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of Drugs Order
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parents need to know
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Types of Drugs and
Their Effects
Slang Terms
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Cannabis
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All
forms of cannabis have negative physical and mental
effects. Several regularly observed physical effects
of cannabis are a substantial increase in the heart
rate, bloodshot eyes, a dry mouth and throat, and increased
appetite.
Use
of cannabis may impair or reduce short-term memory
and comprehension, alter sense of time, and reduce
ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and
coordination, such as driving a car. Motivation and
cognition may be altered, making the acquisition of
new information difficult. Marijuana can also produce
paranoia and psychosis.
Because
users often inhale the unfiltered smoke deeply and
then hold it in their lungs as long as possible, marijuana
is damaging to the lungs and pulmonary system. Marijuana
smoke contains more cancer-causing agents than tobacco
smoke. Long-term users of cannabis may develop psychological
dependence and require more of the drug to get the
same effect.
| Type
|
What
is it called?
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What
does it look like?
|
How
is it used?
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| Marijuana
|
Pot,
Reefer, Grass, Weed, Dope, Ganja, Mary Jane,
or Sinsemilla
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Like
dried parsley, with stems and/or seeds; rolled
into cigarettes
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Smoked
or eaten
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| Tetrahydrocannabinol
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THC
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Soft
gelatin capsules
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Taken
orally
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| Hashish
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Hash
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Brown
or black cakes or balls
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Smoked
or eaten
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| Hashish
Oil
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Hash
Oil
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Concentrated
syrupy liquid varying in color from clear to
black
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Smoked
- mixed with tobacco
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Inhalants
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The
immediate negative effects of inhalants include nausea,
sneezing, coughing, nosebleeds, fatigue, lack of coordination,
and loss of appetite. Solvents and aerosol sprays also
decrease the heart and respiratory rates and impair judgment.
Amyl and butyl nitrite cause rapid pulse, headaches, and
involuntary passing of urine and feces. Long-term use
may result in hepatitis or brain damage.
Deeply
inhaling the vapors, or using large amounts over a short
time, may result in disorientation, violent behavior,
unconsciousness, or death. High concentrations of inhalants
can cause suffocation by displacing the oxygen in the
lungs or by depressing the central nervous system to
the point that breathing stops.
Long-term
use can cause weight loss, fatigue, electrolyte imbalance,
and muscle fatigue. Repeated sniffing of concentrated
vapors over time can permanently damage the nervous
system.
| Type
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What
is it called?
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What
does it look like?
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How
is it used?
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| Nitrous
Oxide
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Laughing
gas or Whippets
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Small
8-gram metal cylinder sold with a balloon or pipe
propellant for whipped cream in aerosol spray
can
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Vapors
inhaled
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| Amyl
Nitrite
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Poppers
or Snappers
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Clear
yellowish liquid in
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Vapors
inhaled
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| Butyl
Nitrite
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Rush,
Bolt, Bullet, Locker Room, and Climax
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In
small bottles
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Vapors
inhaled
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| Chlorohydrocarbons
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Aerosol
sprays or cleaning fluids
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Aerosol
paint cans
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Vapors
inhaled
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| Hydrocarbons
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Solvents
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Cans
of aerosol propellants, gasoline, glue, paint
thinner
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Vapors
inhaled
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Cocaine
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Cocaine
stimulates the central nervous system. Its immediate effects
include dilated pupils and elevated blood pressure, heart
rate, respiratory rate, and body temperature. Occasional
use can cause a stuffy or runny nose, while chronic use
can ulcerate the mucous membrane of the nose. Injecting
cocaine with contaminated equipment can cause AIDS, hepatitis,
and other diseases. Preparation of freebase, which involves
the use of volatile solvents, can result in death or injury
from fire or explosion.
Crack
or freebase rock is extremely addictive, and its effects
are felt within 10 seconds. The physical effects include
dilated pupils, increased pulse rate, elevated blood
pressure, insomnia, loss of appetite, tactile hallucinations,
paranoia, and seizure. The use of cocaine can cause
death by cardiac arrest or respiratory failure.
| Type
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What
is it called?
|
What
does it look like?
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How
is it used?
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| Cocaine
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Coke,
Snow, Nose Candy, Flake, Blow, Big C, Lady, White,
and Snowbirds
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White
crystalline powder
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Inhaled,
injected
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| Crack
cocaine
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Crack,
rock, freebase
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White
to tan pellets or crystalline rocks that look
like soap
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Smoked
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Other
Stimulants
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Stimulants
can cause increased heart and respiratory rates, elevated
blood pressure, dilated pupils, and decreased appetite.
