"Drugs" can be medicines that either a doctor prescribes or are purchased without a prescription from a pharmacy. There are also recreational drugs, which are purchased illegally on the street.
There are many different types of recreational drugs, such as:
- Nicotine (cigarettes)
- Marijuana (pot, weed, joint, THC, Mary Jane)
- Cocaine (coke, snow, flake, blow)
- Amphetamines (ecstasy, X, E, uppers, XTC, dexies, speed, meth, ice, crank, cat)
- Heroin (H, horse, junk, smack)
- Ketamine(special K).
Recreational drugs can be harmful in many ways:
- They may cause physical problems like vomiting, and kidney or lung damage.
- They may cause mental problems like confusion, anxiety, learning problems, or memory loss.
- They can lead to risky behaviour like unprotected sex, or riding in a car with a drunk driver.
- They can make you addicted. Addiction means that you use the drug for a psychological high and your body becomes used to the effects of the drug. It can be very hard to stop using them.
- It is hard to know what is actually in illegal drugs. Some drugs may have other drugs mixed in with them without your knowledge (“laced drugs”). It is difficult to know what is in them and what effect they can have on you. Sometimes, illegal drugs are also mixed with harmful chemicals to make them more profitable. For example, cocaine is sometimes cut with phenactin, which is known to cause cancer and kidney damage.
- Illegal drug possession and/or use can lead to trouble with the law.
- A drug overdose can cause serious mental or physical damage or even death.
Some teens may be curious and think trying one drug won’t hurt. Others just want to fit in and feel that drugs will make them more popular. Many people use drugs because they think drugs will help them escape their problems. Actually, drugs don't solve problems. When a drug wears off, the feelings and problems remain - or become worse. Drugs can ruin every aspect of a person's life.
