Parenting Tips - Drugs

Drugs can be broadly defined as something that changes the way you think and feel. This includes medical drug and alcohol tobacco and caffeine. Its worth noting that the reason alcohol and tobacco are included because they can cause problems. An example would be Alcopops which are very popular in Ireland today these drinks often contain ore alcohol than traditional drinks. Teens are attracted to them and often consume them quickly. People can become dependent on alcohol and tobacco and need to keep using them to feel good, to cope with stress or just to get through the day.

Experiment
Many teens experiment with drugs for a short time and then stop. They haven’t become addicted or dependent, nor have they suffered ill effects. Many teens believe that cannabis is as acceptable as alcohol. They know its illegal but believe it should not be as they regard it as less harmful than many legal drugs.

Harmful
Drugs can be dangerous they can lead to death and physical and mental damage. Drug users can come dependent on them. The may neglect areas of their lives like study, work and even the people they love. Drug dependence can also lead to crime

Why teens use drugs

- For excitement they hate to be bored they want a buzz.

- They seek approval of their friends and want to share experiences with them. They also want to appear grown up and fit in with their peers.

- For fun and relaxation. Some teens might drink alcohol at the start of the evening, take ecstasy in a night club and smoke cannabis to help them calm down and relax at the end of the night.

- To cope with life’s difficulties to escape reality. Problems such as bullying social anxiety loneliness family tensions and bad sexual experiences may contribute to drug use.

AMPHETAMINES
Often used by young people at clubs and parties and also at exam times or situations where a young person wants more energy to keep going.

Street names: Speed Billy Whiz sulphate

Buying and using them: Amphetamines are made in illegal laboratories. They are rarely pure and come mixed with other drugs. They can be bought as a white or greyish white powder that can be dangerous: if injecting equipment is shared then there’s a risk of contracting HIV or hepatitis.

Effects
It’s a stimulant, so it makes you feel energetic and exited, which for some young people is ideal for going out clubbing. Because it suppresses the appetite, some people use it to help dieting.

Problems
The after-effects include: mood swings; difficulty sleeping; with them tiredness and low energy levels. In the long-term users can feel depressed and paranoid

Cannabis
The most commonly used illegal drug by young people.

Street names Dope, hash, ganga, grass, weed, pot, blow and bush.

Buying and using it: Can be bought as a crumbly resin or as a solid block, in a form or black oil. Most commonly smoked with tobacco (but also without ) in a joint ('spliff'). Can be smoked in pipes, brewed into a drink or cooked into food such as biscuits.

Effects: Makes people feel relaxed, giggly and talkative. Stronger forms may be mildly hallucinogenic.

Problems
Can make people feel anxious, paranoid and forgetful it can slow down reaction cause difficulty studying or doin doing exams. Although not causing physical dependence, some people can become dependent in the sense that they can only feel relaxed when they smoke it. Long term smoking can damage the lungs, especially (as is common) when smoked with tobacco .

Cocaine

Comes from the coca plant. Crack is a form of cocaine Crack a process known as freebasing.

Street names
C cocaine – coke, Charlie, snow or white. And names for Crack – freebase, rock, stone, wash or base.

Buying and using it: Bought as a white powder, its usually sniffed and sometimes prepared for injection. Crack is usually smoked but it can be injected.

Effects
Short term it can make you feel strong and confident and its tempting to use more of the drug and more often, to repeat the effect.

Problems
It is possible to become dependent on cocaine and crack And the costs of buying the can lead some people into a life Of crime and violence. Injecting the drug leads to an increased risk of getting HIV and hepatitis. Regular use can result in weight loss, restlessness and feelings of anxiety and paranoia. Depression and mood swings can also occur.

Ecstasy

Manufactured in illegal laboratories, ecstasy is common on the club scene.

Street names
“E”, Doves, Apples and other usually named after the design of the tablet.

Buying using it:
There are virtually no tablets sold which contain pure ecstasy. Instead, they usually contain a combination of drugs like LSD amphetamines.

Effects
Gives a feeling of energy, followed by calmness and being at one with those around you.

Problems
Some people suffer from sickness and experience a stiffening Of arms, legsand particularly the jaw. No one knows the long term- effects of uing Ecstasy. Some research shows that it can cause depression. It is especially dangerous for anyone with high blood pressure, a heart condition or for anyone prone to epileptic fits. Ecstasy can dehydrate the body so its important to drink water or soft drinks. But drinking to much fluid can also be dangerous. Most of the young people who have died from using ecstasy in this country have died fro dehydration and heat stroke.

