There are thousands of drugs out there, and some still undiscovered, but only a select variety of those drugs are deemed illegal in the United States. This is a brief dictionary guide to what drugs are illegal, why they are illegal, the categories of drugs, and the effects of each drug on the body. Knowing what each drug increases awareness and could prevent drug use, identify drug use, or stop drug use that is already happening.
The Categories
There are a total of 7 main categories of drugs; stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, dissociatives, opioids, inhalants, and cannabis. Stimulants increase the speed of the individual’s system and directly affects the Central Nervous System. From cocaine, crystal meth, and ecstasy and less mainstream drugs like Adderall and Ritalin, these types of drugs increase heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing.
Depressants are the opposite of stimulants and rather than speed up the body’s system, depressants slow down everything which produces a relaxation effect on the mind. While most depressants like valium, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines are often prescribed by doctors to treat anxiety or insomnia, teens often abuse them as a means of escape. Alcohol is a legal depressant that does not require a prescription, but if misused, can still lead to addiction and long-term health consequences.
Hallucinogens may not be as addictive as other substances in this list, but they can still affect the brain is abused the wrong way. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), Saliva, Peyote, and Psilocybin all fit the hallucinogen category. The scary thing about most hallucinogens is that they can be mixed in food or drinks without the person knowing.
Dissociatives distort reality for the user and have the ability to make the user have outer-body experiences, the ability to perceive oneself outside of one’s body from a 3rd person perspective. Ketamine, DXM, and PCP are amongst this category and can come in powder, liquid, or gas forms.
Opioids are painkillers that induce intense euphoria, and some are prescribed by doctors to relieve pain from surgery, toothaches, or other related pains. Heroin, Morphine, Vicodin, OxyContin, Codeine, and Opium are some examples. Inhalants are similar, but not as extreme as Opioids because they induce a brief sense of euphoria and include paint fumes, aerosol sprays, and nitrous oxide. Cannabis produces effects similar to depressants, but can also be hallucinogenic and includes marijuana, hash oil, and hashish.
Inhalants and alcohol are not illegal but can lead to adverse side effects if abused. Medicinal marijuana is legal in some states, but not all. A lot of the opioids are legal if prescribed by a doctor, but are highly addictive is used in incorrect amounts. Stimulants like cocaine and hallucinogens like LSD are illegal due to all the deaths from accidents they have been known to cause. The majority of the reasons why some drugs like heroin or meth are unlawful are because these drugs have caused a significant amount of deaths from health problems, overdoses, or accidental injuries.
Stimulants hold health risks of heart problems, stroke, and seizures. Depressants can lead to dangerous behaviors, loss of consciousness, and traffic accidents. Hallucinogens have the possibility of leading to mental health problems, high blood pressure, and increased heart rate. Dissociatives can cause memory loss, tremors, respiratory arrest, violence, and psychosis. Opioids lead to death by overdose, HIV through risky behavior, and extreme addiction. Inhalants can damage the cardiovascular and nervous systems; some have been known to lead to sudden death. Cannabis has been known to cause respiratory infections and mental health issues like depression.
If any of this sounds familiar to what a loved one has been talking about doing, then we encourage you to help them out of it and if signs of addiction are prevalent, to encourage them to seek professional help. Asana Recovery offers residential treatment programs and medically supervised detox programs in a supportive, understanding environment. Contact Asana Recovery at 949-438-4504 to learn more about their treatment programs.
