Illegal drugs

These are poppy flowers. Opium can be made from them. Opium is an illegal drug in many countries.

Illegal drugs are chemicals, pills, liquids, or parts of plants that have been banned by law makers of a country. The slang word for getting intoxicated is "getting stoned" or "getting high."

Such substances are often addictive. The word "addictive" means that a person will want to keep taking the drug, even if it is making them sick. They can also be dangerous because they change the way in which other drugs work. For this reason, many governments have laws which regulate their use. Very often, they are illegal, if used outside a medical context.

What drugs are considered legal, and which ones are considered illegal varies from country to country. The punishments also vary. Being found with a certain drug may be legal (or subject to a fine) in one country, but it may carry the death penalty in another.

Drugs that are classified as illegal often have good uses too. That way a drug that is legitimately used to treat a condition becomes an illegal drug.

Legal and illegal drugs

Legal drugs are drugs that a person is allowed to have. This of course depends on the country they are in. If a person has legal drugs, they will not be punished by the police.

What is an illegal drug for one, can be legal for another use. That way, Heroin (and other substances like it), can be used as a painkiller. When a doctor, or other specialist prescribes the drug it can be used legally. Some drugs, such as aspirin or paracetamol do not need to be prescribed by a doctor. Most people can buy them at a pharmacy.

Legal drugs that are mainly used to relax are often taxed heavily. That way, cigarettes (or tobacco) are legal drugs, but they are often expensive. Most countries also have rules that say that cigarettes must not be sold to people younger than a certain age. Alcohol is another drug that is legal in many countries. Again, there are often rules who can get alcohol and who can not.

Illegal drugs are drugs that a person is not allowed to have. If a person is caught with illegal drugs, they may be punished. They will perhaps have to go to court, and they may go to jail. Illegal drugs include:

• Heroin, diacetylmorphine- a semi-synthetic opioid. It can be used legally as an analgesic (a painkiller)
• Cocaine, a stimulant extract of naturally-occurring plant substances, as the hydrochloride salt. Legally used as an anesthetic.
• Crack, a form of cocaine that can be smoked.
• Crystal Meth, methamphetamine, a stimulant related to amphetamines. Legal use includes the treatment of Narcolepsy
• Marijuana, the leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant
• Hashish, the sticky resin from the cannabis plant
• Ecstasy, a pill made from chemicals
• Methylphenidate, also known as Ritalin. Legally used to treat ADHD and Narcolepsy

Legal, illegal, and regulated drugs may be addictive, such as caffeine, heroine, and morphine.

Process

Some drugs are in pills, so a person swallows the pill. Other drugs are in powders, such as heroin or cocaine. To use drugs that come in powder form, drug users either "snort" the drug into their nose, smoke it in a cigarette, or inject the drug into their body by mixing it with water. Some drugs such as crack and crystal meth come in little crystals, called "rocks." To take drugs that come in crystals, drug users smoke the drug with a pipe or mix the drug with water and inject it with a needle. Marijuana and hash are usually smoked in pipes or in hand-rolled cigarettes called "joints."

Why do people use illegal drugs?

Most illegal drugs cause people to become intoxicated. The slang term for this experience is "getting stoned" or "getting high." When a drug user is intoxicated, they may feel strange, happy, dizzy, or weird. Some drugs such as marijuana and hashish often make users feel sleepy and relaxed. Some drug users have feelings that they are floating or dreaming. Drugs such as LSD make people feel crazy; they make one see and feel things like never before, and think things about the world they would normally not. Some say it increases knowledge and creates wisdom. Other drugs such as Crystal Meth make users feel excited and happy and full of energy.

Some drug users feel sad or angry after they take illegal drugs. Other drug users get scared after they take drugs, and begin to worry a lot, a result called "paranoia". Cocaine, crack, and Crystal Meth sometimes cause users to feel scared or paranoid. Some people take drugs because they want to act cool in front of their friends or they just want to be accepted by a gang or group of young people. Another reason may be that they are in a bad situation in their life and they believe that these drugs will make their pain go away.

Dangers

One of the dangers of using illegal drugs is that a person might be caught by thuhe police and charged with a crime. If a judge finds the person guilty, the person might have to go to jail.

One of the dangers of using drugs such as heroin, crack, or crystal meth is addiction. When a person becomes addicted to a drug, the person wants to keep using the drug, even if they feel sick. When a person is addicted, they have a very powerful urge to get more of the drug. People who are addicted to drugs may steal money from their friends or family to get more drugs. Some addicts even do robberies, thefts, or other crimes to get money for drugs. Many women who are addicted to drugs become prostitutes, or have sex for money.

There are many other dangers from using drugs. When a person is intoxicated ("high") from illegal drugs, they might do strange or unsafe things that they would not normally do, such as getting into a fight, having unsafe sex with a person they do not know, or falling down and hurting themselves. Some of the other dangers of drug use come from the drug dealers, who are criminals. If a drug user does not pay all the money that they owe to a drug dealer, the drug dealer gang may hurt the person.

When using some illegal drugs, a person can overdose, which may happen when they use too much of the drug within a short period of time. Overdosing can be very dangerous - it can hurt a person badly or even kill them. Some drugs, like marijuana, are impossible to overdose on. Others, like heroin, are much easier to overdose with.

One of the major dangers of using illegal drugs come from taking the drugs. When people inject heroin with a needle or share a crack pipe with other drug users they could get an infection or disease such as AIDS or Hepatitis C. Many other diseases can also be transmitted from drug use activities.