Young people are usually aged between 13-14 when they have their first alcoholic drink without parent’s knowledge.
Effects – after a couple of drinks people can feel relaxed and less reserved. A few more drinks can make someone more talkative, cause their speech to become slurred and make them physically uncoordinated.
Problems – alcohol can become dangerous in large quantities. Long term drinking can cause physical and mental damage. Being drunk can cause people to become more vulnerable to violence, theft and assault.
The law – at 18 it is legal to be sold alcohol.
Amphetamines – Speed, Billy Whiz
Young people may use amphetamines at clubs and parties or at exam times and situations where they want ‘more energy’.
Effects – the drug makes users feel energised and excited. It also suppresses the appetite therefore people use it to help with dieting.
Problems – after effects can include mood swings, difficulty sleeping, tiredness, low energy levels. Long term usage can cause the user to feel depressed and paranoid.
The law – Class B drug
possession means up to five years prison plus a fine
supplying means maximum 14 years imprisonment and a fine
This is sold as a hard or crumbly resin or as a dry herb. Buds of the cannabis plant contain more drug than the stalks and leaves. Is it usually smoked with tobacco in a roll up.
Effects – users feel relaxed, giggly and talkative.
Problems – can feel anxious, paranoid and forgetful.
The law – Class B drug
possession means up to five years prison plus a fine
supplying means maximum 14 years imprisonment and a fine
Cocaine and Crack – Coke, Charlie, White, Snow,
Cocaine is bought as a white powder. It is normally sniffed but can be prepared for injection. Crack comes in the form of ‘small rocks’ and can be smoked and injected.
Effects – users feel confident and strong.
Problems – users become dependant on the drug and find themselves running into crime and violence due to the high price of it.
The law – Class A drugs
possession means up to seven years in prison and a fine
supplying can mean life imprisonment and a fine
E
Ecstasy – E, Beans, Pills, Doves, Apples
Ecstasy is common on the club scene.
Effects – energy, followed by calmness.
Problems – some people suffer from sickness and experience stiffening of arms and legs and in particular their jaw. Ecstasy-related deaths seem to be due to heatstroke from overheating in a club atmosphere as ecstasy can dehydrate the body, drinking too much fluid and high blood pressure.
The law – Class A drug
possession means up to seven years in prison plus a fine
supplying ecstasy can mean life imprisonment
H
Heroin – Smack, Junk, H, Brown, Gear, Skag
Comes as a white, greyish or brown powder. Often smoked it can also be injected.
Effects – reduces physical and emotional pain and gives warm, drowsy feeling to allow users to forget their problems.
Problems – First time users are usually sick and it can take weeks/months to become ‘hooked’. Overdosing on heroin is a major risk as street heroin is mixed with other substances. Overdose can mean falling into a coma or even death. Withdrawal symptoms can mean flu-like symptoms – sweating, shaking.
The law – Class A drug
possession means up to seven years in prison plus a fine
supplying can mean life imprisonment and a fine
K
Ketamine – Green, K, Special K, Super K
Powerful anaesthetic drug with medical uses which is usually sold as a white crystalline powder or tablet.
Effects – painkilling effects as well as altering perception. Low dose users might feel euphoric, and higher dose users might hallucinate.
Problems – numbness and unexpected muscle movements as well as feeling sick. Large doses can lead to unconsciousness.
The law – Ketamine is not controlled under the UK Misuse of Drugs Act.
L
LSD – Acid, Tabs, Trips
Sold as small squares of paper with cartoon designs. These are swallowed and take up to half an hour to have an effect. A trip can last for as long as 12 hours.
Effects – drug changes the way that users see and hear things. There is heightened self-awareness and users can hallucinate.
Problems – ‘bad trips’ can be frightening. Users might feel anxious and accidents can occur when users are not in control of their faculties.
The law – Class A drug
possession can mean up to seven years in prison and a fine
supplying can mean life imprisonment and a fine
M
Magic Mushrooms – Shrooms, Mushies, Magics
Generally only available during the autumn in the wild. They can be eaten either raw or cooked, made into a tea or smoked. 20 mushrooms would be a usual dose.
Effects – hallucination can occur. It takes around half hour to take effect and can last for as long as nine hours.
Problems – picking a poisonous mushroom by mistake.
The law – Class A drug
possession can mean up to seven years in prison and a fine
supplying can mean life imprisonment and a fine
T
Tobacco – Ciggies, Fags, Tabs
5% of thirteen year olds smoke a cigarette or more a week. Around 1/3 of older teenagers smoke on average more than 10 cigarettes a day.
Effects – first time smokers often feel sick and dizzy. One or two cigarettes increase pulse rate and blood pressure.
Problems – users quickly become physically dependant on cigarettes. Long-term smoking can result in heart disease, blood clots, heart attacks and lung infections.
The law – selling any tobacco products to anyone under 16 is illegal.
V
Volatile substances (solvents)
Used by younger teenagers, these are particularly dangerous as they can kill unpredictably, even first time users.
Substances misused can include nail varnish removers, aerosols, butane gas, glues, petrol, dry cleaning fluid.
Effects – sniffers feel light headed, dizzy and as if they are drunk. Some users might experience hallucinations.
Problems – fainting and vomiting can occur. If a user becomes unconscious they can choke on their own vomit.
The law – it is illegal for people to sell volatile substances to someone they know is under 18 years old and who is going to sniff them.
