- Downers -- Valium, Quaaludes, Librium, Xanax -- also have appropriate medical uses, but are also abused by many users. "Barbs" cause slurred speech, disorientation and "drunken" behavior. They are physically and psychologically addictive.
Withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, convulsions, and possible death.
- LSD, DMT, Mescaline, PCP, and Psilocybin have very unpredictable effects. Users may experience morbid hallucinations and feel panicked, confused, paranoid and out of control -- or in other words, a "bad trip." The heightened suggestibility and intensified emotions that hallucinogens create can worsen any pre-existing emotional problems.
Physical effects of hallucinogen use include dilated pupils, sweating, insomnia, loss of appetite, tremors; and increased body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure.
- The active chemical found in tobacco, nicotine's chief hazards are cancer of the lungs, larynx and mouth. According to some research, exposure to second-hand smoke also increases these health risks for non-smokers.
Nicotine is a highly addictive stimulant and contributes to an estimated 340,000 deaths each year in the U.S.A.
- This stimulant is found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, cocoa, and in some over-the-counter drugs such as pain killers, diet pills, cough and cold remedies. High doses may cause nausea, diarrhea, insomnia, headaches, nervousness or agitation, and the shakes. Caffeine may increase rates of miscarriage and low birth weight.
Caffeine withdrawal symptoms include fatigue, headache, nausea and irritability.
- Steroids are artifically produced testosterone, the male sex hormone. Side effects include liver and kidney dysfunction, high blood pressure, heart disease, degeneration of the testicles, premature baldness, and acne. Abnormal aggression, mood swings and psychiatric symptoms can also be attributed to steroid use.
