37 Scary Facts About Drug Abuse

Inhalants (huff, rush, poppers, amies)

* Inhalants-including solvents, aerosols, and glues-cause headaches, hallucinations, violent behavior and loss of control of bladder and bowels.
* Inhalants can cause brain damage so severe that the person may no longer be able to walk, talk or even think.
* Using inhalants (huffing) even one time can kill you. This is called sudden sniffing death.

Heroin and Other Narcotics (horse, smack, dope, tar, junk)

* People become addicted to heroin very fast.
* People can experience painful withdrawal symptoms including vomiting, cramping and shaking.
* Heroin overdoses are common and deadly. Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin and River Phoenix all died heroin-related deaths.
* Other narcotics that have similar risks as heroin include morphine, codeine, OxyContin, and Vicodin.

Marijuana and Hashish (pot, weed, reefer, hash, bunts)

* Long-term effects include memory loss and learning difficulties.
* Smoking as few as five marijuana joints may expose you to as many cancer-causing chemical as smoking a pack of cigarettes.
* Marijuana can be both emotionally and physically addictive.

Methamphetamine and Other Stimulants (speed, meth, crank, crystal, ice, uppers)

* Methamphetamine is an addictive drug that speeds up your nervous system.
* Long-term use and/or high doses can cause symptoms such as paranoia, hallucinations and imagining bugs on the skin.

Hallucinogens (acid, angel dust, magic mushrooms)

* Some of the more common hallucinogens include LSD, PCP, and psilocybin mushrooms.
* Everyone reacts differently to hallucinogens. There is no way to know if the person using will have a "bad trip."
* Panic, confusion, anxiety, paranoia and loss of control are symptoms of a "bad trip."

Alcohol and Other Depressants (booze, 40's downers, phenos, benzos)

* Depressants are drugs that slow down the nervous system. Common depressants include alcohol, phenobarbital, Valium and Xanax.
* Because alcohol is legal for adults, some people mistakenly believe that is is safe. But alcohol-including wine, beer and hard liquor-is a powerful depressant.
* Mixing alcohol and other depressants is very dangerous-the result can be a coma or death.

Other Common Drugs (steroids, club drugs, the date rape drug, tobacco)

* Steroids-used to increase muscle size-have dramatic side effects that include: shrinking testicles in men; facial hair and problems with menstrual cycles in women; acne; aggressive behavior and depression; liver damage; heart attacks; and strokes.
* Ectasy-(MDMA), GHB and Special K (ketamine) are just a few of the many club drugs. These drugs have caused hundreds of deaths in the United States.
* Rohypnol (the date rape drug, roofies) is a depressant. It has been slipped into victims' drinks so they can be raped after passing out.
* Nicotine, found in tobacco, is a drug that is as addictive as heroin and cocaine.