Cocaine | Crack | Ecstasy
| Heroin | L.S.D. | Psilocybin
Cocaine (or coke) and Crack are both stimulants with powerful, but short-lived effects. The big difference is that Crack is much stronger and more addictive than cocaine.
Users feel on top of the world. It's a bit like Speed (amphetamines) but it's stronger and doesn't last as long. People taking it often feel wide awake and confident. Coke's a stimulant it raises body temperature, makes the heart beat faster and staves off feelings of hunger. The hit from Coke doesn't last long (20-30 minutes). When the effects start to wear off there's a strong temptation to take more.
- People who use crack or coke regularly often develop serious problems with anxiety and paranoia. It's a known cause of panic attacks.
- The person may feel exhausted and have lack of appetite
- Prolonged use can cause weight loss
- Person may become agitated, show signs of anxiety and paranoia (however, this depends on how much is taken and how often).
Cocaine and Crack are Class A drugs - illegal to have, give away or sell. Possession can get you up to seven years in jail. Supplying someone else with it can get you life and an unlimited fine. Cocaine can be detected in the urine for up to 3 days.
Crack is a smokeable form of Cocaine that's made into small lumps or rocks. It's called crack because it makes a crackling sound when it's being burnt. It's a stimulant with short-lived effects and it's very addictive.
Crack has the same short-lived effects as cocaine but they're much, much
stronger and the effects are immediate, peak for about two minutes and last
between 10 to 20 minutes. Crack makes users feel alive, exhilarated, confident
and wide awake. It kills all feelings of pain, tiredness and hunger. However,
after the high comes a long, low crash which can be associated with massive
cravings to take more. The high can come with hallucinations, huge mood
swings and massive paranoia. Heavy crack users may take heroin to try to
dull the cravings, which can increase the risks.
- Some people get aggressive or violent
- The crash makes people feel sick, tired and depressed
- Regular users look excited but nervous. Heavy users have trouble sleeping and feel sick quite a lot.
The maximum sentence for possessing crack is 7 years imprisonment and an unlimited fine. The maximum sentence for supplying crack (which includes giving some to a friend) is life imprisonment and unlimited fine. Crack can be detected in the urine for up to 3 days.
The original designer drug. Ecstasy (E) shot to fame in the early 90’s as the rave culture took off and clubbers took it to stay awake and dance for hours. An estimated 500,000 people take it every weekend. It is almost always swallowed as a tablet or capsule. It is very occasionally snorted, smoked or injected.
There’s a lot of controversy about the long-term side effects of E. Some evidence suggests it can damage the brain causing long-term problems. The effects of ecstasy take place around 20 to 40 minutes after taking a tablet with little rushes of exhilaration which can be accompanied by nausea. The effects of ecstasy subside after 3 to 4 hours.
- Lots of people feel chatty when they have taken an E. (These chats don’t always make sense to people who aren’t on E).
- E dilates the pupils, produces a tingling feeling, tightens the jaw muscles, raises the body temperature and makes the heart beat faster.
- In some cases the person may feel nausea and may start vomiting.
- It can cause mood swings and being irritable depending on the individual.
- E makes emotions feel more intense. Users often feel great love for the people they're with and the strangers around them. E taken on its own is not a drug that makes people violent.
Ecstasy is a Class A drug - illegal to have, give away or sell. Possession can get you up to seven years in jail. Supplying someone else with it can get you life and an unlimited fine. Some countries may refuse visas to people with a drug conviction.
Heroin is made of morphine, which comes from the opium poppy. Like many of the drugs made from opium, heroin is a very strong painkiller. Clubbers sometimes use heroin sold as ‘Brown’ as a chill out after a big night out. Brown is still heroin; some people mistakenly think it's not as addictive. However, heroin can be very addictive and potentially dangerous.
The effects of heroin are that it gives the person an overwhelming feeling of euphoria and inner peace. It also makes the person feel free from pain, hunger, and cold.
- Excessive spending or borrowing of money
- Lack of appetite
- Loss of body condition and lowering of general health
- Nausea and vomiting
- Severe constipation
- It is a sedative drug and therefore slows down the heart and breathing, therefore, the person may sleep a lot
Heroin is a class A drug. This means that possessing it can lead to a prison sentence of up to 7 years and an unlimited fine. Supplying (which includes giving it to a friend) could lead to a life sentence and another unlimited fine. Heroin can be detected in urine for about 1-3 days.
L.S.D. (also known as Acid) is a colourless, odourless psychedelic drug which is usually taken by mouth in the form of small, impregnated decorated squares of paper.
The effects of LSD on a user are difficult to predict, as they depend largely on the amount taken, the surroundings, the user's personality, expectation and mood. The possible physical effects of LSD are listed below, though sensations and feelings will often change much more dramatically. If a sufficient dose is taken, the drug produces visual hallucinations and delusions. LSD trips usually take around 12 hours to clear; during which time some users experience terrifying thoughts and feelings - fear of insanity and death; alongside a distorted sense of movement and time. Objects, sounds and colours may also be affected.
- Dilated pupils
- Increased heart rate
- Increased blood pressure
- Higher body temperature
- Loss of appetite
- Sweating
- Sleeplessness
L.S.D. is a Class A drug - illegal to have, give away or sell. Possession can get you up to seven years in jail. Supplying someone else with it can get you life and an unlimited fine. Some countries may refuse visas to people with a drug conviction.
Magic mushrooms are either eaten raw, mixed with food or made into a brew and swallowed. There are several varieties of magic mushroom. However, the type most commonly found in the UK is the Liberty Cap, which contains the drug psilocybin.
At low doses, magic mushrooms may produce feelings of relaxation, like those caused by cannabis. At higher doses the experience is thought to be closer to that of LSD. Users may experience an intensification of colour, hallucinations and as sense of well-being.
The main danger associated with magic mushroom use is probably misidentification. Some mushrooms are poisonous and cause stomach pains, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Magic mushrooms are also able to cause panic attacks, and impair judgement.
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhoea (if poisonous mushrooms are consumed)
- Impaired judgement
The Drugs Act 2005 has clarified the law on magic mushrooms to make raw (as well as dried or stewed), psilocybe magic mushrooms Class A. This law came into effect on 18th July 2005. Possession can get you up to seven years in jail and an unlimited fine. Supplying someone else with magic mushrooms can get you life and an unlimited fine.
