that makes you feel like you're dreaming
when you're awake.
•
Amanita's can give you synesthesia which allows
you to smell words and taste colours.
•
Bad trips are seriously frightening and unsettling.
And you can't tell whether you're going to have
a bad trip or a good trip (although there are
things you can do to try and avoid a bad trip).
•
You're not in complete control of what you're
doing. Your perception of your body and the world
around you can be distorted.
•
Both mushrooms can make you feel sick, tired
and disoriented.
•
Amanita's can make you nervous, twitchy and cold.
•
Amanita's can make make you feel so withdrawn
inside your own head that you can't hold a sensible
conversation. |
| Risks |
• Eating the wrong
kind of mushroom can make you seriously ill,
and even kill you.
•
Magic Mushrooms can complicate any mental health
issues you may have. Anyone with a history of
schizophrenia should stay away from Magic Mushrooms. |
| The Law |
The new Drugs Act 2005
has changed the law so that now both fresh and
prepared (e.g. dried or stewed) magic mushrooms
are classified as Class A drugs. Possession can
get you up to seven years in jail and an unlimited
fine. Supplying someone else with magic mushrooms
can get you life and an unlimited fine. |
| PMA back
to top |
| Also know as |
Chicken yellow, chicken
fever, double stacked, mitsubishi turbo, red
mitsubishi, killer, para-methoxyampethamine,
paramethoxymethyamphetamine |
| Appearance and
use |
PMA is usually a white
pressed tablet. They're often underscored, 7mm
in diameter and 6mm thick. They weigh about 230mg.
Unusually thick compared to ecstasy, they've
been nicknamed 'double stacked'. Like Ecstasy,
PMA is swallowed. |
| Effects |
• Similar to Ecstasy.
•
As little as a quarter of a tablet (60mg) is
enough to significantly increase blood pressure,
body temperature and pulse rates.
•
PMA can cause muscle spasms and lots of people
feel very sick after taking it. |
| Risks |
• he long term
risks associated with PMA have yet to be studied
but they're likely to be similar to Ecstasy.
•
PMA is stronger than Ecstasy so the risk of overheating
is much greater. If you feel your temperature
soaring on the dance floor seek help immediately.
•
PMA affects the body's temperature control. Dancing
for long periods in a hot atmosphere increases
the chances of overheating and dehydration. Make
sure you take regular breaks from the dance floor
to cool down, especially if it's rammed. Watch
out for your mates. People can get so out of
their faces they don't realise they're in danger
of overheating or getting dehydrated. Reduce
the risks by sipping a no more than pint of non-alcoholic
fluid every hour.
•
Be careful - drinking too much can be dangerous
or even fatal. The drug can cause the body to
release a hormone which prevents the production
of urine. This means that if you drink a few
pints of liquid too quickly, it interferes with
your body's salt balance which can be as deadly
as not drinking enough water.
•
Anyone using too much can get paranoid and depressed.
•
Some long-term users report getting colds, flu
and sore throats more often. But then staying
awake for 24 hours is always going to give your
immune system a battering.
•
Anyone with a heart condition, blood pressure
problems, epilepsy or asthma can have a very
dangerous reaction to the drug.
•
Not enough is known about the effects PMA can
have on pregnancy and the developing foetus. |
| The Law |
PMA and PMMA are both
Class A drugs - illegal to have, give away or
sell. Possession can get you up to seven years
in jail. Supplying someone else with it can get
you life and an unlimited fine. |
| Poppers back
to top |
| Also know as |
Amyl nitrite, butyl nitrite,
isobutyl nitrite, Ram, Thrust, Rock Hard, Kix,
TNT, Liquid Gold |
| Appearance and
use |
Nitrites originally came
as small glass capsules that were popped open,
hence the name. Nowadays they're available in
small bottles with brand names like Ram, Thrust
and Rock Hard. One big sniff and you can feel
the effects. They fade after a couple of minutes. |
| Effects |
• An initial head
rush that lasts a couple of minutes.
•
Sniffing poppers during sex can make orgasms
feel like they last longer. And some people say
it makes their sexual organs feel massive.
•
May help relax anal sphincter muscles.
But there is a flip side:
•
The effects don't last long and can leave people
feeling sick, faint and weak. Especially if taken
while dancing.
•
Some people say they have trouble getting an
erection after sniffing poppers.
•
Poppers can give you the Mother of all headaches.
•
Some people get a rash around their mouth. |
| Risks |
• Poppers are toxic
and can kill you if you swallow them.
•
Taking poppers is a dangerous idea for anyone
with chest or heart problems, anaemia or glaucoma.
•
It's very dangerous to take poppers with viagra
or if you're on medication to reduce your blood
pressure as it can cause it to drop so low it
is dangerous.
•
Don't get them on your skin, poppers burn.
