Cannabis is a calming drug that also alters perceptions. It's seen as "natural" because it's made from the cannabis plant, but that doesn't mean it's safe. It can be smoked, often with tobacco, in a "joint" or "spliff", or in a pipe or "bong". It can also be drunk as a "tea" or eaten when mixed with food, such as biscuits or cakes. Cannabis can make you feel relaxed and happy, but sometimes makes people feel lethargic, very anxious and paranoid, and even psychotic. Cannabis has been linked to mental health problems such as schizophrenia and, when smoked, to lung diseases including asthma. It affects how your brain works, so regular use can make concentration and learning very difficult. Frequent use can have a negative effect on your fertility. It is also dangerous to drive after taking cannabis. Mixing it with tobacco is likely to increase the risk of heart disease and lung cancer. Yes, it is
possible to become psychologically dependent on cannabis. And some people do experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking it. For information about coming off drugs, read Drug addiction: getting help. You can also get help cutting down from the FRANK website. Powder cocaine (coke), freebase and crack are all types of cocaine, and all are powerful stimulants. Freebase and crack can be smoked, and powder cocaine can be snorted in lines. Both cocaine powder and crack can also be prepared for
injecting. Cocaine gives the user energy, a feeling of happiness and being wide awake, and an overconfidence that can lead to taking risks.
Lights will seem brighter and colours more intense. You’ll feel firmly locked into the groove on the dancefloor and feel happy and confident. These feelings will slowly diminish as the drugs wear down. Because E removes all feelings of tiredness and thirst it is vital that you keep yourself hydrated if you’re dancing nonstop. Try to drink around
a pint of fluid an hour (not alcohol) to replace fluids lost by dancing - isotonic drinks are particularly good. If you’re not dancing then you don’t need to drink so much as it can be harmful - as in the tragic case of Leah Betts. Side Effects: Like most strong drugs, expect to appear very strange when encountering straight friends. E can make you
strut wildly and enthusiastically to some of the worst tunes in the world while hugging very unsavoury characters. You will also quite probably talk a whole load of bullshit and any photographs taken of you in this state will prove wildly amusing to your friends afterwards.Avoid taking ecstasy if you’re on anti-depressants, and try to avoid wolfing
down cans of Super Tennents as the alcohol will dehydrate you - as well as weaken the effects of the E. Ecstasy puts a tremendous strain on your heart, liver and kidneys, and it’s important to take time out in a chill-out area during the night.
Some of the more obvious signs of smoking involve the skin. The substances in tobacco smoke actually change the structure of your skin. Smoking causes skin discoloration, wrinkles, and premature aging. Your fingernails and the skin on your fingers may have yellow staining from holding cigarettes. Smokers usually develop yellow or brown stains on their teeth. Hair holds on to the smell of tobacco long after you put your cigarette out. It even clings to nonsmokers. Smokers are at great risk of developing oral problems. Tobacco use can cause gum inflammation (gingivitis) or infection (periodontitis). These problems can lead to tooth decay, tooth loss, and bad breath. Smoking also increases risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx, and esophagus. Smokers have higher rates of kidney cancer and pancreatic cancer.
Even cigar smokers who don’t inhale are at increased risk of mouth cancer.
One of the ingredients in tobacco is a mood-altering drug called nicotine. Nicotine reaches your brain in mere seconds. It’s a central nervous system stimulant, so it makes you feel more energized for a little while. As that effect subsides, you feel tired and crave more. Nicotine is habit forming. Smoking increases risk of macular degeneration, cataracts, and poor eyesight. It can also weaken your sense of taste and sense of smell, so food may become less enjoy-
able. Your body has a stress hormone called corticosterone, which lowers the effects of nicotine. If you’re under a lot of stress, you’ll need more nicotine to get the same effect. Physical withdrawal from smoking can impair your cognitive functioning and make you feel anxious, irritated, and depressed. Withdrawal can also cause headaches and sleep problems. When you inhale smoke, you’re taking in substances that can damage your lungs. Over time, your
lungs lose their ability to filter harmful chemicals. Coughing can’t clear out the toxins sufficiently, so these toxins get trapped in the lungs. Smokers have a higher risk of respiratory infections, colds, and flu.
Ecstasy is a powerful stimulant and mood changer that speeds up your body system and alters your perception of the world. It can make you feel both uplifted and relaxed and feeling very happy, usually with an overwhelming urge to dance. The effects of E vary considerably from one person to the next, depending on who you're with, where you are and how you're feeling at the time. Usually coming in the form of small pills selling at around ÂŁ8 - ÂŁ12, or more rarely as MDMA powder, the effects of E can be felt for anything up to 8 hours, although this time reduces considerably for regular users. Within 20 minutes to an hour after taking ecstasy, your heart may go into bangin' gabba overdrive and you might feel a bit hot and sticky while your mouth goes dry. Sometimes, you'll come up with a huge exhilarating rush and possibly experience hallucinations. During the two hours when the effects are their strongest, even the sound of a cutlery tray being dropped will sound unbearably danceable, you'll be walking around with a ludicrous grin on your face and even a set of Millwall fans will appear hugely huggable.
Ecstasy is a powerful stimulant and mood changer that speeds up your body system and alters your perception of the world. It can make you feel both uplifted and relaxed and feeling very happy, usually with an overwhelming urge to dance. The effects of E vary considerably from one person to the next, depending on who you're with, where you are and how you're feeling at the time. Usually coming in the form of small pills selling at around ÂŁ8 - ÂŁ12, or more rarely as MDMA powder, the effects of E can be felt for anything up to 8 hours, although this time reduces considerably for regular users. Within 20 minutes to an hour after taking ecstasy, your heart may go into bangin' gabba overdrive and you might feel
a bit hot and sticky while your mouth goes dry. Sometimes, you'll come up with a huge exhilarating rush and possibly experience hallucinations. During the two hours when the effects are their strongest, even the sound of a cutlery tray being dropped will sound unbearably danceable, you'll be walking around with a ludicrous grin on your face and even a set of Millwall fans will appear hugely huggable. Lights will seem brighter and colours more intense. These feelings will slowly diminish as the drugs wear down. Usually coming in the form of small pills selling at around ÂŁ8 - ÂŁ12, or more rarely as MDMA powder, the effects of E can be felt for anything up to 8 hours, although this time reduces considerably for regular users.