Say 'NO' to Drugs

Well someone shouts ‘Say NO to drugs’, you just give a smart shrug, "Oh but Drugs heal!”.

You know that we are not talking about the legal drugs but the illegal ones. Since this is my first post so I want my lovely readers to get acquainted with the word ‘DRUGS’.

Now the first question is...

What is Drug?

A drug is any substance, solid, liquid or gas that brings about physical and/or psychological changes. (From web)

How are drugs classified?

Drugs are commonly classified according to their legal status or their effects on the central nervous system.

Legal and illegal drugs:

Legal drugs are controlled by Law and regulations. Like tobacco is injurious to health, but it isn’t illegal also It can’t be sold to anyone below 18 years old.
Also legal drugs have a quality control and their prizes are in check.

Illegal drugs are those which are very injurious to health, hence prohibited.  There is no quality control over them and no fixed prizing. And user can never be sure that the drug they are taking is actually the alleged one or not. Hence it should be avoided at every cost.

Effects on the central nervous system:

There are three main types of drug affecting the central nervous system.

1. Depressants:

Depressants are drugs that slow down the functions of the central nervous system. They do not necessarily make a person feel depressed.

Example:

• Alcohol
• Barbiturates, including Seconal, Tuinal and Amytal
• Benzodiazepines (tranquilisers)
• Cannabis
• GHB (Gamma-hydroxybutrate) or "fantasy"
• opiates and opioids, including heroin , morphine, codeine, methadone and pethidine
• Some solvents and inhalants

In small quantity, depressant makes user feel relaxed but a large quantity lead to unconsciousness, vomiting or even death. They even slow down person’s ability to understand and react. And it does damages internal organs like liver.

2. Stimulants:

Stimulants act on the central nervous system to speed up the messages to and from the brain. They can make the user feel more awake, alert or confident, it increases person’s heart rate, body temperature and blood pressure. At the same time it reduces ones appetite, talkativeness, agitation and sleep disturbance.

Mild stimulants include:

• Caffeine in coffee, tea and cola drinks
• Nicotine in tobacco.
• Ephedrine used in medicines for bronchitis, fever and asthma.

Stronger stimulants include:

• Amphetamines, including illegal amphetamines
• Cocaine
• Ecstasy

Large quantities of stimulants can "over-stimulate" the user, causing seizures, headaches, anxiety, panic, paranoia. Prolonged use of strong stimulants can cover some of the effects of depressant drugs, such as alcohol, making it difficult for a person to judge their side effects.

3. Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens are drugs that cause hallucinations - profound distortions in a person's perceptions of reality. People who have taken them may believe they see or hear things that aren't really there, or what they see may be distorted in some way.

Hallucinogens include:

• LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)
• Datura
• Ketamine ("K", "Special K")
• Magic mushrooms (psilocybin)
• Mescaline (peyote cactus)
• PCP ('angel dust')
• Cannabis is a hallucinogen as well as a depressant. 
• Ecstasy can also have hallucinogenic qualities.

Some effects of hallucinogens include loss of appetite, dilation of pupils, increased activity, talking or laughing, paranoia , emotional and psychological euphoria and well-being, jaw clenching, sweating, panic, loss of contact with reality, irrational or bizarre behavior, stomach cramps and nausea.

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Now that we know about the types of drugs and it's side effects, I hope that you'll think twice before tanking drugs. and It is my sincere request that please say "NO" to illegal drugs as well as to those drugs which are injurious to health. As they say, "Health is Wealth." 

Keep Healthy

Keep Smiling