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Illegal Drug Names
Illegal drugs come in different shapes, sizes, and types. Each particular drug produces unique effects on the user. This is why you may have heard the term "drug of choice." This means, the drug that the user prefers. People use illegal drugs for many reasons such as boredom, to fit in, experimentation, etc. They begin to abuse drugs when they repeatedly take them to solve their problems or to make them feel "normal." Bellow we have listed common illegal drug names and some information about each one. There are also numerous “legal” drugs included in our list. This is because many drug abusers and addicts use legal prescription and/or over the counter medication illegally to get high.
Illegal Drug Names: Marijuana
- Other Names: Pot, Reefer, Grass, Weed, Dope, Ganja, Mary Jane, or Sinsemilla
- What It Looks Like: Similar to dried parsley with stems and/or seeds, rolled into cigarettes or cigars
- How it's Administered: The stems and/or seeds are smoked or eaten and it's often rolled into cigarettes or cigars
- Effects on User: Problems with memory and learning, distorted perception, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, loss of coordination, altered sense of time, feelings of anxiety or panic and increased heart rate
- Other Info: The primary mind-altering ingredient in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Long-term use can lead to addiction in some users
Illegal Drug Names: Hashish
- Other Names: Hash
- What It Looks Like: Brown or black cakes or balls
- How it's Administered: It's smoked or eaten
- Effects on User: Same as marijuana
- Other Info: Hashish is a more concentrated, resinous form of marijuana
Illegal Drug Names: Hashish Oil
- Other Names: Hash Oil
- How it Looks: Concentrated syrupy liquid varying in color from clear to black
- How it's Administered: It's smoked, often mixed with tobacco
- Effects on User: Same as marijuana
- Other Info: Hashish is obtained by purifying hashish with a solvent
Illegal Drug Names: Nitrous Oxide
- Other Names: Laughing gas or whippet
- What It Looks Like: Small 8-gram metal cylinder sold with a balloon or pipe propellant for whipped cream in aerosol spray can
- How it's Administered: Its vapors are inhaled
- Effects on User: Temporary loss of motor control, a "dissociative" psychological effect, sensations and perceptions become disconnected, mild hallucinations, insensibility to pain and laughter
- Other Info: Nitrous may be psychologically addictive
Illegal Drug Names: Amyl Nitrite
- Other Names: Poppers or Snappers
- What It Looks Like: Clear yellowish liquid in ampules
- How it's Administered: It's vapors are inhaled
- Effects on User: A "high" feeling, dilates blood vessels, makes the heart beat faster
- Other Info: Amyl Nitrite is sold in a cloth-covered sealed bulb (so it can be crushed without hurting your fingers). When the bulb is broken, it makes a snapping sound and users inhale the vapors
Illegal Drug Names: Butyl Nitrite
- Other Names: Rush, Bolt, Bullet, Locker Room, and Climax
- What It Looks Like: In small bottles
- How it's Administered: Its vapors are inhaled
- Effects on User: A "high" feeling, increased blood pressure, followed by an increased heart rate, flushed face and neck, dizziness and headache
Illegal Drug Names: Chlorohydrocarbons
- Other Names: Aerosol sprays or cleaning fluids
- What It Looks Like: Like aerosol paint cans
- How it's Administered: Its vapors are inhaled
- Effects on User: Double vision, loss of coordination, weakness, severe headaches, nausea or vomiting, numbness, irregular heartbeat, suffocation
Illegal Drug Names: Hydrocarbons
- Other Names: Solvents
- What It Looks Like: Cans of aerosol propellants, gasoline, glue, paint thinner
- How it's Administered: Its vapors are inhaled
- Effects on User: Hallucinations, stomach cramps, rashes around the nose and mouth and inflamed eyes, light headedness, dizziness and drowsiness, loss of control or unconsciousness, kidney damage, liver damage, heart failure, suffocation
- Other Info: All of the inhalants (nitrous oxide, amyl and butyl nitrite, chlorohydrocarbons and hydrocarbons) carry similar risks and can be deadly
Illegal Drug Names: Cocaine
- Other Names: Coke, Snow, Nose Candy, Flake, Blow, Big C, Lady, White and Snowbirds
- What It Looks Like: White crystalline powder
- How it's Administered: It is inhaled or injected
- Effects on User: A "high" feeling of supremacy, constricted peripheral blood vessels, dilated pupils, increased body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure, restlessness, irritability, anxiety, paranoia, aggression, respiratory arrest, seizures, death
