Information about drugs
This section outlines examples of various drugs, their street names (which change over time and have differing use across Australia), symptoms of use and some of the potential consequences of using them.
People can become dependent on (addicted to) drugs. This can include having trouble controlling their use of drugs and still using them even when they realise it is causing them problems. Drugs can become central to a person’s life and can affect personal relationships, their ability to study and work, their mental health and quality of life. People can also develop a tolerance to drugs—this is when a person needs to use more of the drug to get the same effect. People can also become physically dependent on some of these drugs. This means that they will experience physical symptoms (withdrawal) when they try to stop using them.
- Amphetamine-type stimulants
- Cannabis (Marijuana)
- Cocaine and crack cocaine
- Depressants
- GHB
- Ketamine
- Hallucinogens
- Inhalants
- Opioids
Amphetamine-type stimulants
Amphetamine-type stimulants are synthetic drugs which means they are made by combining various chemical ingredients rather than occurring naturally.Amphetamines are a family of drugs that include methamphetamine. These drugs are similar in their chemical make-up and affect the messages going to the body’s central nervous system. Currently, methamphetamines are more common in Australia than other amphetamines.
These types of drugs are sold in different forms such as powder, paste, liquid, pills and crystals. The potency of these forms varies, with the most potent being the crystalline form, and typically referred to as Ice or crystal.
Ecstasy is also an amphetamine-type stimulant because it has a chemical structure that is similar to amphetamines. The effects of ecstasy are different to amphetamines and can bring on some of the effects more typically found in hallucinogenic substances.
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Amphetamine/methamphetamine
Ice, Speed and Base are currently the most common street names for these types of drugs. They share the same symptoms and potential consequences but can differ in severity.Ice
Ice generally looks like colourless crystals or crystalline powder.The difference between Ice and Speed / Base is the way it is made. The chemicals are the same but Ice is a highly potent drug which increases the severity of the potential consequences.
Product: Crystal methamphetamine hydrochloride.
Street name: Ice, meth, crystal, crystal meth, shabu, batu, d-meth, tina, and glass.
Potential problems: In the short term, Ice use can produce increased heart rate, hypertension, irregular body temperature, increase breathing rate, constrict blood vessels and cause heart problems.
Longer-term users of the drug can typically appear older than their age and may have damaged teeth, skin lesions and greater risk of stroke, decreased lung function and poorer cognitive function. There are also studies that have shown the use of Ice is associated with brain and mental health conditions, including ruptured blood vessels in the brain, memory loss and psychosis.
Ice users are at risk of experiencing a drug-induced psychosis, they can become paranoid and hallucinate. A person can also become increasingly aggressive and exhibit violent behaviour possibly requiring chemical and physical restraint or police intervention.
There is a high risk of addiction, including through smoking. Damage can occur to lungs through smoking Ice, to the lining of the nose through snorting, and if injected it can lead to scarring, abscesses and vein damage.
Speed and Base
Product: Methamphetamine hydrochloride, amphetamine sulphate (powder, paste, liquid and pills).Street names: Speed, whiz, go-ee, zip, oxblood, base, paste, pure, gas, meth/amphets.
Symptoms: Common responses to intoxication include euphoria, increased blood pressure and pulse rate, increased and irregular breathing and heartbeat, insomnia, loss of appetite and dilated pupils, confidence, increased energy, talkativeness and excitability.
These drugs can cause anxiety, restlessness, sweating, overheating, blurred vision, nausea and diarrhoea, jaw clenching and/or teeth grinding.
Potential problems: sleep problems, dental problems (e.g., cracked teeth through grinding), weight loss, stroke or heart problems, high risk of dependence. Injecting the drug is also associated with a risk of contracting blood-borne viruses, like Hepatitis C and HIV.
Problems with attention and memory, paranoia and paranoid delusions, anxiety, panic attacks, hallucinations, depression, mood swings, aggression, violence, social and financial problems, compulsive repetition of actions, family arguments and conflict, the risk of family breakdown and losing friends.
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Ecstasy
Product: MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine), ecstasy.Street names: Ecstasy, E, Ex, E and C, eccy, MDMA, PMA, Adam, XTC, love drug, eggs.
Symptoms: increased blood pressure and pulse rate, sweating, overheating, jaw clenching, teeth grinding, nausea, anxiety, excitability, tremors, insomnia, enlarged pupils, loss of appetite.
Potential problems: sleep problems, cracked teeth through grinding, high blood pressure, dehydration, nervousness, hallucinations, memory and attention impairment, decreased emotional control, lethargy, severe depression, possible nerve cell damage, thermal meltdown, death from heart failure.
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Cannabis (Marijuana)
Product: Marijuana, hashish, Cannabis sativa, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol.Street names: Pot, grass, weed, reefer, joint, Mary-Jane, Acapulco Gold, rope, mull, cone, spliff, dope, skunk, bhang, ganja, hash, chronic.
