Effects of PCP Drug Abuse

Phencyclidine (phenylcyclohexylpiperidine) commonly initialized as PCP is a disseminative drug, which means that by consuming this drug mind feels separated from the body. PCP was illegally manufactured in labs and sold out in form of tablets from 1950s. According to survey conducted by National Drug Control, more than 187 million children age 12 and older have abused PCP at least once in their past life. PCP abuse causes many negative psychological effects and due to these effects, it was never approved for human

Effects of PCP drug abuse
Due to the overdose of PCP, the drug abusers have unpleasant psychological effects. Their behavior will be unpredictable and often violent behavior is associated. Sometimes the abusers can even commit suicide. Under the influence of PCP, the following are the effects on health of drug abuser.

Effects on Brain

The abuse of PCP distorts perceptions of sight, sound and produces feelings of detachment from the environment and from them-selves also. These effects are caused by disruption of the interaction between nerve cells and neurotransmitter serotonin. This is distributed throughout the perceptual and regulatory system, results in changes in mood, increases the hunger and body temperature etc.

Effects on abusers

Mostly if once the drug abusing becomes habit it may become very difficult for the abuser to leave it. This abuse can also lead to craving and compulsive PCP seeking behavior, despite of severe adverse consequences. During this process, there are many effects both long term and short term effects depending upon the quantity and usage of the drug.

Long term effects

Many long term effects are found due to the regular abuse of the PCP for a long time. This includes negative effects on respiration system and respiration stops within minutes, which lead to sudden death of the person. Vomiting, hazy vision, flicking up and down of eyes etc are few effects caused by abusing. About 90% of PCP drug abusers are brought into emergency rooms with severe psychological effects. With high dose of the drug abuse the central nervous system is affected and the abuser can even go into state of comma.

Short term effects

Most casual effect is mood disturbances for 48 hrs from the use of drug with significant elevators like anxiety symptoms. Breathing rates gets slightly increased and pronounces into rise in blood pressure along with rise in pulse rate. Breathing becomes shallow, blushing along with copious sweating and many other extremities are generalized with regular abuse of PCP drug and loss of muscular coordination may also occur. These drugs can disturb the ability to think and communicate because of the abuse.

Parent should talk about the dangerous effects of PCP drug abuse with their children. Always prevention is better than cure, so better to take necessary steps for not going for any drug abuse.

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Cocaine - Death On The Loose

When it comes to addictive drugs that are often abused, cocaine leads the way as one of the most powerful illegal substances on the street. Many who have dabbled in the use of cocaine (even if only for one time), the chances of becoming hooked are quite high. One can never truly control their body's need for the drug once it has undergone an experience. Numerous individuals will continue to use cocaine, eventually developing an addiction that wreaks havoc on their social and personal lives, as well as job performance, emotions, and health.


Cocaine is often sniffed, snorted, injected, or smoked (which involves the use of crack cocaine or free-base). Snorting cocaine powder through the nose allows the drug to enter the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. The use of a needle releases the drug straight into the bloodstream, while smoking sends cocaine vapors into the bloodstream through the lungs. Injecting and smoking quickly intensifies the effects of cocaine because it makes contact with the bloodstream faster than other methods of use.

Effects of Cocaine Abuse

Cocaine users often suffer from the effects of the drug throughout their central nervous system. Peripheral blood vessels become constricted, pupils dilate, and an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature may arise. Some users may succumb to periods of anxiety, irritability, and restlessness. In the worst cases, cocaine users may experience sudden death at first use, but at any time, the threat of unexpected death may occur. High doses of cocaine or constant use may also lead to paranoia, aggressive tendencies, nasal damage (when snorting), seizures, or cardiac arrest.

Getting Help for Cocaine Addiction
Since cocaine use is a dire problem in today's society, there are many different resources that help people overcome their addiction. A wide range of treatment programs and opportunities are available for cocaine addicts, including both inpatient and outpatient techniques. Self-help groups are a popular way that cocaine addicts cope with leaving their drug of choice behind.

