11.5: Drug Effects and Health Risks

Last updated

Jan 15, 2025
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- 11.4: Quitting Smoking
- 11.6: Drug Abuse or Addiction Treatment

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Drug Effects and Health Risks

Drugs can have profound impacts on the body and mind, with effects varying based on the type of substance, dosage, and duration of use. Understanding these effects is critical for recognizing the potential short-term and long-term health-related issues associated with drug use. The following sections provide an overview of common drugs, including their potential health impacts and additional risks. For more detailed information, consult The National Institute of Drug Abuse- Drug Facts website.

Marijuana

Marijuana is made from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. The main psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

Table $\PageIndex{1}$: Possible Health Effects of Marijuana
Time	Effects
Short-term	Enhanced sensory perception and euphoria followed by drowsiness/relaxation; slowed reaction time; problems with balance and coordination; increased heart rate and appetite; problems with learning and memory; hallucinations; anxiety; panic attacks; psychosis.
Long-term	Mental health problems, chronic cough, frequent respiratory infections.
Other Health-related Issues	Youth: possible loss of IQ points when repeated use begins in adolescence. Pregnancy: babies are born with problems involving attention, memory, and problem-solving.

Synthetic cannabinoids

Synthetic cannabinoids are human-made mind-altering chemicals that are either sprayed on dried, shredded plant material so they can be smoked or sold as liquids to be vaporized and inhaled in e-cigarettes and other devices. These products are also known as herbal or liquid incense, or synthetic marijuana (or fake weed).

Table $\PageIndex{2}$: Possible Health Effects of Synthetic cannabinoids
Time	Effects
Short-term	Rapid heart rate, vomiting, violent behavior, suicidal thoughts, altered perception, symptoms of psychosis
Long-term	Withdrawal symptoms: headaches, anxiety, depression, irritability
Other Health-related Issues	Overdose may cause: toxic reactions, elevated blood pressure, reduced blood supply to the heart, kidney damage, and seizures Death may occur if mixed with synthetic opioids such as Fentanyl.

Cocaine

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America.

Table $\PageIndex{3}$: Possible Health Effects of Cocaine
Time	Effects
Short-term	Narrowed blood vessels; enlarged pupils; increased body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure; headache; abdominal pain and nausea; euphoria; increased energy, alertness; insomnia, restlessness; anxiety; erratic and violent behavior, panic attacks, paranoia, psychosis; heart rhythm problems, heart attack; stroke, seizure, coma.
Long-term	Loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, nasal damage and trouble swallowing from snorting; infection and death of bowel tissue from decreased blood flow; poor nutrition and weight loss from decreased appetite.
Other Health-related Issues	Pregnancy: premature delivery, low birth weight, smaller head circumference. Risk of HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases from shared needles.

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is an extremely addictive stimulant amphetamine drug.

Table $\PageIndex{4}$: Possible Health Effects of Methamphetamine
Time	Effects
Short-term	Increased wakefulness and physical activity; decreased appetite; increased breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, temperature; irregular heartbeat.
Long-term	Anxiety, confusion, insomnia, mood problems, violent behavior, paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, weight loss, severe dental problems (“meth mouth”), intense itching leading to skin sores from scratching.
Other Health-related Issues	Pregnancy: premature delivery; separation of the placenta from the uterus; low birth weight; lethargy; heart and brain problems. Risk of HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases from shared needles.

Prescription CNS Depressants

Prescription CNS depressants are medicines that include sedatives, tranquilizers, and hypnotics that slow down brain activity and can cause sleepiness and loss of coordination. Continued use can lead to physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms if use is stopped. These includes drugs classified as Benzodiazepines, Non-Benzodiazepine Sedative Hypnotics, and Barbiturates.

Table $\PageIndex{5}$: Possible Health Effects of CNS Depressants
Time	Effects
Short-term	Drowsiness, slurred speech, poor concentration, confusion, dizziness, problems with movement and memory, lowered blood pressure, slowed breathing.
Long-term	Physical dependence, withdrawal, possibility of seizures from rebound effect.
Other Health-related Issues	Sleep medications are sometimes used as date rape drugs (e.g. Rohypnol). Risk of HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases from shared needles.
In Combination with Alcohol	Further slows heart rate and breathing, which can lead to death.

Prescription CNS Stimulants

Prescription stimulants are medicines generally used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy—uncontrollable episodes of deep sleep. They increase alertness, attention, and energy.

