Carson City
Community Counseling Center

Stimulants: Affect the nervous system by increasing alertness and mental and motor activity

Cocaine

Coke, snow, toot, white lady, C, blow

Feelings of exhilaration, increased energy,
mental alertness

Rapid or irregular heartbeat, insomnia,
strokes, abdominal pain

20.2 years

Crack cocaine
(a rock-crystal form that is heated and smoked)

Rock, crack

Feelings of exhilaration, increased energy,
mental alertness

Rapid or irregular heartbeat, insomnia,
strokes, abdominal pain

20.2 years for
cocaine

Ecstasy
(MDMA)

XTC, adam, eve, decadence,
M&M, X

Mild hallucinogenic effects, increased
sensitivity, empathic feelings

Impaired memory and learning;
sharp increase in body temperature (hyperthermia); liver, kidney, cardiovascular system failure

20.2 years

Methamphetamine

Meth, crank,
speed, chalk, ice

Aggression, violence, psychotic behavior,
increased physical activity

Impaired memory and learning, neurological and cardiac damage, high blood pressure, anxiety, delusions

19.1 years

Tobacco products

Cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, snuff, spit tobacco,
bidis, chew

Increased adrenaline and metabolism, feelings of increased alertness and concentration

Breathing paralysis, damaged lungs and cardiovascular system, cancer, high blood
pressure, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis

16.9 years for
cigarette use

Depressants: Affect the central nervous system by decreasing awareness and capacity to function; used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders

Tranquilizers
A class of drugs used
to relax or calm, relieve
anxiety, or relax muscle
spasms (benzodiazepines)

Benzos (Xanax®, Ativan®, Valium®, Librium®)

Reduced anxiety, lowered inhibitions, feeling of well-being

Seizure, respiratory depression,
decreased heart rate

24.5 years

Sedatives
A class of drugs used to help with sleep or relaxation

Haldol®, Thorazine®,
Navane®, Prolixin®,
Mellaril®, Trilafon®

Reduced anxiety,
lowered inhibitions,
feeling of well-being

Seizure, respiratory depression, decreased heart rate,
reduced mental alertness

24.2 years

Alcohol

Booze, sauce, drink

Reduced sensitivity to pain, taste, and odor; impaired vision; decreased attention and memory; interference with REM sleep

Damaged vital organs (such as the liver, heart, pancreas, and brain), high blood pressure, gastrointestinal irritation

16.8 years

Opioids: Includes drugs derived from morphine; most often prescribed to treat pain

Pain relievers
(hydrocodone, oxycodone,
morphine, codeine,
fentanyl)

Vike (Vicodin®), Oxy, O.C. (Oxycontin®),
M (roxanol), Captain cody, Schoolboy
(empirin with codeine), China white, dance fever (Actiq®)

Pain relief, feeling of sedation, euphoria, drowsiness

Seizure, respiratory depression,
decreased heart rate

21.2 years

Heroin

Big H,
dope, smack,
white horse

Feeling of euphoria, flushing of the skin, dry mouth, feeling of heavy extremities, fluctuation between awake and drowsy states

Collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves,
abscesses, liver disease, pulmonary complications

21.8 years

Cannabinoids: Hemp plant drugs made from shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers

Marijuana

Pot, weed, hash, Mary Jane, grass, reefer, ganja

Euphoria, slowed thinking and reaction time, impaired balance and coordination

Respiratory infections, increased heart rate, impaired memory, anxiety

17.6 years

Hallucinogens: Cause changes in a person's perception of reality

LSD

Acid, boomers, yellow sunshines

Altered state of perception and feeling; changes in senses, mood, body temperature

Persistent mental disorders, increased blood pressure and heart rate

18.3 years

Inhalants: Volatile substances that produce chemical vapors that can be inhaled to induce a psychoactive, or mind-altering, effect

Gases, nitrites, aerosols

Ether, chloroform, nitrous
oxide, isobutyl, isoamyl
(poppers, snappers,
whippets, laughing gas)

Stimulation, loss of inhibition, loss of motor coordination, slurred speech

Memory impairment, muscle weakness, depression, cardiovascular and nervous system damage

17.1 years

Click here for more details about commonly misused substances. Refer to http://www.samhsa.gov/treatment or call 1-800-662-HELP for further treatment-option resources.

1) Results From the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings. DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 08-4343. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies, September 2008, p. 71.

2) Ibid, p. 77

3) Ibid, pp. 16, 50, 52, 77, 79, 254

4) NIDA: Commonly Abused Drugs Chart. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on
Drug Abuse, updated July 2004.

5) Signs and Symptoms of Drug Use. American Council for Drug Education Web site: http://www.acde.org/parent/signs.htm. Accessed August 23, 2008.

Statistics from "Join the Voices for Recovery" published by RecoveryMonth.gov