The Rise and Fall of LSD

LSD (or its full name: lysergic acid diethylamide) is a potent hallucinogen that dramatically alters your thoughts and your perception of reality.37 It was discovered in 1938 in a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. LSD has a high potential for abuse.

Made in 1986 for BBC television, The Beyond Within explores the rise and fall of LSD. Here it is in its entirety.

The Beyond Within is a well-balanced two part documentary on LSD featuring Albert Hoffman, Ken Kesey and British politician Christopher Mayhew.

While the entire documentary is filled with absorbing insights, The Mayhew segment is particularly fascinating.

http://vimeo.com/18250185

Ketamine

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic developed in the early 1960s and used in human and veterinary medicine. The drug is primarily used for anesthesia.

In the 1950s, phencyclidine (what is PCP) was developed as an intravenous general anesthetic, but because of its severe side effects, ketamine was developed as a dissociative anesthetic to replace it.

Effects of ketamine

The effects of any drug vary from person to person. How ketamine affects a person depends on many things including their size, weight and health, also whether the person is used to taking it and whether other drugs are taken around the same time. The effects of any drug also depend on the amount taken.

10 cocaine facts

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive drug of abuse. Once having tried cocaine, users cannot predict or control the extent to they will continue to use the drug.

10 cocaine facts

1. Approximately 35.9 million Americans aged 12 and older have tried cocaine at least once in their lifetime, according to a national survey, and about 2.1 million Americans are regular users
2. It is estimated that 22 to 25 million people have tried Cocaine at least once
3. In 2001, cocaine purity declined by 8%, from 86% pure in 1998 to a 78% pure in 2001 (The decrease in purity indicates a decrease in the supply of cocaine in the United States)
4. Drug enforcement personnel estimate that about 2,500 Americans every day try cocaine for the first time
5.  Cocaine is the most frequently reported illicit substance associated with drug abuse fatalities and causes three times more deaths than any other illegal drug. However, prescription drug abuse has recently passed cocaine abuse as the leading cause of all drug-related deaths
6. The United States-Mexico border is the primary point of entry for cocaine shipments being smuggled into the United States
7. Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud is one of the more famous proponents of cocaine. After trying the drug for the first time in 1884, he recommended it as a useful treatment for depression, alcoholism, and morphine addiction
8. Men are more likely to use cocaine than women, as the drug is associated with living dangerously and wildly, but the gender gap is beginning to decrease. According to 2008 statistics, there are approximately 700,000 new male users each year in the U.S. and about 500,000 new female users
9. Pure cocaine was first used in the 1880's as a local anesthetic in eye, nose, and throat surgeries because of its ability to provide anesthesia as well as to constrict blood vessels and limit bleeding 
10. Approximately 10% of people who begin using cocaine will immediately progress to serious, heavy use of the drug

Ecstasy

 

What is ecstasy? 

 

Ecstasy (also known by its chemical name, MDMA) is often seen as the original designer drug because of its high profile links to dance music culture in the late 80s and early 90s. Clubbers took ecstasy to feel energised, happy, to stay awake and to dance for hours. The effects take about half an hour to kick in and tend to last between 3 to 6 hours, followed by a gradual comedown.

Because of its stimulant properties and the environment in which it is often taken, MDMA is associated with vigorous physical activity for extended periods. This can lead to one of the most significant, although rare, acute adverse effects -- a marked rise in body temperature (hyperthermia). Treatment of hyperthermia requires prompt medical attention, as it can rapidly lead to muscle breakdown, which can in turn result in kidney failure.

ecstasy effects

Ecstasy directly affects the brain chemical serotonin, and how your brain cells communicate with each other. Clinical studies show that Ecstasy can be harmful to your brain and can increase the risk of permanent problems with memory and learning. Also, taking too much Ecstasy can interfere with the body's ability to regulate its temperature. This can cause hyperthermia and can lead to liver, kidney and cardiovascular failure

There is some evidence that ecstasy can cause damage to some parts of the brain and that regular, heavy use can lead to depression.

A person taking ecstasy regularly may find that they are not eating or sleeping enough and are neglecting their health. They may become 'run down', have reduced energy levels and be more at risk for colds, flu and infections.

