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► Drugs
Here is some information about some of the more common illegal substances:
Please note: possessing drugs at University or in Halls could not only leave you with a criminal record, you can also be expelled.
Ecstasy
Pure Ecstasy is a white crystalline powder and is usually sold on the street in tablet form, although it's getting more common to see it sold as powder version of the raw ingredient; MDMA. Known as ‘E’ for short, the pills come in all sorts of colours and some of them have pictures or logos stamped into them.
The effects take about half an hour to kick in and tend to last between 3 to 6 hours, followed by a gradual comedown. People have been known to take another E because they haven't 'come up' from the first one, which may mean they have a double dose to deal with. Despite its name, many users feel sick, paranoid and nauseous while under the influence of the drug. Vomiting is not uncommon, along with disrupted sleep patterns.
Many ecstasy-related deaths and complications are linked to the way ecstasy controls the body's temperature control mechanism and it is important to drink about a pint of water with each dose. Using E has been linked to liver, kidney and heart problems as well as paranoia and depression.
Ecstasy is a Class A drug - illegal to have, give away or sell. Possession can get you up to seven years in jail. Supplying someone else with it can get you life and an unlimited fine.
Cocaine
Generally known as 'coke' or 'charlie'. A white powder that's usually divided into lines on a smooth surface and snorted up the nose with a rolled up banknote or a straw. The effects of cocaine are rapid and intense; drastically increasing heart rate and stress levels on the body. The effects generally manifest as an increase in energy and confidence but do not last very long, requiring repeated, regular use to maintain a high.
As well as snorting the drug, it can be smoked (in the form of 'crack') and is sometimes made into a solution and injected. The effects are much more intense when ingested using such methods. Side-effects and complications also increased.
Perfectly fit, young people can have a seizure or heart attack after taking too much coke and it is particularly dangerous for anybody with high blood pressure or a heart condition. Regular use makes people feel depressed and run down. People who use crack or coke regularly often develop serious problems with anxiety and paranoia. It is also very expensive to buy so on a student budget is worth avoiding.
Cocaine is a Class A drug - illegal to have, give away or sell. Possession can get you up to seven years in jail. Supplying someone else with it can get you life and an unlimited fine.
Poppers
Poppers are small bottles of liquid chemicals called alkyl nitrites, which were originally used in medicine. Poppers are used by sniffing the vapours from the bottle, which dilate the blood vessels and allows more blood to get to the heart.
An initial head rush lasts a couple of minutes, although the effects don't last long and can leave people feeling sick, faint and weak, particularly if taken while dancing.
Poppers are toxic and can kill you if you swallow them.
Amyl Nitrite is very rarely used in medicine these days but is controlled under the Medicines Act. Possession is not illegal but supply can be an offence.
LSD
LSD or Lysergic Acid Diethylamide is a hallucinogenic drug originally derived from ergot, a fungus found growing wild on rye and other grasses. It's commonly called 'acid'. The experience is known as a 'trip' and these trips can be good or bad. A bad trip is your worst nightmare come to life.
A trip can take from 20 minutes to an hour to start and usually lasts about 12 hours. Once its started you can't stop it. And until you take a tab of acid you can't tell how strong it is or how it's going to affect you.
Acid has very random and sometimes very frightening effects. Trips feed off a person's imagination. One person can spend 12 hours in a very happy place while someone else who's taken the same stuff can spend 12 hours lost in their own fears and paranoia.
LSD is a Class A drug - illegal to have, give away or sell. Possession can get you up to seven years in jail. Supplying someone else with LSD can get you life and an unlimited fine.
Speed
'Speed' is the street name for amphetamine. Like coke, it's a stimulant that people take to keep them awake and alert. It's Britain's least pure illegal drug and is often taken along with E.
Speed makes people feel wide awake, excited and chatty. Clubbers take it because it gives them the energy to dance for hours without getting knackered.
The comedown can make users feel irritable and depressed, even in physical pain, and can last for one or two days.
Taking a lot of speed gives your immune system a battering. You could get more colds, flu and sore throats if you use it a lot.
Speed is a Class B drug - illegal to have, give away or sell. Prepared for injection, speed becomes Class A and can get you tougher sentencing if you're caught with it or selling it.
Possession can get you up to five years in jail and an unlimited fine. Supplying someone else with it can get you up to 14 years and an unlimited fine.
Cannabis
Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug in Britain. It's a naturally occurring drug made from parts of the cannabis plant. It's a mild hallucinogen and often gives sedative like effects that make some people feel chilled out and happy, while others have one puff and feel sick.
Cannabis, like tobacco, has chemical 'nasties' which can cause lung disease and cancer with long term or heavy use. Cannabis can make asthma worse.
Regular, heavy use makes it harder to learn and concentrate and some people begin to feel tired all the time and can't seem to get motivated, not so good when studying for a degree.
Cannabis is illegal; it's a Class B drug with penalties for supply, dealing, production and trafficking.
The maximum penalty for possession is five years imprisonment. The maximum penalty for supplying someone else is 14 years imprisonment.
Ketamine
Ketamine is a short-acting but powerful general anaesthetic which has been used for operating on humans and animals. It has powerful hallucinogenic qualities.
Ketamine can cause perceptual changes like LSD, in addition to its effects on reducing bodily sensation. Users can trip for up to an hour and may feel after-effects for some hours. Control of your muscles / body is difficult while under the influence of Ketamine - some people struggle to walk or even stand up.
Because you don't feel any pain when you're on ketamine, you're in danger of injuring yourself badly and having no idea you've done it.
Ketamine is very dangerous when it is mixed with other drugs or alcohol. For example, it can lead to unconsciousness with depressant drugs or alcohol.
Ketamine is a Class C drug - illegal to possess it and to supply it. Possession can get you up to two years in prison and an unlimited fine.
Legal Highs
Just because something is legal doesn't mean it is safe. Several legal highs have been withdrawn from general sale in recent years. There is often no ingredients list and brand names are constantly changing, making it hard to known what you are taking. Several legal highs have reported side effects and there are deaths on record which have been attributed to legal highs, so beware. We suggest checking the Talk To Frank website for the latest info on legal highs.
