Please select a drug from the list below for more information:

Alcohol | Ketamine | Poppers | Solvents | Steroids | Tobacco

ALCOHOL (top)

Alcohol can play a major part in many people's social lives. That's why it's easy to forget that it's actually a very powerful drug. Technically speaking, it's a depressant, which means it slows down your body's responses in all kinds of ways.

The effects of alcohol can vary depending on the individual and how much they have consumed. Like most drugs, alcohol will exaggerate whatever mood you're in when you start drinking. Alcohol is a relaxant so in moderation it can reduce feelings of anxiety, reduce inhibitions and make you feel more sociable. It takes your body an hour to process one unit of alcohol.

Time is the only thing that will help you process alcohol. Official guidelines recommend no more than 3-4 units a day for adult men, 2-3 for adult women. One unit is half a pint of beer, lager or cider, one small glass of table wine or a 25ml measure of spirits.

• It can make you argumentative and aggressive
• Violent behaviour can be linked to alcohol use
• Slurring your words
• Loss of balance
• Vomiting

Under 5 - It is illegal to give an alcoholic drink to a child under 5 except in certain circumstances e.g. under medical supervision. Under 14 - A person under 14 can't go into a bar or pub unless the pub has a 'children's certificate'. If it doesn't they can only go into parts that aren't licensed where alcohol is either sold but not drunk (e.g. a sales point away from the pub), OR drunk but not sold (e.g. a beer garden or family room). 14 or 15 - 14 and 15 year olds can go anywhere in a pub but can't drink alcohol. 16 or 17 - 16 and 17 year olds can buy (or be bought) beer or cider so long as it's bought to eat with a meal, but not in a bar (i.e. only in a place specifically set aside for meals). Under 18 - Except for 16 and 17 year olds having a meal in a pub, it's against the law for anyone under 18 to buy alcohol in a pub, off-licence or supermarket. It's also illegal to buy alcohol in a pub for someone who's not 18. Can be detected in the urine between 12-24 hours. Over 18 - Anyone over this age can buy and drink alcohol legally in licensed premises in Britain.

Ketamine (also known as "jet", "super acid", "vitamin K") is a type of drug called a dissociative anaesthetic. It separates perception from sensation. It is usually in liquid form in small pharmaceutical bottles and injected, though it can be found as white powder for snorting.

In low doses the common result of Ketamine use is a light, floating feeling. It is not uncommon for numbness in the extremities to be experienced as well. Higher doses tend to cause hallucinogenic effects, with the user feeling more detached from their body. Some users find this experience spiritually significant, but many find it frightening. It can suppress consciousness, and affect breathing. It is very dangerous when taken with downers like alcohol, Valium or GHB.

• Numbness
• Increased heart rate
• Drowsiness
• Neurosis
• Loss of consciousness
• Addiction

Possession of Ketamine is not illegal, as the drug is available as a prescription drug under the Medicines Act. Unauthorised supply however is illegal.

Poppers are small bottles filled with liquid chemicals called alkyl nitrites. They were used at the turn of the century for people suffering from chest pains. Nitrites like Amyl Nitrite dilate the blood vessels and allow more blood to get to the heart. They're usually sniffed straight from the bottle and deliver a short, sharp high. Poppers are sold in sex shops, clubs and bars.

The main possible effect, due to use of poppers, is dizziness. This may only last for a couple of minutes.

• Flushed face and a pounding headache
• Occasionally people develop a rash around the lips, cheeks and nose. This usually clears when the person stops using.
• Poppers have vasodilatory effects. This causes the blood vessels to open, the heart to beat quicker and the blood to rush to the brain. This produces the ‘rush’ associated with poppers.

Amyl Nitrite is very rarely used in medicine these days but is controlled under the Medicines Act. Possession is not illegal but supply can be an offence. There have been cases where the Medicines Act was used to fine shops for selling them, but they're still sold as Room Aromas or Deodorisers in sex shops and some clubs.

