un poche di info tratte da centri di studi americane su varie sostanze di abuso! Per chi volesse saperne di più :
http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDAHome.htmlMarijuana Brief
Description:
The most commonly used illegal drug in the U.S. The main active chemical is THC.
Street Names:
Pot, ganga, weed, grass, and many others.
Effects:
Short-term effects include memory and learning problems, distorted perception, and difficulty thinking and solving problems.
Statistics
and Trends:
Nearly 45% of U.S. teenagers try marijuana before finishing high school.
Some studies show that when people have smoked large amounts of marijuana for years, the drug takes its toll on mental functions (4). Heavy or daily use of marijuana affects the parts of the brain that control memory, attention, and learning. A working short-term memory is needed to learn and perform tasks that call for more than one or two steps.
Smoking marijuana causes some changes in the brain that are like those caused by cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. Scientists are still learning about the many ways that marijuana can affect the brain.
Ecstasy:
La serotonina (5-idrossitriptamina, 5-HT) è un neurotrasmettitore monoaminico sintetizzato nei neuroni serotoninergici nel sistema nervoso centrale, nonché nelle cellule enterocromaffini nell'apparato gastrointestinale. Possiede formula chimica C10H12N2O, peso molecolare 176.22, numero CAS 50-67-9.
Nel sistema nervoso centrale, la serotonina svolge un ruolo importante nella regolazione dell'umore, del sonno, della sessualità e dell'appetito. La serotonina è coinvolta in numerosi disturbi neuropsichiatrici, come l'emicrania, il disturbo bipolare, la depressione e l'ansia.
Esercita anche funzioni a livello periferico, ad esempio sulle piastrine, nel processo di coagulazione del sangue e nella peristalsi gastrointestinale.
È prodotta dall'organismo per decarbossilazione di un amminoacido essenziale, il triptofano.
Molti psicofarmaci noti, come ad esempio gli antidepressivi SSRI (come il Prozac e Zoloft), antidepressivi triciclici e inibitori delle monoammino-ossidasi interferiscono con la sua azione.
Cocaine Brief
Description:
A powerfully addictive drug that is snorted, sniffed, injected, or smoked. Crack is cocaine that has been processed from cocaine hydrochloride to a free base for smoking.
Street Names:
Coke, snow, flake, blow, and many others.
Effects:
A powerfully addictive drug, cocaine usually makes the user feel euphoric and energetic. Common health effects include heart attacks, respiratory failure, strokes, and seizures. Large amounts can cause bizarre and violent behavior. In rare cases, sudden death can occur on the first use of cocaine or unexpectedly thereafter.
Statistics
and Trends:
Adults age 26 and older have the highest rate of current cocaine use, compared to other age groups.
Heroin Brief
Description:
An addictive drug that is processed from morphine and usually appears as a white or brown powder.
Street Names:
Smack, H, ska, junk, and many others.
Effects:
Short-term effects include a surge of euphoria followed by alternately wakeful and drowsy states and cloudy mental functioning. Associated with fatal overdose and- particularly in users who inject the drug-infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. Long-term users may develop collapsed veins, liver disease, and lung complications.
Statistics
and Trends:
NIDA's 2005 Monitoring the Future study showed that 1.5% of 10th and 12th graders had used heroin at least once.
Inhalants Brief
Description:
Breathable chemical vapors that users intentionally inhale because of the chemicals' mind-altering effects. The substances inhaled are often common household products that contain volatile solvents or aerosols.
Street Names:
Whippets, poppers, snappers.
Effects:
Most inhalants produce a rapid high that resembles alcohol intoxication. If sufficient amounts are inhaled, nearly all solvents and gases produce anesthesia, a loss of sensation, and even unconsciousness.
Statistics
and Trends:
Inhalants are often among the first drugs that young kids use. In NIDA's 2005 Monitoring the Future study, 17.1% of 8th graders, 13.1% of 10th graders, and 11.4% of 12th graders said they had abused inhalants at least once.
Acid (LSD) Brief
Description:
One of the strongest mood-changing drugs. It is sold as tablets, capsules, liquid, or on absorbent paper.
Street Names:
Acid, blotter, and many others.
Effects:
Unpredictable psychological effects. With large enough doses, users experience delusions and visual hallucinations. Physical effects include increased body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure; sleeplessness; and loss of appetite.
Statistics
and Trends:
In 2005, annual use among 12th graders was 1.8%. Among 10th graders, annual use was 1.5%.
Methamphetamine Brief
Description:
An addictive stimulant that is closely related to amphetamine, but has longer lasting and more toxic effects on the central nervous system. It has a high potential for abuse and addiction.
Street Names:
Speed, meth, chalk, ice, crystal, glass.
Effects:
Increases wakefulness and physical activity and decreases appetite. Chronic, long-term use can lead to psychotic behavior, hallucinations, and stroke.
Statistics
and Trends:
According to the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nearly 12 million Americans have tried methamphetamine.
PCP/Phencyclidine Brief
Description:
Illegally manufactured in labs and sold as tablets, capsules, or colored powder. It can be snorted, smoked, or eaten. Developed in the 1950s as an IV anesthetic, PCP was never approved for human use because of problems during clinical studies, including intensely negative psychological effects.
Street Names:
Angel dust, ozone, wack, rocket fuel, and many others.
Effects:
Many PCP users are brought to emergency rooms because of overdose or because of the drug's unpleasant psychological effects. In a hospital or detention setting, people high on PCP often become violent or suicidal.
Statistics
and Trends:
In NIDA's 2005 Monitoring the Future study, 2.4% of high school seniors reported having used PCP at least once.
Steroids (Anabolic) Brief
Description:
Human-made substances related to male sex hormones. Some athletes abuse anabolic steroids to enhance performance. Abuse of anabolic steroids can lead to serious health problems, some of which are irreversible.
Effects:
Major side effects can include liver tumors and cancer, jaundice, high blood pressure, kidney tumors, severe acne, and trembling. In males, side effects may include shrinking of the testicles and breast development. In females, side effects may include growth of facial hair, menstrual changes, and deepened voice. In teenagers, growth may be halted prematurely and permanently.
Statistics
and Trends:
In NIDA's 2005 Monitoring the Future study, 2.6% of high school seniors reported using steroids at least once.
Smoking/Nicotine Brief
Description:
One of the most heavily used addictive drugs in the U.S.
Effects:
Nicotine is highly addictive. The tar in cigarettes increases a smoker's risk of lung cancer, emphysema, and bronchial disorders. The carbon monoxide in smoke increases the chance of cardiovascular diseases. Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer in adults and greatly increases the risk of respiratory illnesses in children.
Statistics
and Trends:
In 2004, 30% of the U.S. population over age 12 used tobacco at least once in the month prior to being interviewed.
Recent
Poll
