Drug Testing: How Drugs Affect the System
Many drugs that can be considered illegal or abused have spread to many corners of the world and even America along with most developed countries have well known and documented problems associated with drug abuse. Drug abuse was more commonly associated with poverty but has now been recognized as a worldwide problem with no bearing on the economic status of a country. The most common are cocaine, cannabis or marijuana, PCP , LSD , Ecstasy, Heroin, Methamphetamine, prescription medications and Anabolic Steroids.
Acid or more commonly known as LSD is considered to be one of the strongest mood-changing drugs that is sold as tablets, capsule, liquid and liquid form They are even available on the street on pieces of absorbent blotting paper that are marked by logo’s to indicate the source. It is known to cause unpredictable psychological effects that with large enough doses can cause the abuser to experience delusions and hallucinations. It is also known to increase the body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure that has been known to be the cause of some deaths worldwide. Other effects are appetite loss and sleeplessness which can also contribute to many health problems. Cocaine is one of the most expensive and widely spread drugs that are abused by people that are 26 years old or above. It is a highly addictive drug that is either, snorted, sniffed, injected or smoked by users. It affects the human body by giving a sense of euphoria making one feel highly energetic which makes it a very dangerous drug. Associated more with crime and can cause severe health problems such as; cause heart attacks, respiratory failure, strokes and seizures. Large doses are known to cause sudden bizarre behavior and even sudden death can occur if the body is unable to cope with the effects usually for first time users.
Ecstasy is a man made drug that is both a hallucinogen and stimulant that is available in capsule or tablet form. The effects of the drug are mental stimulation, emotional warmth, enhanced sensory perception and increased personal energy as though one is invincible and can do anything. Adverse effects can include blurred vision, nausea, muscle cramps, chills, sweating and teeth clenching. Heroin is another of the most expensive of abused drugs that is processed from morphine in either brown of white powder. The short term effects of heroin can be euphoria that is followed by seemingly alternate states of wakeful and drowsiness. It is also associated with the spread of highly infectious diseases such as HIV/Aids and hepatitis. It can also cause collapsed veins, liver disease and complications in the lungs that can be fatal.
Marijuana is the most abused and common drug on the streets due to ease of production from plants that is considered to be a hallucinogen that causes memory and learning problems that can have long lasting effects if used for long periods of time. Methamphetamine has effects similar to cocaine but since it is considered as the poor man’s cocaine and it is usually adulterated with many chemicals to make it’s volume increase it has been known to cause death. The last, PCP was developed as an anesthetic but was also abused and can cause behavioral problems such as violence and suicidal tendencies that make it a very dangerous drug to deal with. Steroids are abused by teens as a way to increase body mass but has the nasty side effect of being addictive as well.
Some of the above-mentioned drugs are categorized as “club drugs” for they are associated with use in night clubs by individuals who frequent them as an experience enhancing tool that can cause death if overdosed.
