Drugs and Rehab

When you hear the word drugs, what do you think of first? Most people think of drugs such as cocaine, weed, heroin, and ecstasy; not many people associate alcohol with drugs. Many young people are developing strong drug addictions these days. The amount of teens and young adults using drugs is going down all the time. Although many teens are beginning small, and ending up in a lot of trouble. Cigarettes and beer are just the beginning; eventually if you stay on this path you will move on to bigger things to get the same effects and end up in a rehabilitation centers.

First off, I would like to define what an addiction is. Addiction is defined as a compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance such as a drug. Addiction can be to anything in the world. Being addicted to something doesn't have to be limited to just drugs. People have the ability to be addicted to anything in the world.

There are many kinds of drugs that young people are getting addicted to these days. Some of the main drugs that are used today by teens and young adults include the following: Marijuana, crack/cocaine, heroin, and LSD. Also a new fad in drugs known as "club drugs" are entering the picture for teens. Some of these drugs include ecstasy, Rohypnol (Roofies), and Methamphetamine (Speed).

Marijuana is a mixture of leaves, stems and flowers of the Indian hemp plant Cannabis sativa, and is smoked or eaten for its hallucinogenic and pleasure-giving effects. The psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is concentrated in the flowers. Hashish, a drug prepared from the plant resin, has about eight times more THC than marijuana. (www.allsands.com) People who use marijuana seem to go through two different phases. The first phase being the initial stimulation. This stage consists of hyperness and euphoria. The second phase consists of sedation and a version of tranquility. Many people associate an increased appetite with the use of this drug. Also a heightened sensory awareness and of pleasure go along with the use. Negative effects can include confusion, acute panic reactions, anxiety attacks, fear, a sense of helplessness and loss of self-control. Like alcohol intoxication, marijuana impairs reading comprehension, memory, speech, problem-solving ability and reaction time. In addition to side effects to memory and behaivior, marijuana has effects on your health as well. Smoking this could also cause acute and chronic bronchitis, bronchial epithelium, over expression of genetic markers of progression to lung cancer in bronchial tissue, abnormally increased accumulation of inflammatory cells in the lung, and reduced ability to kill microorganisms and tumor. (http://www.drugs.indiana.edu/drug info)

Cocaine is a white powder obtained from the leaves of the coca plant and is a powerful stimulant, which has similar effects to amphetamines. The usual way to take this drug is to be sniffed or "snorted" up the nose through a small tube and is absorbed into the bloodstream through the thin membranes in the nose. The smoke able form of this drug is known as crack. Crack is becoming more popular due to the fact that it kicks in faster because it can be absorbed faster than when it is snorted. Cocaine produces feelings of well-being, mental sharpness, reduced appetite and great physical strength.

When sniffed snorted the effects of cocaine peak in about 15-30 minutes and then fade, which often encourages users to repeat the dose in order to maintain the effect. Large doses or lots of quickly repeated doses over a period of hours or days can lead to extreme states of agitation, anxiety, paranoia and possibly hallucinations which generally fade when the drug leaves the body. After effects can include tiredness and depression. Excessive doses can in rare cases cause death from heart failure. Crack produces similar experiences but is more intense, and due to it being smoked it happens in a shorter space of time. Most of a crack high is usually finished after 15 minutes. Increased temperature, dilated pupils, constricted vessels, increased blood pressure, mental alertness, increased energy, decreased appetite, and increased heart rate are all short term effects of using crack. Some long term effects of using crack include addiction, paranoia, irritability, restlessness, auditory hallucinations, and mood disturbances. (http://www.cocaine-effects.com)

Heroin is the most abused, most rapidly acting of the opiates or narcotics. A derivative of the opium poppy, heroin was first synthesized as an alternative to morphine in 1874, but was banned in 1924 because of its highly addictive nature. Heroin, a depressant drug, slows down the central nervous system. The effects of heroin may last three to four hours. Some of the short term effects of heroin are intense pleasure. This means it may cause a rush of intense pleasure and a strong feeling of well being. Heroin also relieves physical pain. After using heroin, feelings of pain, hunger or sexual urges are diminished. Breathing, blood pressure and pulse become slower also as an effect. The pupils of the eyes also get much smaller as the mouth dries out. As the amount used increases, the user may feel warm, heavy and sleepy. Nausea and vomiting may also occur. (http://www.adf.org.au/drughit/facts) Some street names for heroin include smack, skag, dope, H, junk, hammer, slow, gear, harry, and horse.

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamid) is a potent hallucinogen derived from lysergic acid. Lysergic acid can be found on ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. Commonly referred to as "acid" on the club scene, a "hit" or dose can