What are the most commonly abused stimulants?
Stimulants, as the name implies, stimulate various chemical processes in the user’s brain and body, just as caffeine does, although to an enormously greater degree. Illicit stimulants include speed, cocaine, crack, crystal meth and other amphetamine compounds.
Another fast-growing area of abuse is prescription stimulants, such as Adderall and Ritalin. Developed as treatments for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), approximately 10% of teenagers in a study by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America reported using these drugs without prescriptions. Because they allow the user to focus attention more effectively on homework, they are known on some school campuses as “study buddies.”
How do abusers of this drug use them?
Cocaine is usually snorted (the powder form is drawn into the nose through a rolled-up dollar bill or short straw). Crack—the unrefined, dark crystallized form of cocaine—is generally smoked or “cooked” (melted and injected into the bloodstream). Crystal meth (which is a combination of an over-the-counter antihistamine with some common, but dangerous, household chemicals) is injected.
Ritalin and other stimulants are swallowed in their tablet form, or the tablet may be crushed and snorted to intensify its effect.
How do they affect the user physically and mentally?
The initial feeling the user experiences is euphoria, which is the cause of the strong psychologically addictive aspect of these drugs. The user becomes extremely alert and may feel a swelling sense of energy. Heart rate, blood pressure and respiration increase. Users report feeling more aware of their environment (which may explain their ability to focus on homework or other tasks requiring mental acuity).
What symptoms do stimulant users exhibit?
Behavior patterns users exhibit under the influence of stimulants include:
- increased activity
- incessant talking
- twitching and shaking
- itching
- decreased appetite
- repetitious behaviors (hair pulling, picking at skin, compulsive cleaning, repeated rearranging of objects in his or her surroundings)
- long periods of sleepiness (24-48 hours) or sleeplessness (24-120 hours)
- Inflated sense of confidence or capability
- lack of care in grooming or appearance
Physically, the user may exhibit dramatic weight loss, abnormal sweating, dilated pupils, nasal problems and shortness of breath. Mentally, they may be agitated, paranoid, anxious, severely depressed or moody. They may also experience hallucinations or delusions, such as the feeling that insects are crawling under their skin