What do recreational drugs look like

Although substances can feel good at first, they can do a lot of harm to the body and brain. Drinking alcohol, smoking or using tobacco , taking illegal drugs, even sniffing glue all damage the human body. If you think you — or a friend — may be addicted to drugs, talk to a parent, your doctor , school counselor , or nurse.

They can help you get the help you need. Several kinds of treatment are available for drug addiction. The two main types are behavioral helping a person change behaviors and pharmacological treating a person by using medicine. Experts in drug treatment teach people how to live without drugs — dealing with cravings, avoiding situations that could lead to drug use, and preventing and handling relapses. For more information, see the Cocaine Research Report.

DMT Dimethyltriptamine DMT is a synthetic drug that produces intense but relatively short-lived hallucinogenic experiences; it is also found naturally in some South American plants see Ayahuasca. GHB Gamma-hydroxybutyrate GHB is a depressant approved for use in the treatment of narcolepsy, a disorder that causes daytime "sleep attacks".

Heroin An opioid drug made from morphine, a natural substance extracted from the seed pod of various opium poppy plants. For more information, see the Heroin Research Report. Inhalants Solvents, aerosols, and gases found in household products such as spray paints, markers, glues, and cleaning fluids; also prescription nitrites.

For more information, see the Inhalants Research Report. Ketamine A dissociative drug used as an anesthetic in veterinary practice. Dissociative drugs are hallucinogens that cause the user to feel detached from reality. Long-term Ulcers and pain in the bladder; kidney problems; stomach pain; depression; poor memory. Other Health-related Issues Sometimes used as a date rape drug. Risk of HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases from shared needles.

In Combination with Alcohol Increased risk of adverse effects. Withdrawal Symptoms Unknown. Treatment Options Medications There are no FDA-approved medications to treat addiction to ketamine or other dissociative drugs. Behavioral Therapies More research is needed to find out if behavioral therapies can be used to treat addiction to dissociative drugs.

Khat Pronounced "cot," a shrub Catha edulis found in East Africa and southern Arabia; contains the psychoactive chemicals cathinone and cathine. People from African and Arabian regions up to an estimated 20 million worldwide have used khat for centuries as part of cultural tradition and for its stimulant-like effects. Kratom A tropical deciduous tree Mitragyna speciosa native to Southeast Asia, with leaves that contain many compounds, including mitragynine, a psychotropic mind-altering opioid.

Kratom is consumed for mood-lifting effects and pain relief and as an aphrodisiac. For more information, see the Kratom DrugFacts. LSD A hallucinogen manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. LSD is an abbreviation of the scientific name l ysergic acid diethylamide. Marijuana Cannabis Marijuana is made from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. The main psychoactive mind-altering chemical in marijuana is deltatetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

For more information, see the Marijuana Research Report. MDMA is an abbreviation of the scientific name 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine.

For more information, see the Hallucinogens DrugFacts. Methamphetamine An extremely addictive stimulant amphetamine drug. For more information, see the Methamphetamine Research Report. Over-the-Counter Medicines--Loperamide An anti-diarrheal that can cause euphoria when taken in higher-than-recommended doses.

PCP A dissociative drug developed as an intravenous anesthetic that has been discontinued due to serious adverse effects. PCP is an abbreviation of the scientific name, phencyclidine. Low doses: slight increase in breathing rate; increased blood pressure and heart rate; shallow breathing; face redness and sweating; numbness of the hands or feet; problems with movement. High doses: nausea; vomiting; flicking up and down of the eyes; drooling; loss of balance; dizziness; violence; seizures, coma, and death.

Long-term Memory loss, problems with speech and thinking, loss of appetite, anxiety. In Combination with Alcohol Unknown. Withdrawal Symptoms Headaches, increased appetite, sleepiness, depression. Prescription Opioids Pain relievers with an origin similar to that of heroin. Opioids can cause euphoria and are often used nonmedically, leading to overdose deaths. Long-term Increased risk of overdose or addiction if misused. Other Health-related Issues Pregnancy: Miscarriage, low birth weight, neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Older adults: higher risk of accidental misuse because many older adults have multiple prescriptions, increasing the risk of drug-drug interactions, and breakdown of drugs slows with age; also, many older adults are treated with prescription medications for pain.

