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DRUGS
AND THE LAW :: ARRESTED
WITH DRUGS? :: A-Z OF DRUGS
Click on the drug names to find out about
their ups and downs.
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| ALCOHOL |
| WHAT IT IS ALSO
KNOWN AS |
| Bevy, booze |
| UPPERS |
| Just enough drinks
can make you feel relaxed and less inhibited. |
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| DOWNERS |
| Alcohol is actually
a powerful drug that depresses your nervous system too
much and it's all over. |
| THE LAW |
There are different laws that apply to different ages:
It is illegal to given a child under 5 alcohol (unless it is under certain circumstances such as under medical supervision).
16 & 17 year olds are able to drink in a pub/bar as long as it is not spirits (i.e. beer/ cider) and is with a meal.
It is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone less than 18 years of age or to buy alcohol for someone who is under 18.
It is legal to buy alcohol if you are over 18
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| CANNABIS |
| WHAT IT IS ALSO
KNOWN AS |
| blast, blow, blunts. Bob Hope, bush, dope, draw, hemp,
herb, marijuana, pot, puff, Northern Lights, resin, sensi,
shit, skunk, smoke, spliff, wacky backy, weed |
| UPPERS |
| It comes in three main forms: hash, grass and liquid oil. Hash is made from the
resin of the plant and comes in a brown- black lump. Grass
is the dried leaves of the plant and looks like dried
herbs. You can also get cannabis oil which is a dark and
sticky liquid. You can smoke cannabis or put it in foods
such as cakes and eat it. Effects vary, but most people
who take cannabis feel relaxed and happy. It also acts
as a mild hallucinogen. |
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| DOWNERS |
| Another common effect is to feel anxious and paranoid.
It can make you less motivated to do things and decreases
your short term memory. Though it is not physically addictive,
you can become psychologically dependant. Also if you
smoke it then you are exposed to the same problems as
smoking tobacco, and cannabis contains chemicals which
can lead to cancer. |
| THE LAW |
| Cannabis is a Class C drugs and is still
illegal. Getting caught can lead to a fine, criminal record
or even prison. For those over 18, most offences of cannabis
possession are likely to result in a warning and confiscation
of the drug. But you could be arrested if you smoke in
a public place, near a place where there are children
e.g a school, or where public order is at risk. Those
who repeatedly commit offences will be arrested and will
be prosecuted. If you are under 18, and it's your first
offence of cannabis possession you will normally be arrested,
taken to the police station and given a warning or a reprimand.
If it's not your first offence, you will be given either
a final warning or you will be charged. If you have been
given a warning in the past and you get caught again you'll
most likely be charged. When you get a warning you are
referred to the local Youth Offending Service (YOS). For
more info see 'Arrested with Drugs' |
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| COCAINE |
| WHAT IT IS ALSO
KNOWN AS |
| Basuco, coke, charlie, C, dust, Percy,
snow, toot, white |
| UPPERS |
| It is a white powder sold in small folded
paper packets known as wraps. It can sometimes be dissolved
in water and injected. Cocaine tends to make you feel
exhilarated and confident. It is usually snorted up the
nose. Injecting causes a more intense high but is very
short lived. |
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| DOWNERS |
| The effects of cocaine are short-lived;
afterwards people tend to experience big lows. Cocaine
is expensive and can be highly addictive. It should not
be used if there is a personal or family history of heart
or circulatory problems. Even perfectly fit young people
can have a fit or heart attack after taking too much coke.
Also if you have suffered or suffer from mental health
problems than use of cocaine can exacerbate it. If it
injected then users are at risk of blood borne viruses
such as Hepatitis B, C & HIV. Using alcohol and cocaine
together can be deadly. Speedball which is taking cocaine
and heroin together is also very dangerous and can be
fatal. |
| THE LAW |
| Cocaine is a Class A drug. This means that it is illegal to possess, illegal to give and illegal to sell. Possession of cocaine can get you up to 7 years in jail. If you supply someone else with cocaine you can get a life sentence as well as an unlimited fine. |
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| CRACK |
| WHAT IT IS ALSO
KNOWN AS |
| Rocks, wash, stones, pebbles, base,
freebase |
| UPPERS |
| Crack is derived from cocaine by a process
known as freebasing, Crack comes as small off white rocks
or lumps. It can be smoked in a handmade pipe or heated
in tin foil and the fumes inhaled, it can also be injected.