- Other Info: Cocaine is a powerfully addicted drug, and addicted individuals may become depressed when they stop using the drug
Illegal Drug Names: Crack Cocaine
- Other Names: Crack, rock, freebase
- What It Looks Like: White to tan pellets or crystalline rocks that look like soap
- How it's Administered: It is smoked
- Effects on User: Same as cocaine, but users may be particularly aggressive and paranoid
Illegal Drug Names: Amphetamines
- Other Names: Speed, Uppers, Ups, Black beauties, Pep pills, Copilots, Bumblebees, Hearts, Benzedrine, Dexedrine, Footballs, and Biphetamine
- What It Looks Like: Capsules, pills, tablets
- How it's Administered: It's taken orally, injected or inhaled
- Effects on User: During the "up" time: Extra energy, cheerfulness, confidence, prevents sleep, reduces appetite, speeds up breathing and heart rate, widens the pupils. During the "down" time (about eight hours after use): Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, anxiety, anger
- Other Info: These drugs have a high risk of psychological dependence and regular users may develop delusions, hallucinations and feelings of paranoia that can progress into permanent paranoid psychosis
Illegal Drug Names: Methamphetamines
- Other Names: Crank, Crystal meth, Crystal methadrine, and Speed
- What It Looks Like: White powder, pills, rock that resembles a block of paraffin
- How it's Administered: It's taken orally, injected or inhaled
- Effects on User: Same as amphetamines
Illegal Drug Names: Additional Stimulants
- Other Names: Ritalin, Cylert, Preludin, Didrex, Pre-State, Voranil, Sandrex, and Plegine
- What It Looks Like: Pills or capsules
- How it's Administered: It's taken orally or injected
- Effects on User: Loss of appetite, fevers, convulsions, severe headaches, irregular heartbeat and respiration, paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, excessive repetition of movements and meaningless tasks
Illegal Drug Names: Barbiturates
- Other Names: Downers, Barbs, Blue Devils, Red Devils, Yellow Jacket, Yellows, Nembutal, Tuinals, Seconal, and
- Amytal
- What It Looks Like: Red, yellow, blue, or red and blue capsules
- How it's Administered: It's taken orally
- Effects on User: Calming, sleep induction and anxiety reduction, slurred speech, clumsiness, unconsciousness
- Other Info: Dependence on barbiturates can develop, and sudden withdrawal from high doses can result in irritability, nervousness, delirium, sleeplessness, fainting, sickness, twitching, fits and death. They're especially dangerous when mixed with alcohol
Illegal Drug Names: Methaqualone
- Other Names: Quaaludes, Ludes, Sopors
- What It Looks Like: Tablets
- How it's Administered: It's taken orally
- Effects on Users: Same as barbiturates
Illegal Drug Names: Tranquilizers
- Other Names: Valium, Librium, Miltown, Serax, Equanil, Miltown, and Tranxene
- What It Looks Like: Tablets or capsules
- How it's Administered: It's taken orally
- Effects on Users: Reduces anxiety, drowsiness, may make people lethargic, disruption of the psycho-motor, intellectual, and perceptual functions and convulsions
- Other Info: This drug accumulates in the body tissue after prolonged use, and tolerance can develop quickly so that larger doses are needed to feel the effects. When mixed with alcohol, tranquilizers may cause coma and death
Illegal Drug Names: Phencyclidine
- Other Names: PCP, Hog, Angel Dust, Loveboat, Lovely
- What It Looks Like: Liquid, white crystalline powder, pills, capsules
- How it's Administered: It's taken orally, injected or smoked (sprayed on joints or cigarettes)
- Effects on User: Increased heart rate and blood pressure, impaired motor function, memory loss, numbness, nausea/vomiting, possible decrease in blood pressure and heart rate, panic, aggression, violence, loss of appetite and depression
Illegal Drug Names: Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
- Other Names: LSD, Acid, Microdot, White lightning, Blue heaven and Sugar Cubes
- What It Looks Like: Colored tablets, blotter paper, clear liquid, thin squares of gelatin
- How it's Administered: It's taken orally, licked off paper, or in a gelatin or liquid that can be put in the eyes
- Effects on Users: Altered states of perception and feeling, nausea, persisting perception disorder (flashbacks),
- increased body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, numbness, weakness, tremors and persistent mental disorders
- Other Info: This drug has a high potential for abuse.
