Most Common Street Drugs and Their Effects

Street drugs

Heroin

Heroin is a common street drug made from morphine, which is extracted from the opium found in opium poppies. Heroin is known for its properties as a powerful sedative and painkiller, which together combine to create an intense feeling of intoxication and euphoria. Users generally inject heroin directly into the bloodstream, although it is also possible to smoke or snort it. Heroin comes in the form of a brown powder or a sticky, tar-like substance. The most common street names for heroin are “dope”, “smack”, “tar”, “china”, “horse”, and “H”. 

The effects of heroin include drowsiness, dry mouth, warm flushing of the skin, heavy feeling in the arms or legs, euphoria, itchiness, clouded mental functioning and a state of delirium. Together these effects make heroin a highly intoxicating substance, and hugely desirable to people that want to change the way that they feel. Heroin is also extremely addictive, and constant daily use will create a physical and psychological dependence on the drug. Daily users will experience harrowing withdrawals after cessation of use as the body tries to adjust to not having the drug in its system. Withdrawal symptoms include sensitive skin, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, agitation, anxiety, insomnia, sweating, goosebumps, teary eyes, sweating and runny nose.      

Withdrawal symptoms include sensitive skin, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, agitation, anxiety, insomnia, sweating, goosebumps, teary eyes, sweating and runny nose.

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is a powerful illegal drug in the classification of stimulants. Methamphetamine, also called “meth”, “crystal”, “crank”, “speed”, “ice”, “glass”, or “tina”, is characterized by its intense feeling of euphoria, coupled with increased energy and heart rate. Users generally smoke or snort methamphetamine, though it is also common to inject it, and some users simply ingest it orally. Methamphetamine is an entirely synthetic chemical, and is manufactured in a lab using potent and explosive chemicals, which makes it very dangerous to manufacture.

The effects of methamphetamine include intense euphoria, increased heartbeat, lack of appetite, increased wakefulness, faster breathing, increased sense of productivity, impulsivity, and increased sexual desire. These effects make methamphetamine a popular drug in the club scene, and the impulsivity drives many on methamphetamine to commit crimes or have unsafe sexual encounters. Methamphetamine is highly potent and addictive, and daily users will feel a compulsion to get the drug at any cost to continue using. Withdrawals from methamphetamine include sleepiness, increased appetite, depression, anxiety and psychosis.    

Methamphetamine is highly potent and addictive, and daily users will feel a compulsion to get the drug at any cost to continue using.

Marijuana

Marijuana, also called “weed”, “bud”, “dope”, “cannabis”, or “reefer”, is a plant that is smoked to become intoxicated by a chemical called THC, which is found naturally in the cannabis plant. Marijuana is the most common drug used in the United States.

Marijuana is used for its intoxicating effects which include altered senses, altered perception of time, increased appetite, changes in mood, impaired body movement, imparied cognitive thinking, impaired reasoning, impaired judgement, delusions, impaired memory, euphoria and sedation. 

Marijuana is the most common drug used in the United States.

Cocaine

Cocaine is made from the coca plant which grows naturally in certain parts of South America. Cocaine is an illegal drug which falls under the category of stimulants. A highly addictive substance, cocaine is characterized by the feeling of energy and euphoria one gets from use, though these effects generally last only 10-15 minutes per dose. Cocaine is usually snorted, however it is also common to put cocaine on one’s gums, inject it, or smoke it in the form of crack cocaine. Cocaine goes by the common street names of “coke”, “blow”, “crack”, “rock”, “snow”, or “white”.

Cocaine is known for its effects which include extreme happiness and energy, mental alertness, hypersensitivity to light, sound, and touch, and euphoria, which combine to create an effect not unlike the effect produced by methamphetamine, though these effects last much shorter. Because of the short duration of the effects of cocaine, users feel compelled to keep using constantly to maintain the effects, which makes cocaine highly addictive.

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