Documentary on Ecstasy 

Crack

Crack is the crystal form of cocaine, which normally comes in a powder form.1 It comes in solid blocks or crystals varying in color from yellow to pale rose or white.

This drug is heated and smoked. It is so named because it makes a cracking or popping sound when heated.

Crack, the most potent form in which cocaine appears, is also the riskiest. It is between 75% and 100% pure, far stronger and more potent than regular cocaine.

Smoking crack allows it to reach the brain more quickly and thus brings an intense and immediate—but very short-lived—high that lasts about fifteen minutes. And because addiction can develop even more rapidly if the substance is smoked rather than snorted (taken in through the nose), an abuser can become addicted after his or her first time trying crack.

Because of cocaine’s high cost, it has long been considered a “rich man’s drug.” Crack, on the other hand, is sold at prices so low that even teens can afford to buy it—at first. The truth is that once a person is addicted, the expense skyrockets in direct ratio to the increasing amount needed to support the habit.

Crack & Crime

The 2006 US National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that 8.6 million Americans aged 12 and older reported having used crack. Among those 18 to 25, 6.9% of those surveyed said they had used cocaine (including crack) within the last year. The 2007 US Government's Monitoring the Future survey found that among high-school students, 3.2% of twelfth graders had used crack cocaine at some point in their lives.
In the United States, crack cocaine was the primary drug of abuse in 178,475 admissions to treatment in 2006. This represented 71% of all primary cocaine admissions to treatment that year.

Crack effects

Crack abuse can cause side effects on both your physical and psychological health. Psychologically, crack addicts tend to have mood swings, suffer from depression and anxiety and engage in risky behavior as outlined above. Crack addicts may also sabotage relationships or get into financial trouble because of their desire to smoke crack at the expense of other important aspects of their lives.

People who smoke crack are at increased risk of heart attack or stroke because crack abuse causes high blood pressure and can cause the aortic artery to tear. Crack addicts may also be more susceptible to other illnesses because they don’t eat or sleep enough and may not be attentive to their hygiene. Finally, smoking crack puts users at risk of lung disease because they are introducing foreign substances into their lungs.

more information about crack 

Methadone

What is methadone?

Methadone is a opioid pain reliever, similar to morphine. An opioid is sometimes called a narcotic. It also reduces withdrawal symptoms in people addicted to heroin or other narcotic drugs without causing the "high" associated with the drug addiction.

Methadone is used as a pain reliever and as part of drug addiction detoxification and maintenance programs.

Methadone may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

 

Why is this medication prescribed?

Methadone is used to relieve moderate to severe pain that has not been relieved by non-narcotic pain relievers. It also is used to prevent withdrawal symptoms in patients who were addicted to opiate drugs and are enrolled in treatment programs in order to stop taking or continue not taking the drugs. Methadone is in a class of medications called opiate (narcotic) analgesics. Methadone works to treat pain by changing the way the brain and nervous system respond to pain. It also works as a substitute for opiate drugs of abuse by producing similar effects and preventing withdrawal symptoms in people who have stopped using these drugs.

methadone side effects
 

How should this medicine be used?

Methadone comes as a tablet, a dispersible tablet (can be dissolved in liquid), a solution (liquid), and a concentrated solution (liquid that must be diluted before use) to take by mouth. When methadone is used to relieve pain, it may be taken every 4 to 12 hours. If you take methadone as part of a treatment program, your doctor will prescribe the dosing schedule that is best for you.

Your doctor may change your dose of methadone during your treatment. Your doctor may decrease your dose or tell you to take methadone less often as your treatment continues. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about how much methadone you should take or how often you should take the medication.

Methadone can be habit-forming. Call your doctor if you find that you want to take extra medication or notice any other unusual changes in your behavior or mood.

Do not stop taking methadone without talking to your doctor. Your doctor will probably want to decrease your dose gradually. If you suddenly stop taking methadone, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, teary eyes, runny nose, yawning, sweating, chills, muscle pain, and widened pupils (black circles in the middle of the eyes).

If you are using the dispersible tablets, place one tablet in a liquid such as water or citrus fruit juice. Wait 1 minute to allow the tablet to dissolve and then drink the entire mixture.

A slightly dated but informative video about Methadone Treatment.