Many of these associations work from a 10- or 12-step model that aims to prevent a relapse, as well as help individuals stay on track. Medication, counseling, and additional meetings also help break the cycle of drug addiction. To find a self-help group, a wealth of outlets can guide one in the right direction, such as doctors, counselors, the phone book, library, and across the Internet.
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Teenage Drug Abuse - 3 Methods That Teenagers Can Easily Be Infected With AIDS

Recreational Drugs Can Increase Risks Of Acquiring HIV

Teenagers who are using drugs for recreational use are prone to acquiring HIV since most, if not all, of the drugs can alter the neurotransmitters in the brain and increase the sexual drives and urges of an individual. Over consumption of several drugs and substances such as methamphetamine, cocaine and alcohol may increase teenagers' risk of acquiring the dreaded human immunodeficiency virus.

Tattoos Can Put Teenagers At Risk

Teenagers who like to have tattoos on their body should take great care in choosing a tattoo parlor because HIV can easily be acquired through infected needles. A lot of HIV cases have been reported due to the misuse of needles in tattoo parlors. Teenagers should make sure that the tattoo parlor that they go to is clean, hygienic and has sterile gadgets and needles.

Contamination by injection

Most drugs and substances are administered to the body through inhalation or through oral methods. However, there are also drugs that are infused into an individual's body through the use of needle injections. These drugs are referred to as injectable drugs and individuals who prefer injectable drugs over non-injectable drugs open the doors for HIV contamination through the risks of improper needle use.

There is no lesser evil between injectable or non-injectable drugs. Injectable drugs increase the risks of teenagers acquiring HIV by increasing their sexual urges that can lead to unsafe sexual behavior. On the other hand, teenagers who use injectable drugs increase their risk of acquiring HIV by the use of needles.

Group drug sessions are very popular among teens and the danger of HIV transmission is increased during group drug sessions because needle sharing takes place.
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Anger and Drug Addictions

According to the Department of justice report filed in 1998 entitled Alcohol and Crime about three- million violent crimes occur every and each each year in which the poor victims speculate that the violent crime offender to have been drinking alcohol at the time of the violent crime. These crimes include rape, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault. It is also very notable and interesting to seee that at least 35% of the violent crime victims identified themselves as also being under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the violent crimes against them. The three- million offenses do not include numerous victims who have been killed or mainmed by drunk drivers. Convicted murderers in State prisons reported that uncontrolled alcohol abuse was a factor in roughly half the murders they have committed.

Gang members often report a night of heavy drinking with a bloody and messy drive by shooting. Alcohol abuse can be identified in a number of college campus rapes and there appears to be a significant correlation between domestic violence and alcohol consumption.

When alcohol enters the blood stream it acts as a depressant. It loosens the inhibitions of the (ab)user, often causing them to become involved in behavior they would normally shy away from.

Alcohol abuse is overrated, while drug abuse is underrated. you start out drinking alcohol when you areIf you happen to be drunk during angry confrontation you may lack the ability to reason effectively. Such confrontations generally lead into acts of aggression and subsequent incarceration.

The rush of rage (adrenaline) can produce a similar high to your common street narcotic. The problem is you manufacture the drug in your head. Your mind and your body may be conditioned to "overheat" any time you feel fearful, threatened or insecure. The cravings for anger will not subside quickly. You may need to enlist a variety of coping mechanisms to get you through the tough times.

You should look for someone to talk to. If you look hard enough there may be people already in your life in whom you can trust. If not find someone who has a listening ear and go attent an anger management course.

History Of Cocaine

Cocaine is a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant extracted from the leaves of the coca plant, Erythroxylon coca.

In its most common form, cocaine is a whitish crystalline powder that produces feelings of euphoria when ingested.

Now classified as a Schedule II drug, cocaine has legitimate medical uses as well as a long history of recreational abuse. Administered by a licensed physician, the drug can be used as a local anesthetic for certain eye and ear problems and in some kinds of surgery.

Cocaine is one of the oldest known psychoactive drugs. Coca leaves, the source of cocaine, were used by the Incas and other inhabitants of the Andean region of South America for thousands of years, both as a stimulant and to depress appetite and combat apoxia ( altitude sickness ).

