Here you will find some basic information about commond drugs of abuse. You may also click on the link below to view and print a drug information booklet.

CLICK HERE for the drug information booklet. It will open in your browser in.pdf form. If you do not have the Adobe Reader, click on the materials page for a link to download it.

People abuse drugs, both legal and illegal. Many of these are physically addictive, and all have the potential to be psychologically addictive. Prescription drugs have medicinal value and are legally prescribed by doctors to cure illness and treat diseases. "Street drugs" such as Crack, Cocaine, Heroin, and Methamphetamine have no medical use and can only be sold illegally. Other drugs, such as nicotine and alcohol, while having no medicinal value, are sold legally because they are endorsed by society. Drugs can be classified and put into groups according to the effects that they produce in the brain.

Stimulants act on the central nervous system. Common stimulants include cocaine, crack (a form of cocaine that is smoked), and prescription amphetamines such as Dexedrine, Ritalin and Benzedrine, also a powerful illegal amphetamine called "Methamphetamine" is a potent stimulant of the amphetamine class of drugs, and is usually illicitly manufactured and sold in powder, liquid, or tablet form. Normally mixed with various cutting agents (the purity varies), Methamphetamine is the most commonly abused member of the amphetamines. Stimulants can make a person irritable, overly aggressive, and nervous. Because they keep the user awake, they often lead to insomnia (the inability to fall or stay asleep) and sleep depravation. Stimulants may also cause nausea, headaches, sweating, and mild shaking. People addicted to stimulants often take these drugs in binges. They take large amounts for periods of time, and then stop for a while. Binges are common because the effects of the drugs don't last very long. Frequent doses are needed to keep a high going.

Depressants slow down the central nervous system. Prescription depressants include barbiturates, such as Seconal and Phenobarbital; and Benzodiazepines, such as Valium and Xanax. Doctors prescribe certain depressants, such as Valium or Xanax, to help people relax or sleep. Taken in larger doses, depressants can make a person act drunk. Common side effects include slurred speech, blurred vision, difficulty concentrating, drowsiness, and memory loss. Alcohol is one of the most widely used legal, addictive drugs. Even though it can make a person seem relaxed and happy, alcohol is actually a depressant. In fact, it can depress the activity of the central nervous system so much that, when a person is really drunk, he or she passes out. Brain damage, memory loss, sleep disorders, and the possibility of seizures are potential problems associated with alcohol addiction. The liver and heart are also affected, as are the stomach and the intestines.

Narcotics, or opiates, are usually derived from the opium poppy. Narcotics include Morphine, Codeine, Opium, and Heroin (smack). Doctors for use as painkillers prescribe some kinds of narcotics, including morphine and codeine. These drugs, however, are highly addictive, and doctors should monitor their use very closely. People who abuse narcotics often want to numb themselves to the rest of the world. They may act as if they are in a dream and cannot accurately perceive reality. There are also several forms of legal artificial opiates that are highly abused such as Demerol, Dilauid, Percodan, Darvon, Vicodin, and Oxycontin. Regardless which drug is used or abused they all are painkillers and produce the same affect and have the same high potential for addiction.