Illegal Drugs - Parent Booklet

Illegal Drugs - The Facts 25 For more information see www.positivechoices.org.au new psychoactive substances effects of new psychoactive substances Effects of new psychoactive substances vary, but may include: what are they ? These drugs are usually marketed as ‘legal highs’, ‘synthetic drugs’, ‘party pills’, ‘research chemicals’, or ‘plant food’ and are often used as substitutes for other illegal drugs. These new psychoactive substances are typically sold as powders, tablets, or as smoking mixtures. Most of these are illegal, or are quickly made illegal, because of health risks. They are continually changing, but current new psychoactive substances include: Examples Category Attempting to copy the effects of Mephedrone (meowmeow) Synthetic cathinone Ecstasy, methamphetamine, cocaine BZP, TFMPP Synthetic piperazines Ecstasy, methamphetamine 2C-I, 2C-B, DOI Substituted phenethylamines Ecstasy, methamphetamines, cocaine, hallucinogens Methoxetamine, MXE Dissociative anaesthetics Ketamine DMT Substituted tryptamines Hallucinogens Taking these is like a roll of the dice—they haven’t been around long enough to knowwhat the immediate risks are or what might happen later on in life to people who use them. However, it is known that a small number of people have died from using some types of new psychoactive substances. One pill (or package) may contain a mixture of different substances. New psychoactive substances are sold under a wide variety of other names, including ‘Infinity’, ‘Benzo Fury’ and ‘Diablo’. The list is endless and names change frequently. However, users can’t be sure what they’re getting as the packaging doesn’t guarantee what’s inside. immediate long term • Increased heart rate and body temperature • Dilated (enlarged) pupils • Feeling of euphoria (a ‘high’) • Twitches and tremors • Aggressive behaviour • Anxiety and panic attacks • Nausea and vomiting • Dizziness and headaches • Confusion • A ‘comedown’ (see glossary) • Insomnia • Hallucinations (e.g. seeing or hearing things that aren’t really there) • Overdose • Serotonin syndrome • Paranoia and psychosis • Seizures Early information suggests that use of somenewpsychoactivesubstancesmay lead to a range of problems including: • Dependence (addiction) • Memory problems • Paranoia (feeling extremely suspicious and frightened) • Psychosis (see glossary)