Crack has the same short-lived effects as cocaine but
they're much, much stronger. Crack makes users feel alive,
exhilarated, confident and wide awake. It kills all feelings
of pain, tiredness and hunger. |
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| DOWNERS |
| The high is very short lived and is
followed by a crash, users can feel tired, anxious or
depressed, the body and head may also ache, users may
also feel paranoid and may experience panic attacks. Risk
of overdosing increases if crack is mixed with heroin,
barbiturates or alcohol. Using a lot can bring on a seizure
or a fit. If it injected then users are at risk of blood
borne viruses such as Hepatitis B, C & HIV. |
| THE LAW |
| Cocaine and crack are Class A drugs. This means that they are illegal to possess, illegal to give and illegal to sell. Possession of cocaine/crack can get you up to 7 years in jail. If you supply someone else with cocaine/crack you can get a life sentence as well as an unlimited fine. |
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| ECSTASY |
| WHAT IT IS ALSO
KNOWN AS |
| E, eckies, sweeties, M&Ms, pills, brownies,
burgers, disco biscuits, hug drug, 'Mitsubishi's', 'Rolex's',
'Dolphin's', XTC, doves |
| UPPERS |
| Ecstasy in its pure form comes as a
white powder known as MDMA. Though it is often sold as
a pill or capsule and branded with logos or pictures.
Ecstasy, stimulates the mind and can make people feel
warm and sociable, and makes you feel alert and able to
dance for hours- hence why it is popular with clubbers. |
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| DOWNERS |
| Dancing and 'E' heat you up and it's
easy to become very dehydrated that you overheat and even
collapse. Like other stimulant drugs there is a low once
the high has warn off. Also, ecstasy if often cut with
other substances such as caffeine and headache medicines,
so you don't know what is in them. |
| THE LAW |
| Ecstasy is a Class A drug. This means it is illegal to possess, illegal to give and illegal to sell. Possession of Ecstasy can get you up to 7 years in jail. If you supply someone else with Ecstasy you can get a life sentence and an unlimited fine. |
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| GHB |
| WHAT IT IS ALSO
KNOWN AS |
| GHB, GBH, Liquid Ecstasy, gammahydroxybutrate |
| UPPERS |
| A small capful can make you feel happy, sensual and it can also lower your inhibitions. As more is taken it acts like a sedative and can make you feel sleepy. |
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| DOWNERS |
| Too much and it can leave you feeling disorientated and sick. It can also affect your mobility and can cause a fit or seizure. |
| THE LAW |
| GHB is a Class C drug. This means that it is illegal to possess, illegal to give and illegal to sell GHB. Possession of GHB can get you up to 2 years in jail. If you supply someone else with GHB can get you up to fourteen years in jail. |
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| HEROIN |
| WHAT IT IS ALSO
KNOWN AS |
| Brown, skag, H, horse, gear, smack |
| UPPERS |
| Heroin, is derived from the opium plant.
It is a powder and ranges in colour from pure white to
reddish brown. It can be injected, swallowed, snorted
or smoked. Heroin is the strongest painkiller around,
it makes you feel safe, warm and contented, |
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| DOWNERS |
| You can overdose or become addicted
to heroin no matter how you take it. If it is taken with
alcohol or other painkillers, you may fall unconscious,
throw up, or even stop breathing. Heroin is psychologically
and physically addictive. If it is injected then users
are at risk of contracting blood borne viruses such as
Hepatitis B, C & HIV. To come off the drug there is a
intensely painful period when your body physically craves
for the drug, after this period your bodies tolerance
to the drug is also reduced making it much more likely
to overdose from the drug. |
| THE LAW |
| Heroin is a Class A drug. This means that it is illegal to possess, illegal to give and illegal to sell. Possession of heroin can get you up to 7 years in jail. If you supply it to someone else you can a life sentence as well as an unlimited fine. |
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| KETAMINE |
| WHAT IT IS ALSO
KNOWN AS |
| Green, K, special K, vitamin k |
| UPPERS |
| Ketamine is a powerful anaesthetic that
is used for both animals and humans. In it's very pure
form it comes as a clear liquid, but it is often found
on the street as a fine white powder, which can be snorted
or swallowed as tablets. If snorted the effect is very
immediate and can last between 30-40 minutes, if swallowed
it can take about 20 minutes for the effects to kick in
and the effect can last 45-60 minutes. Ketamine, alters
your perception of things, can give the user an out of
body experience, some say it feels like the mind and body
have been separated. |
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| DOWNERS |
| Ketamine is very dangerous when mixed
with other drugs, such as Ecstasy or even alcohol. Being
an anaesthetic the user may not be able to physically
move their body, nor will you be able to feel pain, so
you may injure yourself without even realising it. |
| THE LAW |
| Ketamine is now a class C drug. This means is it illegal to possess Ketamine, and it is illegal to supply it. Possessing Ketamine can get you 2 years in prison as well as an unlimited fine. |
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| KHAT |
| WHAT IT IS ALSO
KNOWN AS |
| Quat, qat, chat, Catha edulis |
| UPPERS |
| Khat comes from a leafy green plant
of the same name. It is a stimulant, similar to an amphetamine.
