How do they define drug abuse? This addiction, also known as substance abuse, means frequently repeated consumation of a drug aimed at getting into euphoria or escaping from problems in reality. Drug abusers (addicted people) continue to use drugs even if they are aware of negative consequences. An abuser is seldom able to quit himself/herself, without help.

Not all drugs are illegal. The most widely known drug abuse facts involve illegal drugs such as heroin or marijuana. But they may also involve substances that are easily and legally purchased in a store and somehow improperly used: for example, inhalants such as glue, or prescription drugs such as vicodin or ketonal.

Probably the most important drug abuse fact is that, whatever the drug of choice, this drug has a harmful, disruptive influence upon the abuser’s body and soul. Drug abuse destroys a person’s relations with surrounding people and ability to perform usual daily responsibilities. It is essential to know that drug abuse always leads to poor physical and mental health.

Another important fact about drug abuse is that most drug abusers apparently are unable to understand that they develop a drug dependency. They are sure that they can easily quit if they want to. Though, unfortunately, it is not so.

Drug addiction can be physical, psychological, or both. “Heavy” drugs always create both kinds of dependency. Physical addiction leads to “withdrawal” symptoms which the abuser has to suffer when he/she stops taking the drug for some time. Psychological addiction leads to the state of abuser’s mind when he/she becomes unable to to maintain feelings of pleasure, joy, confidence without drugs.

Drug abuse also frequently leads to drug-related crimes. People who have lack of money may sell things which belong to their family and friends, steal, or rob in order to get enough money for purchasing drugs.

Street drugs, or, in other words, street narcotics, are narcotic substances that are available in legal or illegal sale in the streets.
They contain opiates that drug addicted people consume in order to obtain euphoria effect (a rush of pleasure), or to become impassible for pain. They create a strong addiction (physical or psychological dependence), and force drug abusers to spend increasing money, time and other resources striving to obtain a portion of drug. All types of narcotics provoke severe withdrawal symptoms for addicted people.

Street narcotics may be iilegal, like marijuana, heroin, cocaine, Ecstasy, also called MDMA – or legal (these are medications that can be purchased legally in a drugstore and then abused), like codeine, Darvon, Demerol, methadone, morphine, and others.
Marijuana is a herb with narcotic effect. A person who drinks its decoction or inhales its smoke, feels himself relaxed, merry and talkative, he usually laughs a lot.

Heroin is a very addictive opiate drug that needs to be injected. It is very powerful, one of the most harmful drugs that have ever been known.

Cocaine is a strong and addictive drug, it is a very popular thing on the streets. It makes the abuser feel alert, confident, strong, communicative, and “cool”. It is consumed by means of smelling. A vapor, concentrated form of cocaine is called crack. It is very powerful and addictive, and it can be smoked.

Amphetamines and methamphetamines are stimulating pills swallowed by young people at night clubs in order to maintain high energy level for prolonged dancing. A derivative of amphetamines with a similar stimulating effect is called Ecstasy.

Hallucinogens (also known as psychedelic drugs) are substances which give an abuser different vivid, fantastic perceptual distortions. Lsd is the most widely known psychedelic substance.

What should you do if you ever find unidentifiable pills in your son’s or daughter’s clothes? These may be plain and non-hazardous, cough or headache-relieving tablets, but as well, these may be a staple for
narcotics.

Unfortunately, there are many teenagers today who abuse drugs. And there are not only “traditional” drugs in use, such as marijuana, ecstasy, “heavy” narcotics like cocaine, heroin, and synthetic drugs, etc. Many drugs are made from pills! As a staple for narcotics, many prescription medications are used, like cough treatment.

How could that be so? The thing is that many classes of prescription drugs have opioids (they help eliminate pain), depressants (they calm down central nervous system and thus help eliminate anxiety and troubles with sleeping), or stimulants (which help eliminate narcolepsy, ADHD, and obesity). They all may have a narcotic-like action if taken in a large doze or if prepared in a certain way.

Pill identifiers have databases of drugs which make it possible to search a medication by size, shape and color, and also inscriptions on the tablet’s surface. If you enter these characteristics, you will get a list of pills that match your description. You may then see if there are potentially insafe, narcotic-like drugs.

What are prescription drugs? A prescription drug is a licensed medication that is subject to regulations listed in the correspondent legislation. A prescription drug is called so because it obligatorily requires a prescription to purchase it.

The term “prescription drugs” was invented in order to distinguish them from the other type of drugs called “over-the-counter drugs”  which can be obtained without a prescription.

There exist different definitions of what drugs may be considered prescription drugs.

In USA, there is also another term for “prescription drugs” – “Rx”, which is a short form for “prescription drug”. This is an abbreviation for Latin word “recipe”, which makes an imperative form for “recipere”, meaning “take this”.

Prescription drugs are never dispensed without detailed information about the drug, which may be listed in a special monograph.