Heroin

Comes from the opium poppy. First time users are usually sick it can take weeks and even months of regular use to become hooked.

Street names
Smack, junk, H, brown, skag, gear.

Buying and using it: Comes as a white greyish or brown powder. Often smoked – called “Chasing the Dragon” – by placing the heroin on foil, heating from below and inhaling the.fumes. Can be injected by mixing the powder with lemon juice or vinegar and drawing it up into a syringe. As with injecting any drug, the dangers come with sharing injecting equipment. It increases the risk of transmission of HIV and Hepatitis.

Effects Like morphine and other pain killers, heroin is an opiate-type drug so it lessens physical and emotional pain. It makes people forget their problems.

LSD
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) need only be taken in extremely small amounts to get an effect.

Street names Acid, tabs, trips, or names based on the paper e.g.stars,bart, strawbs.

Buying and using it: Can be bought as small squares of paper, often with cartoon designs. They are swallowed and take between 30 and 40 minutes to have effect. Once it starts, a trip can last up to twelve hours. Strengths of LSD vary and it’s impossible to know in advance how much is being taken.

Effects
The way that users see and hear things will change’ for example music may sound much more interesting. People may hallucinate, although true hallucinations (ones that are actually thought to be real) are rare. Time may appear to pass at different speeds. There is often heightened self-awareness and a sense of experiencing great insights.

Problems
“Bad trips” can be scary and people may feel anxious. Using LSD can also lead to accidents if people aren’t I control of their actions. If a user already has mental problems LSD use can make things worse. It is also said that short-lived “flashbacks” (reoccurrence of an aspect of the experience of the trip) can unpredictably occur months later.

Hallucinogenic Mushrooms

These mushrooms can be found growing wild in parts of the UK and Ireland.

Street names Liberty Cap ,magic mushroom,”mushies”

Getting them and using them: The Liberty Cap is the more commonly used; it fruits between September and November. The Fly Agaric (also Autumn- fruiting is less popular because of the unpleasant side effects and and greater danger of mistaken identity.

Effects
Similar to, but milder than the effects of LSD. Users often feel nauseous. Effects vary greatly depending on the dose and the potency of different samples of mushrooms and different preparation methods.

Problems
The biggest danger is picking the wrong species of mushrooms and being poisoned. Like LSD “bad trips” can be scary, and the drug may precipitate mental problems.

Poppers

Popular amongst some adult gay men, poppers are also used by some young people, often at clubs.

Street names
Trade names such as: Liquid gold, Rush, Locker Room and TNT.

Buying and Using them: Poppers if the term for the group of chemicals known as alkyl nitrites, some of which used to be a treatment for angina. they are sold in sex shops, clubs, and pubs.

Effects
People will feel a rushing sensation for a short time as blood pressure is reduced and the heart rate accelerates. Poppers are often taken to enhance sexual activity.

Problems
Using poppers might make you feel sick and gibe you a headache. They may make you feel faint and like with most drugs, there is a risk of accidents happening. Swallowing poppers can lead to unconsciousness and occasionally death. Poppers can burn the skin and if they’re mixed with other drugs it’s dangerous because it’s not known what the risks are.

Volatile Substances (Solvents)

Tend to be used mainly by younger teenagers. They are particularly dangerous because they can kill unpredictably, even first time users. On average, every week in the UK a young person dies as a result of volatile substance misuse.

Street names
There are no specific street names but substances misused used include butane gas, aerosols, glues, petrol, dry cleaning fluids, correction fluids, nail varnish removers and other products.

Buying and using them: The product are often available in the home. Despite the law young people can also buy them. They can be sniffed from a bag, or applied to a piece of cloth and inhaled, some people squirt gases or aerosols directly into their mouths (this is especially dangerous).

Effects
Sniffers feel light-headed, dizzy and like they’re light-headed and they’re drunk,. Some users experience hallucinations. Users can also feel sick and drowsy and be left with a headache.

Problems
Using volatile substances can cause fainting and vomiting and if they become unconscious, users may choke on their own vomit. There’s an increased risk of accidents, especially if sniffers are in dangerous places like canals or railway lines. Some users die suddenly from heart failure. And although it’s rare, long term chronic sniffing has been associated with brain, kidney and liver damage.

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