In addition, users may experience sweating, headache,
blurred vision, dizziness, sleeplessness, and anxiety.
Extremely high doses can cause a rapid or irregular
heartbeat, tremors, loss of coordination, and even physical
collapse. An amphetamine injection creates a sudden
increase in blood pressure that can result in stroke,
very high fever, or heart failure.
In
addition to the physical effects, users report feeling
restless, anxious, and moody. Higher doses intensify
the effects. Persons who use larger amounts of amphetamines
over a long period of time can develop an amphetamine
psychosis that includes hallucinations, delusions, and
paranoia. These symptoms usually disappear when drug
use ceases.
| Type
|
What
is it called?
|
What
does it look like?
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How
is it used?
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| Amphetamines
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Speed,
Uppers, Ups, Black beauties, Pep pills, Copilots,
Bumblebees, Hearts, Benzedrine, Dexedrine, Footballs,
and Biphetamine
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Capsules,
pills, tablets
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Taken
orally, injected, inhaled
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| Methamphetamines
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Crank,
Crystal meth, Crystal methadrine, and Speed
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White
powder, pills, rock that resembles a block of
paraffin
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Taken
orally, injected, inhaled
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| Additional
Stimulants
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Ritalin,
Cylert, Preludin, Didrex, Pre-State, Voranil,
Sandrex, and Plegine
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Pills
or capsules
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Taken
orally, injected
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Depressants
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The
effects of depressants are in many ways similar to the
effects of alcohol. Small amounts can produce calmness
and very relaxed muscles, but larger doses can cause
slurred speech, staggering gait, and altered perception.
Very large doses can cause respiratory depression, coma,
and death. The combination of depressants and alcohol
can multiply the effects of the drugs, increasing the
risks.
Regular
use of depressants over time can result in physical
and psychological addiction. People who suddenly stop
taking large doses can experience withdrawal symptoms,
including anxiety, insomnia, tremors, delirium, convulsions,
and death. Babies born to mothers who abuse depressants
may also be physically dependent on the drugs and show
withdrawal symptoms shortly after they are born. Birth
defects and behavioral problems also may result.
| Type
|
What
is it called?
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What
does it look like?
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How
is it used?
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| Barbiturates
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Downers,
Barbs, Blue Devils, Red Devils, Yellow Jacket,
Yellows, Nembutal, Tuinals, Seconal, and Amytal
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Red,
yellow, blue, or red and blue capsules
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Taken
orally
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| Methaqualone
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Qualudes,
Ludes, Sopors
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Tablets
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Taken
orally
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| Tranquilizers
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Valium,
Librium, Miltown, Serax, Equanil, Miltown, and
Tranxene
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Tablets
or capsules
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Taken
orally
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Hallucinogen
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Phencyclidine
(PCP) interrupts the functions of the neocortex, the
section of the brain that controls the intellect and
keeps instincts in check. Because the drug blocks pain
receptors, violent PCP episodes may result in self-inflicted
injuries. The effects of PCP vary, but users frequently
report a sense of distance and estrangement. Time and
body movements are slowed down. Muscular coordination
worsens and senses are dulled. Speech is blocked and
incoherent. In later stages of chronic use, users often
exhibit paranoid and violent behavior and experience
hallucinations. Large doses may produce convulsions
and coma, as well as heart and lung failure.
Lysergic
acid (LSD), mescaline, and psilocybin cause illusions
and hallucinations. The physical effects may include
dilated pupils, elevated body temperature, increased
heart rate and blood pressure, loss of appetite, sleeplessness,
and tremors. The user may experience panic, confusion,
suspicion, anxiety, and loss of control.
| Type
|
What
is it called?
|
What
does it look like?
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How
is it used?
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| Phencyclidine
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PCP,
Hog, Angel Dust, Loveboat, Lovely, Killer Weed
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What
does it look like - Liquid, white crystalline
powder, pills, capsules
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Taken
orally, injected, smoked (sprayed on joints or
cigarettes)
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| Lysergic
acid diethylamide
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LSD,
Acid, Microdot, White lightning, Blue heaven,
and Sugar Cubes
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Colored
tablets, blotter paper, clear liquid, thin squares
of gelatin
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Taken
orally, licked off paper, gelatin, and liquid
can be put in the eyes.