Illegal Drug Names: Mescaline and Peyote
- Other Names: Mesc, Buttons and Cactus
- What It Looks Like: Hard brown discs, tablets, capsules
- How it's Administered: Discs are chewed, swallowed or smoked. Tablets and capsules are taken orally
- Effects on User: Same as LSD
Illegal Drug Names: Psilocybin
- Other Names: Magic Mushrooms, 'shrooms
- What It Looks Like: Fresh or dried mushrooms
- How it's Administered: It's chewed or swallowed.
- Effects on User: Same as LSD
Illegal Drug Names: Heroin
- Other Names: Smack, Horse, Mud, Brown sugar, Junk, Black tar, and Big H
- What It Looks Like: White to dark-brown powder or tarlike substance
- How it's Administered: It's injected, smoked or inhaled
- Effects on User: Pain relief, euphoria, drowsiness, nausea, constipation, confusion, sedation, respiratory depression and arrest, tolerance, addiction, unconsciousness, staggering gait, coma and death
- Other Info: Heroin is highly addictive. Tolerance and physical and psychological dependence develop quickly
Illegal Drug Names: Codeine
- Other Names: Empirin compound with codeine, Tylenol with codeine, Codeine in cough medicine
- What It Looks Like: Dark liquid varying in thickness, capsules, tablets
- How it's Administered: It's taken orally or injected
- Effects on User: Same as heroin
Illegal Drug Names: Morphine
- Other Names: Pectoral syrup
- What It Looks Like: White crystals, hypodermic tablets, or injectable solutions
- How it's Administered: It's taken orally, injected or smoked
- Effects on User: Same as heroin
Illegal Drug Names: Opium
- Other Names: Paregoric, Dover's Powder, Parepectolin
- What It Looks Like: Dark brown chunks, powder
- How it's Administered: It's smoked, eaten or injected
- Effects on User: Same as heroin
Illegal Drug Names: Meperidine
- Other Names: Pethidine, Demerol, Mepergan
- What It Looks Like: White powder, solution, tablets
- How it's Administered: It's taken orally or injected
- Effects on User: Same as heroin
Illegal Drug Names: Other Narcotics
- Other Names: Percocet, Percodan, Tussionex, Fentanyl, Darvon, Talwin, and Lomotil
- What It Looks Like: Tablets or capsules
- How it's Administered: It's taken orally or injected
- Effects on User: Same as heroin
Illegal Drug Names: Fentanyl
- Other Names: Synthetic heroin, China white
- What It Looks Like: White powder
- How it's Administered: It's inhaled or injected
- Effects on User: Same as heroin
Illegal Drug Names: Ecstasy
- Other Names: MDMA (methylenedioxy-methamphetamine), Adam, clarity, ecstasy, Eve, lover's speed, peace, STP, X, XTC
- What It Looks Like: Tablets
- How it's Administered: It's taken orally
- Effects on User: Mild hallucinogenic effects, increased tactile sensitivity, empathic feelings, impaired memory and learning, hyperthermia, cardiac toxicity, renal failure and liver toxicity