Despite the long history of coca leaf use, it was not until the latter part of the nineteenth century that the active ingredient of the plant, cocaine hydrochloride, was first extracted from those leaves. The new drug soon became a common ingredient in patent medicines and other popular products (including the original formula for Coca-Cola). This widespread use quickly raised concerns about the drug's negative effects. In the early 1900s, several legislative steps were taken to address those concerns; the Harrison Act of 1914 banned the use of cocaine and other substances in non-prescription products. In the wake of those actions, cocaine use declined substantially.

The drug culture of the 1960s sparked renewed interest in cocaine. With the advent of crack in the 1980s, use of the drug had once again become a national problem. Cocaine use declined significantly during the early 1990s, but it remains a significant problem and is on the increase in certain geographic areas and among certain age groups.

Cocaine Addiction Causes and Symptoms:

As with other forms of addiction , cocaine abuse is the result of a complex combination of internal and external factors. Genetic predisposition, family history, and immediate environment can all affect a person's probability of becoming addicted.

As many as three to four million people are estimated to be chronic cocaine users. The 1997 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse reported an estimated 600,000 current crack users, showing no significant change since the late 1980s.

How cocaine is used today:

The major routes of administration of cocaine are sniffing or snorting, injecting, and smoking (including free-base and crack cocaine). Snorting is the process of inhaling cocaine powder through the nose where it is absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. Injecting is the act of using a needle to release the drug directly into the bloodstream. Smoking involves inhaling cocaine vapor or smoke into the lungs where absorption into the bloodstream is as rapid as by injection.

"Crack" is the street name given to cocaine that has been processed from cocaine hydrochloride to a free base for smoking. Rather than requiring the more volatile method of processing cocaine using ether, crack cocaine is processed with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water and heated to remove the hydrochloride, thus producing a form of cocaine that can be smoked. The term "crack" refers to the crackling sound heard when the mixture is smoked (heated), presumably from the sodium bicarbonate.

There is great risk whether cocaine is ingested by inhalation (snorting), injection, or smoking. It appears that compulsive cocaine use may develop even more rapidly if the substance is smoked rather than snorted. Smoking allows extremely high doses of cocaine to reach the brain very quickly and brings an intense and immediate high. The injecting drug user is at risk for transmitting or acquiring HIV infection/AIDS if needles or other injection equipment are shared.

Dangers of using Cocaine:

High doses of cocaine and/or prolonged use can trigger paranoia. Smoking crack cocaine can produce a particularly aggressive paranoid behavior in users. When addicted individuals stop using cocaine, they often become depressed. This also may lead to further cocaine use to alleviate depression. Prolonged cocaine snorting can result in ulceration of the mucous membrane of the nose and can damage the nasal septum enough to cause it to collapse. Cocaine-related deaths are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures followed by respiratory arrest.

Added Danger of using Cocaine:

When people mix cocaine and alcohol consumption, they are compounding the danger each drug poses and unknowingly forming a complex chemical experiment within their bodies. NIDA-funded researchers have found that the human liver combines cocaine and alcohol and manufactures a third substance, cocaethylene, that intensifies cocaine's euphoric effects, while possibly increasing the risk of sudden death.

Cocaine Addiction Treatment

Treatment for cocaine addiction is of the utmost importance for anyone suffering from cocaine addiction. Cocaine addiction treatment is often the only way someone suffering from cocaine addiction can overcome his dependency on cocaine. It is a very addictive drug and difficult to shake off on your own.

Cocaine addiction treatment can come in a variety of forms. The most intense type of cocaine addiction treatment is staying at an inpatient cocaine addiction treatment facility. At an inpatient cocaine addiction treatment facility, the person suffering from a cocaine addiction is monitored 24 hours per day as he lives and engages in a course of treatment within the treatment facility.

At the addiction treatment center, the person suffering from the addiction will receive counseling, most often in both a group settings and in a one-on-one situation. The staff at the center will also provide the person suffering from a cocaine addiction with the necessary tools to be successful after leaving. Treatment actually continues long after they leave the inpatient program. Some skilss such as relationship, drug refusal skills and conflict resolution skillsare taught and experienced in groups.