Symptoms: Difficulty concentrating slow reflexes, impaired motor skills, reduced coordination and concentration, apathy, blood shot or glassy eyes, increased appetite, dryness of the mouth.
Potential problems: Mood swings, memory impairment, weight gain, chronic bronchitis, increased risk of cancer of the lung, mouth, throat and tongue, panic attacks, anxiety, depression, paranoid thinking, decreased motivation, interference with reproductive function, learning difficulties, psychological dependence, suicidal thoughts, risk of psychosis and psychotic symptoms. Cannabis serves as a barrier against self-awareness, and may interfere with a young person’s development including possible interference with reproductive function.
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Cocaine and crack cocaine
Product: Cocaine, crack cocaine.Street names: Cocaine – coke, flake, snow, happy dust, Charlie, gold dust, Cecil, C, freebase, toot, white girl, Scotty, white lady. Crack cocaine – crack, rock, base, sugar block.
Symptoms: Anxiety, agitation, increased pulse rate, large pupils, paranoia, agitation, hallucinations, excitability, euphoria, talkativeness.
Potential problems: High risk of addiction, erratic behaviour, hallucinations, cocaine psychosis, eating or sleeping disorders, impaired sexual performance, ongoing respiratory problems, ulceration of the mucous membrane of the nose, collapse of the nasal septum, cardiac arrest, convulsions.
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Depressants
Product: Sleeping pills, minor tranquillisers.Street names: Benzos, temazzies, Valium, tranks, sleepers, Serapax, serries, Mandrax, mandies.
Symptoms: Drowsiness, confusion, incoordination, slurred speech, depressed pulse rate, shallow breathing.
Potential problems: Anxiety, depression, restlessness, tremors, insomnia, changes in eyesight, high risk of addiction, suicide.
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GHB
Product: Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB).Street names: Fantasy, grievous bodily harm (GBH), liquid ecstasy, liquid E, G.
Symptoms: Drowsiness, induced sleep, nausea, reduced inhibitions, dizziness, headache, increased sociability, initial euphoria leading to confusion and agitation.
Potential problems: Extreme drowsiness, loss of consciousness, hallucinations, difficulty focussing eyes, vomiting, impaired movement and speech, reduces muscle tone, disorientation, convulsions/seizures, coma, respiratory distress, slowed heart rate, lowered blood pressure, amnesia, death. Can be addictive with prolonged use.
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Ketamine
Product: ketamine hydrochloride.Street names: Green, K, super K, special K, Vitamin K.
Symptoms: Altered perception, disorientation, drowsiness, hallucinations, numbness, strange muscle movements, nausea, vomiting.
Potential problems: Accidents from lack of coordination, quick development of tolerance, psychological dependence, psychosis, flashbacks, loss of memory, attention and vision impairment.
As ketamine is an anaesthetic, when used with depressant drugs such as alcohol, heroin or tranquilizers, it can be particularly harmful as it has the potential to shut the body down causing vital organs such as the lungs or heart to stop functioning.
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Hallucinogens
Product: LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), Psilocybin.Street names: LSD – acid, trips, wedges, windowpane, blotter, microdot. Psilocybin – mushies, blue meanies, magic mushrooms, gold tops, datura, angel’s trumpet.
Symptoms: Trance-like state, excitation, euphoria, increased pulse rate, insomnia, hallucinations, paranoia.
Potential problems: visual hallucinations may produce anxiety and fear, confusion and lack of coordination can result in greater risk of injury, self-inflicted injury, violent behaviour, paranoia, depression, anxiety, unpredictable flashbacks.
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Inhalants
Product: Can include a number of general household and office products – solvents, aerosols, glue, petrol.Street names: Nitrous oxide – laughing gas, whippits, nitrous. Amyl nitrate – snappers, poppers, pearlers, rushamines. Butyl nitrate – locker room, bolt, bullet, rush, climax, red gold.
Symptoms: Slurred speech, impaired coordination, nausea, vomiting, slowed breathing, euphoria.
Potential problems: Brain damage, paralysis, pains in the chest, muscles, joints, heart trouble, severe depression, fatigue, loss of appetite, bronchial spasm, sores on nose or mouth, nosebleeds, diarrhoea, bizarre or reckless behaviour, suffocation, sudden death.
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Opioids
Product: Heroin, morphine, codeine, methadone, buprenorphine, pethidine, Dilaudid, Kapanol, MS Contin.Street names: Heroin – horse, hammer, H, dope, smack, junk, gear, boy. Morphine – M, Miss Emma, Mister Blue, morph. Methadone – done. Buprenorphine – Bupe.
Symptoms: Lethargy, drowsiness, nausea, constipation, constricted pupils, slowed breathing.
Potential problems: High risk of addiction, mood swings, depression, anxiety, chronic constipation, infection at site of injection, HIV and hepatitis infections through sharing of needles, non-fatal overdose, death from overdose.
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