A short history of drugs

Drugs have been used throughout history for thousands of years even our ancient cave dwelling ancestors used them.
The actual plants that are used to make drugs where sometimes used for other purposes than intoxication various clothing and papers were made from hemp and other plants.
medicine is of course a form of drugs and medicine had it origins in various wild plants used for recreation drug use.

Drugs have seen much widespread use and controversy even since before the latest century's

But it was the twentieth century that governments began to make drugs illegal with many countries around the world banning them and so beginning the war on drugs.

Health effects of drug abuse

Combined with the adverse effects of chronic drinking the use or abuse of other drugs, be they legal or illegal, can create a wide variety of mental and physical health problems. Here's a look at some of the more "popular" drugs of choice and how each can effect the user.


Stimulants or Amphetamines

(Dexedrine, Methamphetamine or "Crystal", "Crank", and "Speed") increase alertness and physical activity. Amphetamines increase heart and breathing rates and blood pressure, dialate pupils and decrease appetite. Side-effects can include sweating, dry mouth, blurred vision, insomnia, loss of appetite, and dizziness. In addition users can feel restless, anxious and moody, become excitable and have a false sense of power and security.

Using large amounts of these drugs can result in a condition known as amphetamine psychosis -- which can result in auditory, visual and tactile hallucinations, intense paranoia, irrational thoughts and beliefs, delusions, and mental confusion, in other word a really bad trip.

Amphetamine overdose can also cause cardiac arrhythmias, headaches, convulsions, hypertension, rapid heart rate, coma and death. Amphetamines are psychologically and physically addictive.

Marijuana

Pot has more than 400 different chemical compounds and contains even more cancer-causing agents than are found in tobacco, according to some studies. Even low doses or pot can interfere with coordination, perception of time, reasoning and judgment, -- making driving under its influence extremely dangerous.

Marijuana use causes short-term memory loss, decreases sperm and testosterone production in men, and may disrupt the menstrual cycle and cause miscarriage and stillbirth in women.

Cocaine/Crack

These are all extremely addictive stimulants. Because the intense euphoria these drugs produce is very short-lived, users typically use again and again trying to recapture that initial "high." Physical effects of cocaine include increases in blood pressure, heart rate, respiration and body temperature. Snorting cocaine can severely damage nasal membranes over time.

Continued use produces insomnia, hyperactivity, anxiousness, agitation and malnutrition. Overdoses can be lethal.

Narcotics

Heroin, Opium, Morphine, and Codeine are used legally by the medical profession to relieve pain. But they are abused due to their mood-altering effects. All narcotics are extremely physically and psychologically addictive. Medical problems can include congested lungs, liver disease, tetanus, infection of the heart valves, skin abscesses, anemia and pneumonia. Death can occur from overdose.

Sedatives/Barbiturates

Downers -- Valium, Quaaludes, Librium, Xanax -- also have appropriate medical uses, but are also abused by many users. "Barbs" cause slurred speech, disorientation and "drunken" behavior. They are physically and psychologically addictive.

Withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, convulsions, and possible death.

Hallucinogens

LSD, DMT, Mescaline, PCP, and Psilocybin have very unpredictable effects. Users may experience morbid hallucinations and feel panicked, confused, paranoid and out of control -- or in other words, a "bad trip." The heightened suggestibility and intensified emotions that hallucinogens create can worsen any pre-existing emotional problems.

Physical effects of hallucinogen use include dilated pupils, sweating, insomnia, loss of appetite, tremors; and increased body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure.

Nicotine

The active chemical found in tobacco, nicotine's chief hazards are cancer of the lungs, larynx and mouth. According to some research, exposure to second-hand smoke also increases these health risks for non-smokers.



Caffeine

This stimulant is found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, cocoa, and in some over-the-counter drugs such as pain killers, diet pills, cough and cold remedies. High doses may cause nausea, diarrhea, insomnia, headaches, nervousness or agitation, and the shakes. Caffeine may increase rates of miscarriage and low birth weight.

Although the health effects are not as anywhere severe as other types of drugs they still have effects, caffeine withdrawal symptoms include fatigue, headache, nausea and irritability.

Anabolic Steroids

Steroids are artificially produced testosterone, the male sex hormone. Side effects include liver and kidney dysfunction, high blood pressure, heart disease, degeneration of the testicles, premature baldness, and acne. Abnormal aggression, mood swings and psychiatric symptoms can also be attributed to steroid use.

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The Truth About Drugs

This is a site about drugs, drugs in general, their history, origins,side effects,abuse and other stuff.