Chewing it can make people feel more alert and talkative,
and chewing for a long enough time can make users feel
'chilled out'. |
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| DOWNERS |
| If you use it a lot, you may develop
insomnia, heart problems and sexual problems like impotence.
It can also give you feelings of anxiety and aggression,
and it can make pre-existing mental health problems worse.
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| THE LAW |
| Khat is not an illegal drug in the UK, but it is illegal in many other countries such as the US. |
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| LSD |
| WHAT IT IS ALSO
KNOWN AS |
| Acid, blotter, cheer, dots, drop, flash,
lightening flash, liquid acid, Lucy, micro dot, paper
mushrooms, rainbows, smilies, stars, tab, trips, tripper,
window. |
| UPPERS |
| LSD, is often found on small squares
of paper, it is a powerful hallucinogenic drug and distorts
your experience of the world. This is known as a trip
and these trips can be good or bad and often last between
6-12 hours. The trip is often dependent on the users mood,
so if the user is feeling good and surrounded by people
they trust then the trip can be good and fun with colour,
sounds and time being distorted, however, if the user
is feeling anxious the trip can be anything but good.
There's no evidence to suggest LSD does any long-term
damage to the body or long-term psychological damage. |
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| DOWNERS |
| A bad trip is your worst nightmare come
to life and you cannot shorten the length of the trip,
if it is a bad trip then some people have been known to
harm themselves and need to be reassured that their life
is not in danger. Flashbacks sometimes happen -this is
when part of the trip is re-lived way after the trip was
taken. Also it should not be used if you have mental health
problems as acid can make it worse. |
| THE LAW |
| LSD is a Class A drug. This means that it is illegal to possess LSD, illegal to give and illegal to sell it. Possession of LSD can get you up to 7 years in jail. If you supply someone else with LSD you can get a life sentence as well as an unlimited fine. |
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| MAGIC MUSHROOMS |
| WHAT IT IS ALSO
KNOWN AS |
| Liberties, magics, mushies, liberty
cap, psilcybin, shrooms, Amani agaric, Fly Agaric |
| UPPERS |
| Magic mushrooms are mushrooms that can
cause hallucinations similar in effect to taking LSD but
the trip does not last as long as a LSD trip. Magic mushrooms
can be eaten raw, cooked or dried and smoked. They can
distort colour, sound, and objects, they can also slow
down time and movement. However, once the trip has started
you have little control on how it will affect you. |
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| DOWNERS |
| Bad trips or hallucinations can be incredibly
frightening and upsetting they can also make you sick,
tired and disoriented. Eating the wrong type of mushroom
can make you very ill and can be fatal. If eating raw
mushrooms, feeling nauseas is not uncommon. |
| THE LAW |
Since 2005, the law surrounding magic mushrooms has changed. This means that both fresh and prepared (i.e. dried) magic mushrooms are illegal and classified as a Class A drug.
If you possess magic mushrooms you can get 7 years in jail, if you supply someone else with magic mushrooms you can get a life sentence and an unlimited fine.