Table $\PageIndex{6}$: Possible Health Effects of CNS Stimulants
Time	Effects
Short-term	Increased blood pressure and heart rate, increased breathing, decreased blood flow, increased blood sugar, and opened-up breathing passages.
Long-term	Repeated misuse of prescription stimulants, even within a short period, can cause psychosis, anger, or paranoia.
Other Health-related Issues	At high doses, prescription stimulants can lead to a dangerously high body temperature, an irregular heartbeat, heart failure, and seizures.

Prescription Opioids

Opioids are a class of drugs naturally found in the opium poppy plant. Opioids are often used as medicines because they contain chemicals that relax the body and can relieve pain. Opioids can cause euphoria and are often used non-medically, leading to overdose deaths. Heroin is one of the world’s most dangerous opioids, and is never used as a medicine in the United States.

Table $\PageIndex{7}$: Possible Health Effects of Opioids
Time	Effects
Short-term	Pain relief, drowsiness, nausea, constipation, euphoria, confusion, slowed breathing, death.
Long-term	Physical dependence, possible brain damage.
Other Health-related Issues	Pregnancy: Miscarriage, low birth weight, neonatal abstinence syndrome. Older adults: higher risk of accidental misuse or abuse because many older adults have multiple prescriptions, increasing the risk of drug-drug interactions, and breakdown of drugs slows with age; also, many older adults are treated with prescription medications for pain. Risk of HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases from shared needles.
In Combination with Alcohol	Dangerous slowing of heart rate and breathing leading to coma or death.

Heroin

Heroin is an opioid drug made from morphine. Prescription opioid pain medicines such as OxyContin^® and Vicodin^® have effects similar to heroin. Research suggests that misuse of these drugs may open the door to heroin use.

Table $\PageIndex{8}$: Possible Health Effects of Heroin
Time	Effects
Short-term	Euphoria; warm flushing of skin; dry mouth; heavy feeling in the hands and feet; clouded thinking; alternate wakeful and drowsy states; itching; nausea; vomiting; slowed breathing and heart rate.
Long-term	Collapsed veins; abscesses (swollen tissue with pus); infection of the lining and valves in the heart; constipation and stomach cramps; liver or kidney disease; pneumonia.
Other Health-related Issues	Pregnancy: miscarriage, low birth weight, neonatal abstinence syndrome. Risk of HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases from shared needles.
In Combination with Alcohol	Dangerous slowdown of heart rate and breathing, coma, death.

Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. Like morphine, it is a medicine that is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, especially after surgery.

Synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, are now the most common drugs involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States. In 2017, 59 percent of opioid-related deaths involved fentanyl compared to 14.3 percent in 2010. Some drug dealers are mixing fentanyl with other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA. This is because it takes very little to produce a high with fentanyl, making it a cheaper option.

Table $\PageIndex{9}$: Possible Health Effects of Heroin
Time	Effects
Short-term	Extreme happiness, drowsiness, nausea, confusion, constipation, sedation, problems breathing, unconsciousness.
Long-term	Physical dependence, possible brain damage, withdrawal symptoms including: muscle and bone pain, sleep problems, diarrhea and vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps, uncontrollable leg movements, and severe cravings.
Other Health-related Issues	Life-threatening symptoms of Fentanyl overdose include: slow/stop breathing, hypoxia, coma, brain damage, death.

Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens are a diverse group of drugs that alter a person’s awareness of their surroundings as well as their own thoughts and feelings. They are commonly split into two categories: classic hallucinogens (such as LSD) and dissociative drugs (such as PCP). Both types of hallucinogens can cause hallucinations, or sensations and images that seem real though they are not. Additionally, dissociative drugs can cause users to feel out of control or disconnected from their body and environment. Common classic hallucinogens include: LSD,Psilocybin, Peyote, DMT, and 251-NBOMe. Common Dissociative hallucinogens include: PCP, ketamine, DXM, and Salvia.

Table $\PageIndex{10}$: Possible Health Effects of Hallucinogens
Time	Effects
Short-term	Increased heart rate, nausea, intensified feelings and sensory experiences, changes in sense of time, increased blood pressure, breathing rate, or body temperature, loss of appetite, dry mouth, sleep problems, spiritual experiences, feelings of relaxation, uncoordinated movements, excessive sweating, panic, paranoia—extreme and unreasonable distrust of others, psychosis—disordered thinking detached from reality, and bizarre behaviors.
Long-term	Persistent psychosis, Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD), speech problems, memory loss, depression/suicide.
Other Health-related Issues	Disrupt communication between brain chemical systems throughout the brain and spinal cord. Large or prolonged doses of dissociative drugs, like PCP, can cause seizures, coma, or death. Unintentional injuries could be caused by doing things they wouldn’t do in real life, like jumping out of a window.

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