The Security Benevolent Helpline
The Worshipful Company of Security Professionals

Drugs

What is drug abuse?

Drug abuse is the taking of a drug in damaging quantities or in quantities higher than the prescribed dose, or the use of an illegal drug.

All types of different drugs can be abused. Apart from Illegal drugs (such as cannabis or heroin), prescription medicines (such as tranquillisers and painkillers) and other medicines that are available from the supermarket shelf (such as cough mixtures and herbal remedies) can be abused.

Why do people abuse drugs?

There are many reasons why people use illegal drugs, curiosity is possible the most common. Others include:

  • To avoid feeling bored - some may think that drug taking is daring and exciting.
  • Peer pressure, to join in with others and belong to a ‘special’ group.
  • To feel more self confident.
  • As an escape from problems at home and school, or as an escape from outside pressures.
  • To relax and ‘feel good’.
  • Ease of access to drugs.
  • Some medications, such as sleeping pills and painkillers, are physically addictive.

Some of the signs of drug abuse

  • Sudden and regular changes of mood.
  • Unusual aggression.
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Gradual loss of interest in school, social life, friends, etc.
  • Uncharacteristic drowsy, sleepiness or 'drunken' behaviour.
  • Lying and being secretive about actions and activities.
  • Borrowing or stealing money from friends and family.
  • Unusual stains, marks or smells on the body or clothing.
  • Evidence of drug taking such as a homemade pipe, scorched pieces of foil or the remains of a cannabis cigarette.
  • Evidence of solvent abuse such as empty aerosols, glue cans or plastic bags.

Treatment

The first step in treatment is for the individual to accept that they have a problem.

The abuser should consult a G.P who may refer the patient for specialist help.

Effective treatments have to be tailored to the needs of each individual, There is no one therapy that can be used. It is important to understand the many reasons and motivations for drug abuse.

Treatments may include controlled medication, physical therapies, and also psychological help. It is important to be honest and open about feelings and to make full use of the support and care that is available.

The chances of success depend on good medical care, understanding of drugs and their effects, a strong support group and caring friends and family. Early recognition that a problem exists increases the chances of a full recovery.

Further help and advice

Talk To Frank

ADFAM

Familes Anonymous

  • Tel no: 020 7498 4680

National Drug Prevention Alliance

The Security Benevolent 24 Hour Confidential Helpline for members of the security profession only.

If you would like to talk, in confidence, to one of our counsellors please phone 0800 316 0201.

Drug Groups

Stimulants:

  • Amphetamines - Speed
  • Caffeine
  • Cocaine
  • Crack
  • Ecstasy
  • Nicotine

Depressants:

  • Alcohol
  • Barbiturates
  • Cannabis
  • Heroin
  • Solvents
  • Tranquillisers

Hallucinigens:

  • LSD
  • Magic Mushrooms
  • Mescaline

Others:

  • Anabolic Steroids
  • Poppers

AMPHETAMINES - SPEED

Appearance:

An off-white or pinkish powder sold in wraps like cocaine, which sometimes looks like small crystals. Base speed is purer and is a pink-grey colour that feels like putty.

It can be dabbed onto the gums, sniffed in lines like cocaine, rolled up in cigarette paper and swallowed, smoked, mixed in drinks, smoked or injected.

Effects:

  • Speed makes people feel wide awake and chatty.
  • Curbs appetite
  • Restlessness - it is impossible to sit still or sleep.
  • After effects for users are irritability and panic.
  • Possible panic and hallucinations.

The Risks:

  • Addictive
  • Death from overdose
  • Affects the heart. It can be fatal for those with blood pressure and heart conditions.
  • High consumption affects the immune system
  • Can lead to anxiety, depression, aggression and mental illness, such as psychosis and paranoia.
  • Injecting drugs can cause vein damage, ulcers and gangrene. Danger of contracting hepatitis and HIV/AIDS.
  • Easy to overdose if injecting.

The Law:

Speed is a Class B drug – illegal to possess, give away or sell. If prepared for injection it becomes a Class A drug.

