Health Effects of Alcohol & Drugs
Risks and health effects
- Alcohol (beer, distilled liquor, ethanol, wine)
Potential for Dependence:
Physical: High
Psychological: High
Risk and Effects:
Short-Term:
- Impair judgment and vision
- Lowered inhibitions
- Loss of motor skills and coordination
- Slurred speech
Long-Term:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Hypertension
- Liver damage
- Neurological damage
- Toxic psychosis
Overdoes:
- Comma
- Possible death
- Cannabis (hash oil, hashish, grass, marijuana, pot, weed)
Potential for Dependence:
Physical: High
Psychological: High
Risk and Effects:
Short-Term:
- Confusion
- Fatigue
- Feeling of well-being, irritability
- Lowered blood pressure
- Lowered inhibitions
- Poor concentration
- Reduced anxiety
- Sedation
- Slowed pulse and breathing
- Slurred speech
Long-Term:
- Anxiety
- Dizziness
- Hallucinations
- Insomnia
- Loss of peripheral vision
- Nausea
- Seizures
- Weak, rapid pulse
- Toxic psychosis
- Tremors
Overdoes:
- Blackouts
- Cold, clammy skin
- Coma
- Life threatening withdrawal
- Possible death
- Respiratory depression and arrest
- Toxic reaction if combined with alcohol
- Depressants (barbiturates, benzodiazepine, date rape drugs, liquid ecstasy, flunitrazepam, GHB, methaqualone, special K, Xanax)
Potential for Dependence:
Physical: High
Psychological: High
Risk and Effects:
Short-Term:
- Confusion
- Fatigue
- Feeling of well-being, irritability
- Lowered blood pressure
- Lowered inhibitions
- Poor concentration
- Reduced anxiety
- Sedation
- Slowed pulse and breathing
- Slurred speech
Long-Term:
- Anxiety
- Dizziness
- Hallucinations
- Insomnia
- Loss of peripheral vision
- Nausea
- Seizures
- Weak, rapid pulse
- Toxic psychosis
- Tremors
Overdoes:
- Blackouts
- Cold, clammy skin
- Coma
- Life threatening withdrawal
- Possible death
- Respiratory depression and arrest
- Toxic reaction if combined with alcohol
- Hallucinogens (Acid, angel dust, crystal, LSD, MDA, mescaline, mushrooms, PCP, peyote, phencyclidine, psilocybin)
Potential for Dependence:
Physical: Low/Unknown
Psychological: Unknown
Risk and Effects:
Short-Term:
- Altered state of perception
- Increased body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Numbness
- Sleeplessness
- Tremors
- Weakness
Long-Term:
- Hallucination Persisting Disorder (flashbacks)
- Intensify existing psychosis
- Violent behavior
Overdoes:
- Intense, prolonged hallucinations
- Possible sudden death
- Psychosis
- Inhalants (gases, solvents)
Potential for Dependence:
Physical: High for chronic, long-term abuse
Psychological: High for chronic, long-term abuse
Risk and Effects:
Short-Term:
-
Impaired judgment
-
Headache
-
Nausea, vomiting
-
Poor coordination
-
Slurred speech
Long-Term:
-
Cardiovascular and nervous system damage, leading to inability to walk, talk or think
-
Cramps
-
Depression
-
Loss of muscle tone
-
Memory impairment
-
Mild withdrawal
-
Muscle wasting and weakness
-
Weight loss
Overdoes:
-
Coma
-
Possible sudden death
-
Possible toxic reaction
-
Unconsciousness
-
- Narcotics (codeine, Demerol, HCL, heroin, meperidine, morphine, opium, Oxycodone, Vicodin)
Potential for Dependence:
Physical: High
Psychological: High
Risk and Effects:
Short-Term:
- Confusion
- Constipation
- Drowsiness
- Euphoria
- Nausea
- Pain relief
- Sedation
- Staggering gait
Long-Term:
- AIDS and Hepatitis infection
- Malnutrition
Overdoes:
- Clammy skin
- Coma
- Convulsions
- Death
- Respiratory arrest
- Shallow perspirations
- Tolerance, addiction
- Toxic reaction if combined with alcohol
- Stimulants (amphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy, MDMA, methylphenidate, phenmetrazine, Ritalin)
Potential for Dependence:
Physical: Possible
Psychological: High
Risk and Effects:
Short-Term:- Appetite loss
- Excitement and euphoria
- Feeling of well being
- Increased alertness, blood pressure, pulse
- Insomnia
- Insomnia
- Nervous system damage
- Organ/tissue damage
- Paranoia
- Weight loss
Overdoes:
- Agitation
- Convulsions
- Hallucinations
- Heart attack, stroke
- High blood pressure
- Loss of consciousness
- Seizures
- Temperature increase
- Tobacco (chewing/smokeless tobacco, cigarettes, cigars, nicotine)
Potential for Dependence:
Physical: High
Psychological: High
Risk and Effects:
Short-Term:
-
Bad breath
-
Bad taste in mouth
-
Decreased lung capacity
-
Increased blood pressure
-
Increased heart rate
Long-Term:
-
Adverse pregnancy outcomes
-
Cardiovascular disease
-
Cancer
Overdoes:
-
Possible deaths
-