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| Mescaline
and Peyote
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Mesc,
Buttons, and Cactus
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Hard
brown discs, tablets, capsules
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Discs
- chewed, swallowed, or smoked or Tablets and
capsules - taken orally
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| Psilocybin
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Magic
Mushrooms, 'shrooms
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Fresh
or dried mushrooms
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Chewed
or swallowed
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Narcotics
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Narcotics
initially produce a feeling of euphoria that often is
followed by drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting. Users
may also experience constricted pupils, watery eyes,
and itching. An overdose may produce slow and shallow
breathing, clammy skin, convulsions, coma, and possible
death.
Tolerance
to narcotics develops rapidly and dependence is likely.
The use of contaminated syringes may result in disease
such as AIDS, endocarditic, and hepatitis. Addiction
in pregnant women can lead to premature, stillborn,
or addicted infants who experience severe withdrawal
symptoms.
| Type
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What
is it called?
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What
does it look like?
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How
is it used?
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| Heroin
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Smack,
Horse, Mud, Brown sugar, Junk, Black tar, and
Big H
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White
to dark-brown powder or tar-like substance
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Injected,
smoked, or inhaled
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| Codeine
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Empirin
compound with codeine, Tylenol with codeine, Codeine
in cough medicine
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Dark
liquid varying in thickness, capsules, tablets
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Taken
orally, injected
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| Morphine
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Pectoral
syrup
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White
crystals, hypodermic tablets, or inject able solutions
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Taken
orally, injected, or smoked
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| Opium
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Paregoric,
Dover's Powder, Parepectolin
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Dark
brown chunks, powder
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Smoked,
eaten, or injected
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| Meperidine
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Pethidine,
Demerol, Mepergan
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White
powder, solution, tablets
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Taken
orally, injected
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| Other
narcotics
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Percocet,
Percodan, Tussionex, Fentanyl, Darvon, Talwin,
and Lomotil
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Tablets
or capsules
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Taken
orally, injected
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Designer
Drugs
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Illegal
drugs are defined in the terms of their chemical formulas.
To circumvent these legal restrictions, underground
chemists modify the molecular structure of certain illegal
drugs to produce analogs known as designer drugs. These
drugs can be several hundred times stronger than the
drugs they are designed to imitate.
The
narcotic analogs can cause symptoms such as those seen
in Parkinson's disease: uncontrollable tremors, drooling,
impaired speech, paralysis, and irreversible brain damage.
Analogs of amphetamines and methamphetamines cause nausea,
blurred vision, chills or sweating, and faintness. Psychological
effects include anxiety, depression, and paranoia. As
little as one dose can cause brain damage. The analogs
of phencyclidine cause illusions, hallucinations, and
impaired perception.
| Type
|
What
is it called?
|
What
does it look like?
|
How
is it used?
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| Analog
of Fentanyl (Narcotic)
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Synthetic
heroin, China white
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White
powder
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Inhaled,
injected
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| Analog
of Meperidine (Narcotic)
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MPTP
(New heroin), MPPP, synthetic heroin
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White
powder
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Inhaled,
injected
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| Analog
of Amphetamines or Methamphetamines (Hallucinogens)
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MDMA
(Ecstasy, XTC, Adam, Essence), MDM, STP, PMA,
2, 5-DMA, TMA, DOM, DOB, EVE
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White
powder, tablets, or capsules
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Taken
orally, injected, or inhaled
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| Analog
of Phencyclidine (PCP)
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PCPy,
PCE
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White
powder
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Taken
orally, injected, or smoked
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Anabolic
Steroids
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Steroids
Anabolic steroids are a group of powerful compounds
closely related to the male sex hormone testosterone.
Developed in the 1930's, steroids are seldom prescribed
by physicians today. Current legitimate medical uses
are limited to certain kinds of anemia, severe burns,
and some types of breast cancer.
Taken
in combination with a program of muscle-building exercise
and diet, steroids may contribute to increases in body
weight and muscular strength. Steroid users subject
themselves to more than 70 side effects ranging in severity
from liver cancer to acne and including psychological
as well as physical reactions. The liver and cardiovascular
systems are most seriously affected by steroid use.
In males, use can cause withered testicles, sterility,
and impotence. In females, irreversible masculine traits
can develop along with breast reduction and sterility.
Psychological effects in both sexes include very aggressive
behavior known as "roid rage" and depression.