Most users are aged between 12-16 years old. Solvents cover a huge number of substances: Gas lighter refills, aerosols containing hairspray, deodorants and air fresheners, tins or tubes of glue, some paints, thinners and correcting fluids, cleaning fluids, surgical spirit, dry-cleaning fluids and petroleum products. When inhaled, solvents have a similar effect to alcohol. They make people feel uninhibited, euphoric and dizzy.

The effects resulting from using solvents can be intense intoxication. It also has an effect on auditory and visual hallucinations. Using solvents can also cause asphyxiation in certain individuals by the swelling of throat tissues.

• The person may feel drowsy and unsteady on their feet
• They may feel quite talkative and free from all cares.
• Can be quite giggly
• The effects wear off quickly within 30-45 minutes.

Solvent misuse isn't illegal. It is illegal in England and Wales for shopkeepers to sell you intoxicating substances if they think you are likely to be inhaling them. In Scotland the law is different but the effect is similar. Under Scottish law you can be prosecuted for 'recklessly' selling substances to any age group if you suspect they're going to inhale them. Since October 1999, the law makes it an offence to supply gas lighter refills to anyone under the age of 18. This law applies to the whole of the UK.

Anabolic steroids are drugs which mimic the effects of the natural male hormone testosterone. They often have many different trade names. Commonly used anabolic steroids are Anavar, Sustanon and Dianabol. They can be consumed in tablet form, or injected. Users who inject anabolic steroids run the risk of catching hepatitis and HIV.

The most common reasons for use of anabolic steroids are to increase muscle mass, to increase strength, to train harder, and reduce the recovery time needed after training. There have been reports suggesting that steroids can cause addiction, and some people may experience withdrawal symptoms when steroid use is stopped.

Some people believe the benefit from taking steroids is psychological, they make people feel that they are stronger or faster. Others believe that they make people feel more aggressive and that it is as a result of this that they are able to train harder.

• Mood swings and aggression
• Development of acne
• Disorders of the liver and kidneys causing jaundice, tumours and cysts.
• An increased risk of heart attacks and strokes
• Growth stunting in young people who have not reached their full height
• In men it can cause infertility, shrinking of the testicles and the growth of breasts
• In women it can cause deepening of the voice, growth of body hair and enlargement of the clitoris

It is not illegal to possess anabolic steroids, though the supply of anabolic steroids is illegal. The maximum sentence for supply is five years imprisonment and an unlimited fine. All major national and international sporting organisations have banned anabolic steroids on the grounds of cheating.

Tobacco is made from the dried leaves of the tobacco plant. It can be made into cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, snuff and occasionally chewing tobacco. Tobacco contains the stimulant drug nicotine.

• First time users may simply feel dizzy or sick.
• Regular smokers often say it helps them to concentrate, relax, combat boredom and reduce anxiety.
• It also suppresses the appetite, so often people eat less
• An increased risk of heart disease
• Increased risk of C.O.P.D. (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - egg. chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, emphysema)

• Tobacco is physically addictive
• Regular smokers may feel restless, irritable and depressed without a cigarette
• Coughs, chest, breathing problems and bad breath are very common amongst smokers.
• Regular long-term smokers are at greater risk of developing lung and some other cancers, heart disease, circulatory problems, bronchitis and ulcers.
• Each year around 120,000 people die prematurely from smoking related diseases in the UK.
• Damage to the unborn child can result from smoking during pregnancy. (e.g. Low birth weight and other complications)
• Passive smoking - breathing in other people's smoke - can be damaging to health. Babies and young children may be particularly vulnerable to asthma and chest problems.

• Set yourself a date to stop
• Get support from family and friends
• Stay away from places where lots of people smoke
• Consider hypnosis, acupuncture, nicotine chewing gum or nicotine patches.

• Gradually cutting down the number you smoke
• Setting and sticking to a daily limit
• Smoking low tar / extra filter brands, as long as you don't inhale more strongly, or for a greater length of time.

It is not illegal to possess anabolic steroids, though the supply of anabolic steroids is illegal. The maximum sentence for supply is five years imprisonment and an unlimited fine. All major national and international sporting organisations have banned anabolic steroids on the grounds of cheating.