ANABOLIC STEROIDS

Appearance:

Either tablet form, which are swallowed, or a liquid which is injected.

Effects:

  • Drug use makes users feel more aggressive.
  • Helps to build up muscle mass
  • Users recover faster from strenuous exercise.

The Risks:

  • Users can become very aggressive or even violent.
  • Abuse when young can stunt growth.
  • Males can grow breasts, develop acne, become sterile, suffer from erection problems.
  • Females can grow facial hair, a deep voice, shrinking breasts and have menstrual problems.
  • Causes dramatic moods swings.
  • Users can become paranoid, confused and have sleeping problems.
  • Raised blood pressure, increased risk of liver failure, stroke or heart attack.

CANNABIS

Appearance:

Cannabis comes in different forms.

  • Hash is a black-brown lump made from the resin of the plant.
  • Grass or weed is the dried leaf of the plant
  • Most people smoke cannabis mixed with tobacco either as a joint or in a pipe.

Effects: Short term:

  • Sedative and makes some people relaxed and happy.
  • Nausea.
  • Hunger pangs are common.
  • Smokers can become anxious, panicky and suspicious.
  • It affects co-ordination.

Effects: Long term:

  • Can cause lung disease and cancer.
  • Increases the severity of asthma.
  • Increases blood pressure.
  • Mental health problems.
  • Frequent use affects fertility in both men and women.
  • Harm to an unborn child.

The Risks:

A minimal risk of physical dependence. Psychological dependency occurs in about 10% of users.

The Law:

Cannabis is a Class B drug. It is illegal to possess or sell.

COCAINE and CRACK

Appearance:

Cocaine is a white powder. It is usually snorted up the nose, but it can be smoked or made into a solution and injected.

Crack is a smokeable form of cocaine in small lumps or rocks. It can be smoked in a pipe, glass tube, plastic bottle or foil.

Effects:

  • Cocaine makes users feel exhilarated, confident and wide awake.
  • Kills feelings of hunger, pain and tiredness.
  • It is highly addictive.

The Risks:

  • Death from overdose. High doses raise the body temperature, cause convulsions and respiratory arrest.
  • Highly dangerous for anyone with high blood pressure or a heart condition.
  • Fits and seizures.
  • Depression.
  • Sleeplessness.
  • Depresses sexual desire.
  • Mental health problems.
  • Injecting can cause vein damage, ulcers and gangrene.
  • Use with alcohol or other drugs can be lethal.
  • Damage to an unborn child.

The Law:

Cocaine and crack are Class A drugs. They are illegal to possess, give away or sell.

ECSTASY

Appearance:

Pure Ecstasy is a white crystalline powder known to chemists as MDMA. Ecstasy sold on the streets is usually in tablet form although it is getting more common to see it sold as powder. E’s come in all colours and may have pictures or logos stamped on them.

They are usually swallowed but may also be smoked or snorted.

Effects:

  • E gives an energy buzz that makes people feel alert and alive.
  • Ecstasy can take anything between 20 and 60 minutes to kick in.
  • E makes takers feel in tune with their surroundings. Sounds and colours can seem more intense.
  • E makes emotions feel more intense. Taken on it’s own it is not a drug that makes people violent.
  • E dilates the pupils, produces a tingling feeling, tightens the jaw muscles, raises the body temperature and makes the heart beat faster.
  • Short-term effects can include anxiety, panic attacks, confused episodes, first time epileptic fits and paranoia. Long-term use can cause depression, personality change and memory loss.
  • It is not addictive but it is possible to build up a tolerance and more is taken to obtain effects.

The Risks:

  • Ecstasy affects the body’s temperature causing it to rise. This results overheating and dehydration causing the body to heat to dangerously high levels. This risk can be reduced by sipping not more than a pint of water or non-alcoholic fluid every hour.
  • Drinking too much can be dangerous or even fatal. The drug causes the body to release a hormone that prevents the production of urine. Too much liquid taken too quickly interferes with the body’s salt balance, which can be as deadly as not drinking enough water.
  • Long-term users report sufferings more colds and sore throats.
  • E’s can contain other toxic chemicals.
  • Anyone with a heart condition, blood pressure problems, epilepsy or asthma can have a very dangerous reaction to the drug.

