Legal and illegal drugs, lesson 1 to 3

 

Drug categories

Drugs can be categorised by the way in which they affect our bodies:

• depressants – slow down the function of the central nervous system
• hallucinogens – affect your senses and change the way you see, hear, taste, smell or feel things
• stimulants – speed up the function of the central nervous system.

Some drugs affect the body in many ways and can fall into more than one category. For example, cannabis appears in all 3 categories.

Depressants

Depressants slow down the messages between the brain and the body — they don’t necessarily make you feel depressed. The slower messages affect:

• your concentration and coordination
• your ability to respond to what’s happening around you.

Small doses of depressants can make you feel relaxed, calm and less inhibited.

Larger doses can cause sleepiness, vomiting and nausea, unconsciousness and even death.

Examples include:

• alcohol
• benzodiazepines (minor tranquillisers such as Valium)
• cannabis
• GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate)
• ketamine
• opioids (heroin, morphine, codeine).

Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens change your sense of reality – you can have hallucinations. Your senses are distorted and the way you see, hear, taste, smell or feel things is different. For example, you may see or hear things that are not really there, or you may have unusual thoughts or feelings.

Small doses can cause a feeling of floating, numbness, confusion, disorientation, or dizziness.

Larger doses may cause hallucinations, memory loss, distress, anxiety, increased heart rate, paranoia, panic and aggression.

Examples include:

• cannabis
• ketamine
• LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)
• psilocybin (magic mushrooms)
• PCP (phencyclidine).

Stimulants

Stimulants speed up the messages between the brain and the body. This can cause:

• your heart to beat faster
• your blood pressure to go up
• your body temperature to go up – leading to heat exhaustion or even heat stroke
• reduced appetite
• agitation
• sleeplessness.

You can feel more awake, alert, confident or energetic.

Larger doses can cause anxiety, panic, seizures, stomach cramps and paranoia.

Examples include:

• amphetamines (speed and ice)
• caffeine
• cocaine
• ecstasy (MDMA – methylenedioxymethamphetamine)
• nicotine (tobacco)