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DRUG INFORMATION
DRUGS LIST
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WAYS OF USING DRUGS
There are the 5 ways of using drugs and all of them come with some risks. Some just have more than others:
- Injecting
- Snorting
- Smoking
- Swallowing
- Sniffing / Inhaling
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| 1. |
INJECTING |
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The drug reaches the brain almost immediately. This greatly increases the chance of overdose. Also if anything has been mixed with the drug it gets in to the body undiluted. |
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If you keep injecting into the same area it can lead to damaged veins. It can also lead to thrombosis and abscesses. |
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If you use a lot you will keep having to find places to inject in to. Some users use the eye as this is the only place left. |
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Sharing or using dirty needles can lead to infections and things like hepatitis and HIV. |
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There is also the danger of hitting an artery. This means you could
bleed to death. |
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| 2. |
SNORTING |
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The drug is snorted up through a tube or straight up the nose.. |
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The drug is absorbed through the blood vessels in the nose. |
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The blood vessels get damaged as the drug kills them off and the
powder rubs at the inside of the nose. |
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The nose bleeds and is sore. |
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Eventually it can lead to the middle of the nose (septum) being eaten
away so you just have one big gap in the centre of your nose. |
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| 3. |
SMOKING |
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There are different ways of smoking drugs: |
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Tobacco is smoked in a cigarette or pipe. You can also smoke cigars. |
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Drug (cannabis or heroin) is mixed with tobacco and rolled in to a cigarette, a small piece of cardboard (a roach) is placed at one end to stop the end blocking up. This is known as a spliff or joint. |
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Heroin is placed in a line(s) on silver foil. This is known as chasing the
dragon due to the heroin wiggling when it’s heated. |
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Drug (cannabis or crack) is smoked using a pipe or bong. The drug is burnt and the fumes are inhaled through a tube. |
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The heat of the smoke can be over 300 degrees in temperature when you use a bong or pipe. This can cause damage to the lungs and throat. |
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Many drugs are toxic and have chemicals that can cause various diseases such as cancer. |
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| 4. |
SWALLOWING |
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There are different ways of swallowing drugs: |
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The drug is swallowed in the form of a tablet. |
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The drug is a powder and is placed in a cigarette paper (known as a bomb) and then swallowed. |
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The drug is cooked into a food or made into a brew. |
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The drug is a liquid (alcohol). |
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All can cause damage to the stomach and internal organs such as the
heart, liver and kidneys. |
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A powder drug can also be rubbed around the gums and absorbed
through the blood vessels. This damages the gums and mouth. |
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| 5. |
SNIFFING / INHALING |
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There are lots of different products people sniff/inhale to try and get high. The collective name for them is them is Volatile Substances (VS). More info on the different products is available by going to the Volatile substances page.
If VS are used for the purpose they are intended, such as
deodorant to make you smell nice, they are pretty safe. When they
are misused or used to try and get high the following can happen: |
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Butane (the gas in aerosol cans) makes the heart more sensitive to adrenalin. If your body releases adrenalin (and this can happen with as little as moving around) it can stop it working at all. This is known as Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome. |
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It can cause fatal accidents as it can make people do things
they wouldn’t usually do and make them unsteady on their feet. |
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VS kill more people under the age of 18 than any other drug.
They also kill more first time and experimental users than any
other drug. It doesn’t matter how many times you have used, each
time is as risky. |
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The top 4 causes of death from VS since 1972 are: |
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| 1. |
Direct Toxic effects (heart failure) |
53.5% |
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| 2. |
Trauma/Accidents |
16.2% |
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Inhalation (choking) on own vomit |
14.5% |
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| 4. |
Plastic Bag/Suffocation |
11.4% |
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