Teen Drug Abuse

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Teen Drug Abuse

Medical Author: Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

What drugs are abused by teenagers?

Virtually every drug that is abused by adults is also abused by adolescents. In addition to alcohol, common categories of drugs of abuse include:

  • Tobacco products (for example, cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco)


  • Cannabinoids (for example, marijuana, hashish), sometimes called "pot, weed, Mary Jane, or herb" and is smoked in a "joint," "blunt," "bong," or pipe

  • Cold medications (for example, Sudafed, Benadryl)


  • Inhalants (for example, gasoline, ammonia), the use of which is often referred to as "huffing"


  • Depressants (for example, barbiturates, benzodiazepines), sometimes called "reds, yellows, yellow jackets, downers or roofies"


  • Stimulants (for example, amphetamines, cocaine, methamphetamine), sometimes called "bennies, black beauties, speed, uppers, blow, crack, rock, toot, crank, crystal, or skippy"


  • Narcotics (for example, morphine, heroin, codeine, Oxycontin, Vicodin), sometimes called cody, schoolboy, Tango and Cash, or monkey"


  • Hallucinogens (for example LSD, "mushrooms"), sometimes called "acid, yellow sunshines, buttons, or shrooms"


  • Dissociative anesthetics (for example, phencyclidine/PCP, ketamine), sometimes called "lovely, boat, Love Boat, angel dust, K, vitamin K, or cat" and whose use is often referred to as "getting wet"


  • Club drugs (for example, Ecstasy), sometimes called "X"


  • Others (for example, anabolic steroids), sometimes called "juice or roids"



Next: What are some statistics on teenage drug use? » Source: MedicineNet.com
http://www.medicinenet.com/teen_drug_abuse/article.htm

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