Parents Beware: Drug Types
As a parent, we want to protect our kids from the dangers in the world. We can’t be with our children 24/7 and keep them from everything that could possibly harm them; still we need to do our best and prepare them for what they may run into.
No parent wants drug abuse for their children. But it could happen. Even with the best preparation and teaching your kids to avoid drugs, they still may decide to experiment. The information contained here could possibly help you determine if your child is using drugs.
Adam, Bean, X, XTC
Drug Type
A synthetic drug with properties resembling amphetamine and hallucinogens
Appearance
Tablet form and is often marked with cartoon characters or the Nike “swoosh.”
Form
Pill
Short-term effects
- Depression
- Insomnia/Hypersomnia
- Craving
- Extreme anxiety and/or confusion
- Blurred vision. May be accompanied by rapid eye movement
- Faintness, nausea
- Chills which could alternate with sweating
Long-term effects
- Brain damage
- Though/memory processes affected
Cocaine: Snow, nose candy, blow
Crack: Rock, freebase, 151, pony
Drug Type
Powerful brain stimulant. Highly addictive.
Appearance
Cocaine is a white crystal-like powder while crack is white chips or small “rock” like pieces
Form
Cocaine: powder which inhaled or mixed with a liquid (usually water) and injected
Crack: smoked
Short-term effects
- Hallucinations
- Dilated pupils
- Restlessness, insomnia
- Seizures
Long-term effects
- Aggressive paranoia
- Heart attack
- Respiratory failure
- Death
Ice, glass, ice cream
Drug Type
Smokable form of methamphetamine
Appearance
Resembles ice chips
Form
Smoked using a glass pipe or bong
Short-term effects
- Irritability and/or aggression
- Convulsions which may be accompanied by hallucinations
- Insomnia
- Loss of appetite
Long-term effects
- Addiction
- Extreme paranoia
- Hallucinations
- Stroke
- Heart toxicity
- Long-term damage to brain cells similar to damage from Alzheimer’s disease
Goop, Georgia home boy, scoop
Drug Type
Clear liquid and also available in powder, tablet and capsule
Appearance
Liquid: Odorless and colorless; power is white
Form
Liquid or powder. In liquid form a “dose” may range from a few drops to a full glass. GHB is also known as a “date rape” drug.
Short-term effects
- Anxiety and/or insomnia
- Nausea, maybe accompanied by vomiting
- Trouble breathing
- Tremors and sweating
Long-term effects
- Liver failure
- Coma
- Death
Smack, mud, horse, brown sugar
Drug Type
Heroin affects the brain’s pleasure systems and is known as a “downer.” Highly addictive and derived from morphine which in-turn comes from the poppy.
Appearance
Powder or tar-like substance. Color ranges from white to dark brown
Form
Injectable, smoked or snorted
Short-term effects
- Flushing of the skin
- Dry mouth
- Depression
- Slurred speech and/or slow gait when walking
- Drug craving
- Restlessness
- Vomiting
- Dry, itchy skin
- Indifference to sex
Long-term effects
- Addiction
- Respiratory depression
- Celluites
- Liver disease
- Clogged blood vessels
- Involuntary kicking movements in lower extremities
Whippets, laughing gas
Drug Type
Inhalant
Appearance
Similar in function and appearance the aerosol propellant in hair spray, spray paint and cooking spray
Form
The aerosol is sniffed, bagged (inhaled from a plastic bag), and may be sniffed directly from the container.
Short-term effects
- Intoxication
- Unconsciousness
- Headache
- Abdominal pain and nausea
- Hearing loss
- Spasms in the extremities
Long-term effects
- Hearing loss
- Heart failure
- Death
Special K, Vitamin K, new ecstasy
Drug Type
Central nervous system depressant and fast-acting anesthetic.
Appearance
White powder
Form
Normally found in liquid form, the drug is changed into a power and sold in small ziplock bags and occasionally capsules. Often snorted, ketamine is sometimes mixed with pot or tobacco and smoked.
Short-term effects
- Visual distortions
- Identity loss
- Vomiting
- Impaired motor skills
Long-term effects
- Addiction
- Flashbacks
- Psychotic illnesses