Prescription Stimulants Medications that increase alertness, attention, energy, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate. Psilocybin A hallucinogen in certain types of mushrooms that grow in parts of South America, Mexico, and the United States.

Rohypnol has been used to commit sexual assaults because of its strong sedation effects. Salvia A dissociative drug Salvia divinorum that is an herb in the mint family native to southern Mexico.

Steroids Anabolic Man-made substances used to treat conditions caused by low levels of steroid hormones in the body and misused to enhance athletic and sexual performance and physical appearance. Synthetic Cannabinoids A wide variety of herbal mixtures containing man-made cannabinoid chemicals related to THC in marijuana but often much stronger and more dangerous. For more information, see the Synthetic Cannabinoids DrugFacts.

Synthetic Cathinones Bath Salts An emerging family of drugs containing one or more synthetic chemicals related to cathinone, a stimulant found naturally in the khat plant.

Examples of such chemicals include mephedrone, methylone, and 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone MDPV. For more information, see the Synthetic Cathinones DrugFacts.

Tobacco and Nicotine Tobacco is a plant grown for its leaves, which are dried and fermented before use. Tobacco contains nicotine, an addictive chemical. Nicotine is sometimes extracted from the plant and is used in vaping devices. National Institutes of Health. Drug Topics. More Drug Topics. Quick Links. About NIDA. The UK has also seen an increase in use across clubs. Sometimes prescribed as a treatment for narcolepsy under the name Xyrem, the drug causes hallucinations, drowsiness and excited or aggressive behavior.

Signs of an overdose include slowed heart rate, lower body temperature, vomiting and nausea. Overdose can also lead to unconsciousness, seizures, coma, and even death. GHB comes as a white powder, you may be more likely to see it in liquid form. Dissolved in another liquid, such as alcohol or juice, GHB is clear and may taste slightly salty. A synthetic designer drug, Flakka is a stimulant that mimics the effects of the khat plant.

It produces an amphetamine-like experience similar to Ecstasy, but the side effects can be far more dangerous. Users on Flakka have displayed violent aggression, self-harm and outright bizarre behavior.

In one example, a user impaled himself on a fence; in another, a man ran through the streets naked, claiming someone had stolen his clothes. Users may also experience physical harm, including increased body temperature, kidney failure and tachycardia. The combined effects have led the DEA to classify Flakka as a Schedule I narcotic, a category reserved for dangerous drugs that have no medical value, cause severe harm to the user, and are highly susceptible to physical dependence.

Although Flakka is not necessarily new to the street, with the first reports emerging in , the drug has made an alarming comeback.

Have questions about addiction? Call us at to speak with a recovery specialist. On its own, Flakka comes in pink or white crystals, similar to bath salts. The bottom line: The potential side effects of Flakka make it one of the most dangerous drugs on the street. To protect yourself, stay educated about drugs like Flakka and seek professional help for addiction.

A psychoactive herb made from the Mitragyna speciosa tree in Southeast Asia, kratom has made its way into gas stations, bodegas and convenience stores throughout the United States. The FDA…continues to warn consumers not to use any products labeled as containing the botanical substance kratom or its psychoactive compounds, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine.

The potential negative effects of kratom, which can include nausea, vomiting, liver damage and a high risk of addiction, have led eight US states and 18 countries to ban or regulate the substance. Other municipalities have instituted their own bans.

Derived from a green plant, kratom is typically ground up and put into capsules or brewed as a beverage. It might look like a green powder or loose-leaf tea. To better understand the uses, side effects and regulation of kratom, check out these articles:. Although the opioid crisis is unfortunately not a new one, the emergence of fentanyl has made it more dangerous.

A powerful synthetic opioid up to times more potent than morphine, fentanyl caused more than 30, deaths in — up from 3, deaths in Given the low cost of production and low detection rate, officials expect these numbers to worsen in Dealers are also cutting the powder into an increasing number of street drugs.

Lacing fentanyl into these drugs makes them cheaper to produce, but puts users at far greater risk of overdose. In its pure form, fentanyl is an unassuming white powder. If you experience drowsiness, confusion, nausea, slowed breathing, sweating, and stiff or rigid muscles, dial immediately.

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