Drug training from John Mosley: drugs A to Z

Main drugs A – Z

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Alcohol Alcohol is widely used, is a depressant drug (slows down the central nervous system) and acts as a disinhibiter - it fuels people's actions and perhaps 'allows' them to do something ...	Amphetamines (speed) Amphetanines are stimulant drugs. They speed up the central nervous system, and borrow energy from the body's central reserve. It can cause heart palpitations, make the user go to the toilet a lot, and feel anxious and edgy ...
Anabolic steroids Used by some athletes, body builders (and indeed young people)to increase muscle size and aggression. Some people use anabolic steroids to improve their appearance, and feel good about their body. Can cause "roid rage"...	Cannabis A solid, dark lump known as 'resin'. Leaves, stalks and seeds called 'grass'. It can be rolled (usually with tobacco) in a spliff or joint, smoked on its own in a special pipe, or cooked and eaten in food. A depressant that alters perceptions, derived from a bushy plant, found in most parts of the world and easily cultivated in Britain ...
Cocaine and Crack Cocaine is a white powder derived from the coca shrub, with powerful stimulant properties similar to those of amphetamines. The intended effects last for up to an hour, but more usually, roughly 30 minutes. Crack is a different form of cocaine and appears as small waxy rocks or white crystals. The immediate effects last from 30 seconds to 5 minutes ...	Ecstasy 'Hallucinogenic amphetamine' (with mild psychedelic and stimulant effects), swallowed as a pill or capsule. In small doses produces effects vaguely similar to LSD. In higher doses, the effects are more like those of amphetamine. The cost of ecstasy has come down dramatically - now £0.50 to £6, depending where you are in UK ...
Heroin Acts as a depressant, and is also a drug that reduces pain - users report that the effect is similar to feeling cocooned in cotton wool / back in the womb. In the UK, usually a brown powder that can be smoked, sniffed or injected ...	Ketamine It is an anaesthetic with stimulant and psychedelic properties. Legally produced ketamine comes in liquid form which is injected. The illegally produced version usually comes as a grainy white powder which is snorted or bought as a tablet. Some tablets have motifs and logos making it difficult to distinguish from ecstasy ...
Khat Khat is a green leafy plant cultivated throughout eastern Africa for its stimulant effect. It can be chewed or drunk. A khat chewing session fulfils an important social function similar to the use of caffeine and alcohol in Europe. A khat chewing session may last 3-5 hours ...	LSD Psychoactive, hallucinogenic drug swallowed as a liquid on blotting paper squares, known as 'tabs'. Minute amounts are sufficient for a 'trip', which can last up to twelve hours. They are usually taken orally ...
Magic mushrooms They are hallucinogenic mushrooms which grow wild in many localities in Autumn. The main type is Liberty Cap (Psilocybe) but Fly Agaric (Amanita Muscaria) is also sometimes used. Eaten raw or after being dried out. Also they are sometimes cooked with and then eaten or made into a tea/infusion and drunk. teh law has recently changed ...	Methadone A depressant. Opioids are synthetic medicines designed to imitate the action of heroin and other opiates. Methadone, a green viscous liquid, may be prescribed to help a heroin user to detox ...
Nitrites (poppers) A stimulant chemically related to nitrous oxide (laughing gas). Clear, yellow, volatile and inflammable liquid with a sweet smell when fresh and smelling of old socks when stale. Usually supplied in small bottles with screw tops. Sniffed up the nose or inhaled via mouth. Poppers are considered by some to be an aphrodisiac ...	Tobacco and smoking cessation It's main drug effect is caused by nicotine, a mild stimulant. Can be smoked in cigarettes, pipes or cigars, chewed, or powdered and taken as snuff. Tobacco comes from the leaves of the tobacco plant. It contains nicotine which is highly addictive. It's nicotine that gives smokers their 'hit' ...
Tranquillisers Tranquillisers are manufactured drugs produced to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia. Meant to be prescribed by a doctor, they're designed to reduce anxiety and promote calmness, relaxation and sleep. Taken orally in tablet form, but sometimes injected ...	Volatile substances (solvents, glues and gases) Compounds producing depressant effects similar to alcohol or anaesthetics when their vapours are inhaled. Solvents cover a huge number of substances: Gas lighter refills, aerosols, tins or tubes of glue, some paints, thinners and many more. When inhaled, solvents have a similar effect to alcohol. They make people feel uninhibited, euphoric and dizzy ...