CHAPTER 8

The Type of Drugs and Their Effects

Part 7 - Other Drugs of Abuse

Other drugs of abuse include "designer drugs," over-the-counter drugs, and nicotine. Over-the-counter-drugs and nicotine are common drugs of abuse, especially among teenagers. Over-the-counter drugs are easy to obtain and legal to purchase. Taken in large amounts, users report they feel a "high," but there is potential for overdose and damage to the body. Nicotine is found in cigarettes and "beedies" or "bidis"--cigarettes from India. These "beedies" are marketed in flavors such as vanilla, cherry, or strawberry. They contain more nicotine than American cigarettes. They are popular with teenagers, who are often unaware that they contain tar and nicotine but like the flavors and the fact that the beedies resemble marijuana "joints" in appearance and odor.

Designer drugs are synthetic street drugs developed by underground chemists specifically to sell to substance abusers. They are common at "raves," all night underground dance parties popular with teens and college students for their loud techno music and drug use. These designer drugs may be modifications of restricted drugs (controlled substances) that this chapter has previously discussed. They are often created by changing the molecular structure of existing drugs. These designer drugs differ slightly in their chemical formulas so that they are not covered under the law as illicit substances. New forms are often developed faster than the government can ban them, making for a profitable, deadly business that is not illegal! Because their contents are often unknown, they are extremely dangerous. Use can result in permanent damage and they are often highly addictive. Some of the more common designer drugs, such as Ecstasy, are classified as illegal--and are just as dangerous. Designer drugs may be swallowed, snorted, smoked, or injected, depending on their form.

Some of the different designer drugs include fentanyl, a pharmaceutical drug originally created for anesthesia during surgery. The drugs derived from fentanyl have been associated with hundreds of deaths in the U.S. due to their extreme potency and strong potential for overdose. Death is so sudden after the drug is administered that victims who have injected the drug are often found with the needle still in their arm.

DESIGNER DRUGS

Ice and Crank ("Meth")

• methamphetamine
• also known as crystal meth
• Ice: rock form - colorless and odorless, resembles rock candy or rock salt
• Crank: crystalline powder
• Ice is smoked, crank is snorted or mixed into a drink
• highly addictive
• effects or "high" can last 12 to 24 hours
• symptoms, such as severe paranoia, delusion, hallucinations, and impaired ability to speak coherently, mimic paranoid schizophrenia
• can create violent behavior and feelings of invincibility
• users have been know to commit murder or suicide while under the influence
• causes dilated pupils, rapid weight loss, extreme restlessness, insomnia, decreased attention span, irritability, tremors, increased blood pressure, and rapid, disconnected speech
• produces irregular heartbeat, seizures and convulsions, high body temperature (up to 108 degrees)
• interferes with brain's transmitter system, especially the neurotransmitter dopamine
• can cause kidney failure, strokes, heart attacks, psychological problems, death, and pulmonary edema (in which a person can drown in his/her own bodily fluids)
• "crash" or withdrawal creates severe depression, apathy, long periods of sleep, disorientation, and suicidal tendencies

"Special K" - Ketamine

• ketamine hydrochloride
• other names: Super K, breakfast cereal, new Ecstasy, psychedelic heroin
• known as "Vitamin K" in the 1980's
• brand names Ketajet or Ketaset are veterinary tranquilizers and anesthetics
• brand name Ketalar is used for human anesthetic for minor surgical procedures
• powerful hallucinogen
• the high may be called "K hole" and may last from a half hour to two hours
• distorts senses, causes hallucinations and a lost sense of time and identity, psychosis, and violent behavior
• can cause convulsions, vomiting, and respiratory problems
• users often display dilated pupils, eyes that bounce up and down, uncontrollable shivering, and "cogwheeling"-less muscle tension in limbs than normal
• may be white powder or clear, odorless liquid
• injected, snorted, or mixed with water and drunk
• marijuana joint may be soaked in it and smoked
• powder may be added to marijuana or tobacco cigarette and smoked
• used at parties, dance clubs, and raves
• frequently used in combination with other drugs such as Ecstasy, cocaine, and heroin

Ecstasy

• MDMA or methylenedioxymethamphetamine
• derived from methamphetamine and amphetamine
• also known as Adam or X-TC
• acts simultaneously as a stimulant and a hallucinogen
• stimulates the central nervous system and causes sensory distortions; produces a sense of well-being
• causes brain damage and depletes serotonin, a very important chemical in the brain that regulates hunger, fatigue, and depression
• after the high wears off, the user "crashes" and becomes severely depressed and tired
• use can lead to psychological symptoms such as confusion, depression, sleep problems, anxiety, paranoia, psychotic episodes; physical symptoms such as muscle tension, involuntary teeth-clenching, blurred vision, rapid eye movement, faintness, chills, sweating, increased heart rate and increased blood pressure
• popular at raves
• at raves, users may not notice fatigue and continue dancing, which can lead to strained muscles, raised body temperature, collapse, failure of kidneys, heart, or liver
• Ecstasy has been associated with internal hemorrhaging (bleeding) and death
• usually in pill form
• new designs are produced every month; appearance may vary: some include red and black capsules, white pills, off-white tablets, or off-white tablets with brown specks

Herbal Ecstasy

• combination of herbs marketed as a "natural high"
• legal, inexpensive
• brand names: "Herbal Ecstacy" (sic), "Cloud 9," "Ultimate Xphoria," "X," "Rave Energy"
• mostly caffeine and ephedra (also known as ma huang); an herb used in China to treat respiratory problems; active ingredient of the herb is ephedrine, which is used in decongestants and asthma medication
• users report feeling relaxed, tingly, and energetic
• the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reviewing whether herbal ecstasy is safe; they have received reports of adverse reactions, such as liver failure, elevated blood pressure, strokes, and deaths
• many states have banned the sale of herbal ecstasy due to the deaths of users

CAT

• Used by "yuppies" in Michigan
• battery acid mixed with diluted cocaine
• believed that they were getting high quality cocaine
• caused severe physical damage to users

White T or Porcelain

• Drano (drain cleaner) mixed with Epson salt
• baked in the sun and broken into chunks that look like crack cocaine
• off-white color
• "bathroom crack" - smoked in a crack pipe
• very caustic - causes bloody cough and nosebleeds

OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUGS

• Legal: antihistamines, decongestants, cough syrup, pain relievers, mouthwashes containing alcohol, sleeping aids, diet pills, caffeine, pep pills
• swallowed, injected, snorted
• example: teenagers taking large amounts of Coricidin D cold medicine to get high
• example: drinking bottles of Robotussin DM cough syrup - mixing with marijuana and butane can cause paralysis and death

BEEDIES/BIDIS (from India)

• Indian cigarettes in sweet flavors (such as cherry and vanilla) and bright packages
• inexpensive - about $2 for a pack of 20
• unfiltered and tapered at one or both ends (resemble a marijuana "joint")
• odd odor, similar to marijuana and incense smoke
• contain tobacco
• contains a high level of nicotine, about 8 percent (up to four times more than in American cigarettes)
• contains a high level of tar (over two times more than in American cigarettes), a cancer-causing agent
• popular with teenagers, who are often unaware that they contain tar and nicotine but like the fact that they resemble marijuana "joints" in appearance and odor