The Law:

Ecstasy is a Class A drug – illegal to possess, give away or sell.

GLUES AND AEROSOLS

Appearance:

Any volatile substance that gives off fumes of an intoxicating nature, this can include butane gas, aerosol sprays,solvent based glues and correcting fluids. Different substances have different effects.

Solvents can be sniffed, from a cloth or a plastic bag. Gas products can be squirted directly into the back of the throat.

Effects:

  • Difficult to think straight, drunk and dreamlike feelings.
  • Effects are short lasting so users keep repeating the dose to continue the feelings.
  • Hallucinations.
  • Hangovers, bad headaches and feeling sleepy.
  • Dependence.

The Risks:

  • Nausea, vomiting and blackouts.
  • Fatal heart problems, sometimes from first usage.
  • Risk of suffocation if inhaled from a plastic bag.
  • Squirting gas can cause throat to swell preventing breathing and also cause heart to slow dangerously.
  • Long-term use affects the brain, liver and kidneys.
  • Used in combination with alcohol can lead to an increased risk of death.

The Law:

Solvent use is not illegal. It is illegal in England and Wales for shopkeepers to sell substances they think likely to be inhaled. In Scotland the law is different but the effect similar.

It is an offence to sell gas lighter refills to anyone under the age of 18.

HEROIN

Appearance:

Pure heroin is a white powder but street heroin is cut with a range of substances and can be any colour from brownish white to brown. Cheap fillers are frequently mixed with heroin.

It can be smoked, snorted or dissolved in water.

Effects:

  • A small dose gives a feeling of warmth and well being.
  • Relief from physical and psychological pain.
  • High doses can make the user sleepy.
  • Possible slurred speech.
  • Initial doses may cause dizziness and vomiting.

The Risks:

  • Death from overdose.
  • Respiratory failure.
  • More dangerous when taken with other drugs.
  • Constipation.
  • Menstrual problems.
  • Injecting can be one of the most dangerous ways of taking drugs.
  • Gangrene and blood poisoning caused by infected wounds.
  • Risks of HIV/Aids.

The Law:

Heroin is a Class A drug. It is illegal to possess, to give away or to sell.

L S D - Lysergic Acid Diethylamide

Appearance:

Usually sold as tiny squares of paper, but can also be in liquid form or as tiny pellets.

Effects:

  • A trip takes between 20 minutes to one hour to take effect and usually last 12 hours.
  • It can speed up or slow down time.
  • Movement can also slow down or speed up.
  • Colour, sounds and objects become badly distorted.
  • The user may become happier or conversely, more panicky and confused.
  • Bad trips are terrifying. A bad trip can make the worst nightmare come to life.
  • Flashbacks can happen weeks or months after taking LSD.
  • Not addictive.
  • The Risks:
  • Mental health problems can be made worse.
  • The possibility of self harm resulting from a bad trip.

The Law:

LSD is a Class A drug – illegal to possess, give away or sell.

TRANQUILLISERS

Appearance:

Tranquillisers come as tablets, capsules, injections or suppositories.

Effects:

  • Tranquillisers have a sedative effect. They depress the nervous system and slow down the body.
  • Relieve tension and anxiety.
  • High doses can make the user sleepy and forgetful.
  • High risk of physical and psychological dependence.

The Risks:

  • Tranquillisers are a depressant and, if taken with other depressants, can lead to accidental overdose.
  • May cause short-term memory loss.
  • Unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, these can include a pounding headache, nausea, anxiety and confusion.
  • Sudden withdrawal from high doses can cause panic attacks and fits.

The Law:

Tranquillisers are prescription only drugs, controlled under Class C of the misuse of drugs act.

It is illegal to possess tranquillisers without a prescription