While some side effects appear quickly, others, such
as heart attacks and strokes, may not show up for years.
Signs
of steroid use include quick weight and muscle gains
(when used in a weight training program); aggressiveness
and combativeness; jaundice; purple or red spots on
the body; swelling of feet and lower legs; trembling;
unexplained darkening of the skin; and persistent unpleasant
breath odor.
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Alcohol
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Alcohol
consumption causes a number of changes in behavior.
Even low doses significantly impair the judgment and
coordination required to drive a car safely. Low to
moderate doses of alcohol can increase the incidence
of a variety of aggressive acts, including spouse and
child abuse. Moderate to high doses of alcohol cause
marked impairments in higher mental functions, severely
altering a person's ability to learn and remember information.
Very high doses cause respiratory depression and death.
Continued
use of alcohol can lead to dependence. Sudden cessation
of alcohol intake is likely to produce withdrawal symptoms,
including severe anxiety, tremors, hallucinations, and
convulsions. Long-term effects of consuming large quantities
of alcohol, especially when combined with poor nutrition,
can lead to permanent damage to vital organs such as
the brain and the liver. In addition, mothers who drink
alcohol during pregnancy may give birth to infants with
fetal alcohol syndrome. These infants may suffer from
mental retardation and other irreversible physical abnormalities.
In addition, research indicates that children of alcoholic
parents are at greater risk than other children of becoming
alcoholics.
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Tobacco
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The
smoking of tobacco products is the chief avoidable cause
of death in our society. Smokers are more likely than
nonsmokers to contract heart disease - some 170,000
die each year from smoking-related coronary heart disease.
Lung, larynx, esophageal, bladder, pancreatic, and kidney
cancers also strike smokers at increased rates. Some
30 percent of cancer deaths (130,000 per year) are linked
to smoking. Chronic, obstructive lung diseases such
as emphysema and chronic bronchitis are 10 times more
likely to occur among smokers than among nonsmokers.
Smoking
during pregnancy also poses serious risks. Spontaneous
abortion, pre-term birth, low birth weights, and fetal
and infant deaths are all more likely to occur when
the pregnant woman is a smoker.
Cigarette
smoke contains some 4,000 chemicals, several of which
are known carcinogens. Perhaps the most dangerous substance
in tobacco smoke is nicotine. Nicotine is the substance
that reinforces and strengthens the desire to smoke.
Because nicotine is highly addictive, addicts find it
very difficult to stop smoking. Of 1,000 typical smokers,
fewer than 20 percent succeed in stopping on the first
try.
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How
Long Will The Drugs Stay In The System
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DETECTION
PERIODS FOR DRUGS IN URINE
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Drug
|
Detection
Period
|
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ALCOHOL,
ETHYL
|
3-10
HOURS
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AMPHETAMINE
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1-2
DAYS
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BARBITURATES
SECOBARBITAL
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1-5+
DAYS
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BARBITURATES
PHENOBARBITAL
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2-6
WEEKS
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BENZODIAZEPINES
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3-5
DAYS
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BENZODIAZEPINES
HEAVY ABUSE
|
3-6
WEEKS
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COCAINE
|
2-3+
DAYS
|
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BENZOYLECGONINE
(Cocaine Metabolite)
|
2-4
DAY
|
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CODEINE
|
1-3+
DAYS
|
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HEROIN
|
1-2
DAYS
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HYDROMORPHONE
(DILAUDID)
|
1-2
DAYS
|
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LSD
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1-2
DAYS
|
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METHAMPHETAMINES
|
2-3+
DAYS
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METHAQUALONE
(QUAALUDE)
|
2
WEEKS
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MORPHINE
|
1-2
DAYS
|
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PCP
(PHENCYCLIDINE)
|
2-8
DAYS
|
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Ecstasy
|
3-5
DAYS
|
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PROPOXYPHENE
(DARVON)
|
6-48
HOURS
|
|
(PROPOXYPHENE
METABOLITES)
|
6-48
HOURS
|
| ANABOLIC
STEROIDS (ORAL) |
2
DAYS -
4
WEEKS
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| ANABOLIC
STEROIDS (INJECTABLE) |
2
MONTHS -
1
YEAR
|
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THC
METABOLITE (MARIJUANA)
|
|
1
JOINT, URINE
|
2
WEEKS
|
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3
TIMES WEEKLY, URINE
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3-4
WEEKS
|
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DAILY,
URINE
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4-6
WEEKS
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