•
And they're highly flammable. Some people like
to sniff cigarettes that have been dipped in
a bottle of Poppers. Lighting those cigarettes
could take your eyebrows off. |
| The Law |
Amyl Nitrite is very
rarely used in medicine these days but is controlled
under the Medicines Act. Possession is not illegal
but supply can be an offence. There have been
cases where the Medicines Act was used to fine
shops for selling them, but they're still sold
as Room Aromas or Deodorisers in sex shops and
some clubs. |
| Speed back
to top |
| Also know as |
Amphetamine Sulphate,
Phet, Billy, Whizz, Sulph, Base Amphetamine,
Paste, Base Ice, Meth, Methamphetamine, Dexamphetamine,
Dexies, Dexedrine, Yaba |
| Appearance and
use |
Amphetamines like speed
are usually sold in wraps like cocaine. The powder
is off-white or pinkish and can sometimes look
like small crystals. Base speed is purer and
is a pinkish-grey colour and feels like putty.
Crystal meth, or methamphetamine is processed
speed that looks like off-white rocks or crystals.
Prescription amphetamines like dexamphetamine
are usually small white pills.
Speed's either dabbed onto the gums or sniffed
in lines like cocaine using a rolled up bank
note. Sometimes it's rolled up in cigarette paper
and swallowed. This is called a speed-bomb. It
can be mixed in drinks, or injected and methamphetamine
can be smoked in its 'crystal' form.
The effects kick in after about half an hour
if ingested but much quicker if injected or smoked
(methamphetamine) and can last for up to six
hours. But it all depends on the quality of the
speed. The high is followed by a long slow comedown. |
| Effects |
• Speed makes people
feel wide awake, excited and chatty. Clubbers
take it because it gives them the energy to dance
for hours without getting knackered.
•
Speed was once the main ingredient in diet pills
because it stops people feeling hungry.
There is a flip side:
•
It's impossible to sit still or sleep on speed
•
The come down can make users feel irritable and
depressed and can last for one or two days.
•
Speed makes some people panicky. Sniff a lot
in a short space of time and expect hallucinations. |
| Risks |
• Speed users have
died from overdose.
•
Speed puts a strain on your heart. It's bad news
for people with high blood pressure or a heart
condition. An overdose can be fatal.
•
Avoid taking speed and anti-depressants or alcohol.
This combination has been known to be fatal.
•
Taking a lot of speed can give your immune system
a battering. You could get more colds, flu and
sore throats if you use it a lot.
•
Speed can lead to anxiety, depression, irritability
and aggression as well as mental illness such
as psychosis and paranoid feelings.
•
Too much sniffing speed and you're sneezing lumps
out of your nose into a hanky.
•
Injecting any drug can cause vein damage, ulcers
and gangrene. Dirty or shared needles and injecting
works can help the spread of hepatitis and HIV.
Injecting speed is particularly dangerous because
it's cut with so much crap.
•
It's easier to overdose injecting |
| The Law |
Speed is a Class B drug
- illegal to have, give away or sell. Prepared
for injection Speed becomes a Class A and can
get you tougher sentencing if you're caught with
it or selling it.
Possession can get you up to five years in jail
and an unlimited fine. Supplying someone else
with it can get you up to 14 years and an unlimited
fine. |
| Tranquillisers back
to top |
| Also know as |
Jellies, benzos, eggs,
norries, rugby balls, vallies, moggies, mazzies,
roofies, downers |
| Appearance and
use |
Tranquillisers come as
tablets, capsules, injections or suppositories
(tablets you put up your bum). They're often used
as chill out drugs on the club scene. Some people
use them to come down off acid, speed or ecstasy
after a big night. |
| Effects |
• Tranquillisers
have a sedative effect. They work by depressing
the nervous system and slowing the body down.
•
They relieve tension and anxiety and make the
user feel calm and relaxed.
•
Big doses can make a user sleepy and forgetful
and can send them to sleep. |
| Risks |
• Benzos in particular
are highly addictive.
•
Tranquillisers are a depressant and if they're
taken with other depressive drugs like alcohol
it can lead to accidental overdose.
•
Some tranquillisers have been shown to cause
short-term memory loss.
•
Injecting crushed tablets or melted down gel
capsules is extremely dangerous and sometimes
fatal. The chalk in tablets is a major cause
of collapsed veins which can lead to infection
and abscess. Injecting gel capsules can also
be fatal when the gel solidifies inside the blood
vessels.
•
Withdrawal can cause unpleasant symptoms like
a pounding headache, nausea, anxiety and confusion.
Some people report withdrawal symptoms after
only four weeks use. These can be dangerous and
require medical help.
•
Sudden withdrawal after big doses or from some
specific drugs can cause panic attacks and fits.
•
There's been a big increase in sex crime involving
tranquillisers like rohypnol. Victims' drinks
are spiked with the drug, knocking them into
an often paralysed stupor so they're either unaware
of or unable to prevent a sexual assault |
| The Law |
Tranquillisers can only
be prescribed by a pharmacist. They are controlled
under Class C of the misuse of drugs act.
It's illegal to possess benzodiazepine, including
temazepam, without a prescription. Unauthorised
possession could result in a prison sentence
of up to 2 years and an unlimited fine. Supplying
could mean up to 14 years in prison and an unlimited
fine. |