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| SOLVENTS |
| WHAT IT IS ALSO
KNOWN AS |
| Gases, Aerosols, Glue, Thinners, Volatile
Substances |
| UPPERS |
| When inhaled, solvents have a similar
effect to alcohol, making users feel drunk, uninhibited,
euphoric and dizzy. Depending on what's being inhaled,
some users can hallucinate. The hit is quite short so
users tend to keep repeating the dose to keep the feeling
going. |
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| DOWNERS |
| At best, you risk nausea, vomiting and
blackouts. At worst, you risk fatal heart problems which
have been known to kill users the very first time they
sniff. It also causes long term damage to your kidneys,
liver and brain and it can also leave you with a very
unsightly red rash around the mouth. Using it with alcohol
also increases the risk. |
| THE LAW |
Solvent misuse isn't illegal, but it is illegal for shop keepers to sell solvents if they think that you are buying them to abuse.
However, it is an offence to supply gas lighter refills to anyone under 18 years of age.
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| SPEED |
| WHAT IT IS ALSO
KNOWN AS |
| Amphetamine, Phet, Billy, Whizz, Sulph,
Base Amphetamine, Paste, Base Ice, Meth, billy, Methamphetamine,
Dexamphetamine, Dexies, Dexedrine, Yaba |
| UPPERS |
| It is often sold in wraps and can come
as an off white/ pinkish powder or it can come as a pinkish-
grey paste, which is known as base speed. Speed can make
you feel energetic, talkative and keep you awake longer.
Crystal meth, or methamphetamine is processed speed that
looks like off-white rocks or crystals. Prescription amphetamines
like dexamphetamine are usually small white pills. Speed
can sniffed, dabbed onto gums, dissolved in water and
injected or mixed in drinks, methamphetamine or crystal
meth can be smoked in its 'crystal' form. |
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| DOWNERS |
| The high of speed is followed by a long
crash, making you feel tired, irritable and probably unable
to sleep, it can also become addictive. Speed puts a strain
on your heart. It's bad news for people with high blood
pressure or a heart condition. An overdose can be fatal.
Also, speed contains many impurities so you never really
know what you're getting. |
| THE LAW |
Speed is a Class B drug. This means that it is illegal to possess speed, illegal to give and illegal to sell it.
Possession of Speed can get you up to five years in jail. If you supply Speed to someone else you can get up to 14 years in jail and an unlimited fine.
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| STEROIDS |
| WHAT IT IS ALSO
KNOWN AS |
| Roids, they are also sold under trade names |
| UPPERS |
| Steroids can be bought as tablets which are swallowed, or as liquid which is injected. They are often used by athletes or body builders as they help build muscle, allow you to train harder, enhance performance and help you recover faster from injury. |
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| DOWNERS |
If you're young, abuse of anabolic steroids can stop you growing properly.
If you are male, you can become impotent, develop breasts and you testicles may shrink. If you are female, you may develop facial hair, a deepened voice and experience changes in your menstrual cycle. Both male and females may experience mood swings, acne and organ damage.
Injecting any drug can cause vein damage, ulcers and gangrene. Dirty or shared needles and other injecting works can help the spread of HIV and Hepatitis B and C.
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| THE LAW |
Anabolic steroids are Class C drugs and can only be sold by pharmacists with a doctor's prescription.
If you possess or import any steroids with the intention to supply, it becomes illegal. This means you could get 14 years in jail as well as an unlimited fine.
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| POPPERS |
| WHAT IT IS ALSO
KNOWN AS |
| Amyl nitrite, Rock Hard, Kix, Liquid Gold etc |
| UPPERS |
| Poppers are sniffed from small bottles which have been filled with amyl nitrate (a liquid chemical). Once sniffed, poppers produce a short high which can leave the user feeling, light headed and giddy, it can also heighten sensual awareness. |
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| DOWNERS |
Poppers can give you terrible headaches as well as making you feel dizzy and nauseous. Poppers are also very dangerous to users who have a chest or heart condition or are anaemic. They are also dangerous if taken with stimulants such as speed, cocaine and ecstasy. They are also very flammable and can burn the skin.
Swallowing the liquid can kill.
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| THE LAW |
| Amyl nitrate used to be used in medicine such as for the treatment of angina- but it is now rarely used in medicine, and is now controlled under the Medicines Act. Possession is not illegal but supply of poppers can be an offence. |
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