10 Dangerous Drugs:

That attack your Brain and Body

 Alcohol : Legal but dangerous. Causes changes in behavior, impairs judgement and coordination required to drive a car safely. Moderate to high doses severely alters a person's ability to learn and remember. Very high doses cause death. Long term consumption of large quantities, combined with poor nutrition, can lead to permanent damage to brain. liver, pancreas and stomach.

   Amphetamines : Illegal. Users may experience sweating, headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, sleeplessness and anxiety. High doses can cause irregular heartbeat, loss of coordination, and collapse. Injection creates a sudden increase in blood pressure that can result in very high fever, or heart failure and death.

    Barbiturates: Illegal. Effects are similar of those of alcohol: slurred speech, staggering walk. Very large doses can cause coma and death. Combination of barbiturates and alcohol multiplies risks.

  Cocaine : Illegal. Stimulates the central nervous system. Immediate effects include dilated pupils, elevated blood pressure, heart and respiratory problems, and stuffy nose. Crack, or freebase rock, is extremely addictive, and effects are felt within 10 seconds! Causes dilated pupils, increased pulse rate, elevated blood pressure, insomnia, loss of appetite, hallucinations, paranoia, and seizures. Use of cocaine can cause death by cardiac arrest.

   Hallucinogens: Lysergic acid. (LSD) Commonly causes sensations and feelings to change rapidly. Causes illusions (being deceived by the normal) and hallucinations (a false or mistaken idea) dilated pupils, elevated body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, loss of appetite, sleeplessness and tremors. The user may experience panic, confusion, suspicions, anxiety and loss of control. Delayed effects (flashbacks), can occur even after use has ceased.

   Heroin: Illegal narcotic. Produces a light-headed sensation often followed by drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, constricted pupils, watery eyes and itching. Overdose may produce slow and shallow breathing, clammy skin, convulsions, coma and possible death. Dependency is likely.

  Inhalants : Illegal. Immediate negative effects include nausea, sneezing, coughing, nosebleeds, fatigue, lack of coordination, loss of appetite. Sniffing solvents and aerosol sprays decreases the heart and respiratory rates. Long term use may result in hepstitis or brain damage. Deeply inhaling vapors, or using large amounts over a short time, may result in disorientation, violent behavior, unconsciousness or death. Repeated sniffing of vapors over time can permanently damage the central nervous system.

   Marijuana:  Illegal. All forms of marijuana have negative mental and physical effects including a substantial increase in the heart rate, bloodshot eyes, a dry mouth and throat and a decrease in normal sexual development. Marijuana can reduce short term memory and comprehension and reduce ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination such as driving a car. Because users often inhale unfiltered smoke deeply, marijuana is damaging to the lungs.

   Steroids : Illegal. Users subject themselves to more than 70 side effects. The liver, cardiovascular and reproductive systems are most seriously affected. In males, use can cause withered testicles, sterility, impotence and acne. In females, use can cause irreversible masculine traits, breast reduction and sterility. Psychological effects in both sexes include very aggressive behavior, depression, jaundice, purple or red spots on the body, swelling feet or lower legs, trembling, darkening of the skin and unpleasant breath. 

   Tobacco : Legal but deadly! Some 170,000 smokers die each year from smoking-related coronary heart disease! Each year 130,000 cancer deaths (including throat, lung, bladder, pancreas and kidney cancer) are links to smoking! Chronic lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis are 10 times more likely to occur among smokers than among non-smokers. Cigarette smoke contains some 4,000 chemicals, several of which are known causes of cancer. Perhaps the most dangerous substance in tobacco smoke in nicotine. Because nicotine is highly addictive, addicts find it very difficult to stop smoking. For pack-a-day smokers who stop, the increased risk of heart attack dissipates after 10 years, reducing the risk of lung cancer.