As one of the highest levels of treatment care, a cocaine addiction treatment facility will offer 24 hour monitoring of withdrawal symptoms as long as is needed. Stopping cocaine use can often lead to both psychological and physical problems that are difficult to overcome without assistance.

The treatment facility might also offer outpatient care. It is usually recommended wherever it can occur. With outpatient care, the person coping with a cocaine addiction can receive the assistance he needs while still living at home and working. Unfortunately, an outpatient cocaine addiction treatment facility is usually not intensive enough to help the person dealing with a cocaine addiction in the initial stages. Cocaine addiction is simply too powerful.

Regardless of the form of cocaine addiction treatment, the person suffering from cocaine addiction will also receive aftercare treatment from the cocaine addiction treatment center. Through aftercare, the professionals a the cocaine addiction treatment facility will monitor the patient’s success and ensure the patient is utilizing the skills he learned while at the cocaine addiction treatment facility.

Receiving a course of treatment from a qualified, professional cocaine addiction treatment facility is often the level of intensity a person dealing with cocaine addiction needs to overcome cocaine. If you or someone you know suffers from cocaine addiction, it is imperative to receive qualified help. The disease only gets progressively worse.

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Drug Abuse Treatment

Drug addiction treatment typically involves several steps to help an addict to successfully withdraw from using the drug. The treatment must be followed by counseling and attending self-help groups to help the recovering addict to resist any crave for using the addictive drug again.

The first step of drug addiction treatment is the withdrawal therapy. Withdrawal therapy is a step by

step detoxification plan which helps the recovering addict to stop taking the addicting drug as quickly and safely as possible. The detoxification is a gradual process that involve reduction of the dose of the drug or temporarily substituting the drug with other substances that have less severe side effects.

The second step begins after a successful detoxification. The goal of the second step is to help the ex-addict stay sober and keep resisting drugs. The second step involves therapies such as counseling, addiction treatment programs and self-help group meetings.

Counseling - Individual or family counseling with a psychiatrist, psychologist or addiction counselor may help an ex-addict resist the temptation to return to using the addicting drugs. Behavior therapies can help the ex-addict to develop ways to cope with his drug cravings, suggest strategies to avoid drugs and prevent relapse, and offer suggestions on how to deal with a relapse if it occurs. Counseling also can involve talking about the ex-addict job, legal problems and relationships with family and friends. Counseling with family members can help them to develop better communication skills and to be more supportive.

Treatment programs - Treatment programs generally include educational and therapy sessions focused on establishing sobriety and preventing relapse. This may be accomplished in individual, group or family sessions. Self-help groups - Self-help groups call upon the individual addict to take responsibility for his or her life and lifestyle, at the same time fostering self-acceptance and self-esteem. While most experts in the field of drug addiction view addiction as a medical problem, because of its effects on both brain and body, some see it as a behavioral problem to be solved through the development of self-knowledge, behavioral changes, and coping techniques. There are self-help groups that embrace both views and others that lean toward the behavioral model. Each type of program encourages the individual to understand not only the reasons to refrain from using drugs but the underlying emotional causes of his or her addiction The road to recovery is far from being easy and it can sometimes feel overwhelming. From a medical standpoint drug use affects your brain chemistry. Once the drugs have been cleansed from the system, it takes time for the body to readjust. Feelings that were masked by the drugs will resurface, and when they do, they will have to be faced because the drug which helped in ignoring them, is gone. Relapse prevention includes identifying triggers to using drugs, learning more adaptive coping skills, and making better decisions when dealing with life's challenges. The chances of staying clean improve if the ex-addict participates in a social support group like Narcotics Anonymous, have a sponsor, and is involved in an Intensive Outpatient Program or individual therapy. If he chooses not to seek help from a treatment support group, chances are he will revert back to his old habits and relapse becomes more likely. An important thing to think about during the treatment process is how the ex-addict perceives a relapse. If relapse occurs, it is more helpful to look at it as a normal part of the process, rather than a personal failure. Additional changes in social routine will probably become necessary as well. There are people, places and things that represent a slippery slope for the ex-addict and it's in his best interest to stay away from them. Surrounding him with people who can support his recovery makes things easier.
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