*UPDATED*
I've added a few more things by request, mushrooms, painkillers, K2 and methadone.

There's bin quite a few threads by MR.420 about the effects and strains etc of marijuana, so i'm going to make a thread detailing the effects and risks of harder drugs for anybody who is considering something a little harder than weed. I'm not asking you read the whole thread, but if you've contemplated taking a harder drug then please check it out.

The reason i'm doing this is because it's clear many on here smoke weed, and i believe it true that this is a gateway for alot of people on to harder stuff and then creates peer pressure on others.

Many of you may have had leaflets given to you at school, so this is really for anyone who hasn't or whoever just didnt pay attention. I will also add my own personal opinions and experiences about the drugs that i have taken too.

Inhalants
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Although inhalants aren't illegal i feel it should be added.

Inhalants are volatile substances or fumes from products such as glue or paint thinner that are sniffed or "huffed" to cause a high. Inhalants affect the brain with great speed and force and keep oxygen from reaching the lungs. Animal and human research shows that most inhalants are extremely toxic. Perhaps the most significant toxic effect of chronic exposure to inhalants is widespread and long-lasting damage to the brain and other parts of the nervous system. The intoxication produced by inhalants usually lasts just a few minutes; therefore, users often try to extend the "high" by continuing to inhale repeatedly over several hours, which increases the risk.

Risks

Slurred speech / Lack of coordination / Dizziness / Lightheadedness / Hallucinations / Delusions / Loss in control / Lingering headache / Confusion / Nausea or vomiting / Hypoxia (suffocation, asphyxiation) leading to brain or other organ damage / Muscle spasms and tremors / Addiction / Liver, lung, and kidney problems / Muscle weakness / Prolonged abuse can negatively affect a person's cognition, movement, vision, and hearing / Fatal injuries from falls / Death from choking on vomit / Heart attack from irregular or rapid heart beat / "Sudden sniffing death" (heart failure and immediate death, even with first time use)

My experience of sniffing poppers isn't a good one, the buzz only last's a minute or 2 and the headaches you recieve after a few uses is not worth the buzz, sniffing these while drunk made these effects worse, so my advice is dont waste your brain cells.


Painkillers/Prescription Drugs
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Prescription drugs are medicines that are prescribed to a patient by a doctor to manage pain, treat or cure a health condition such as pain, mental disease, diabetes, cancer, or common infections. These drugs are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are shown to have medical benefits when prescribed and taken exactly as directed by a health provider. For people who are suffering, these drugs allow them to control their symptoms, cure or treat their diseases, control pain, or fight an infection. However, these medicines are only safe when taken exactly as directed by a doctor, healthcare provider, or as indicated on the packaging. This includes following directions on dosages, how often to take these drugs, and never taking any drug that is not prescribed for you.
Taking prescription drugs that are not prescribed to you - or taking them in any way other than directed by a doctor — is considered non-medical use or abuse and can be as dangerous as taking an illegal drug, such as cocaine or heroin. "Misuse" of a prescription drug is taking it to treat a medical condition but not as directed by a doctor or packaging; "abuse" is taking prescription drugs with the sole intention of getting high. When misused or abused, many prescription drugs can be as dangerous and addictive as "street" drugs. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of poisonings and even deaths associated with the abuse and misuse of prescription drugs, including prescription painkillers and anti-depressants.

In other words, even if a medication is prescribed to you, taking larger doses than prescribed, taking it more often than directed, or using it in a way that it is not intended, is abuse and can also lead to severe health consequences and addiction. Between 1995 and 2005, treatment admissions for dependence on prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone (OxyContin) and hydrocodone/acetaminophen (Vicodin) grew more than 300 percent.

Risks

Narcotics: Restlessness / Nausea / Dizziness / Confusion / Scars (tracks) caused by injections / Lethargy / Tolerence / Addiction / Withdrawal affects / Watery eyes / Runny nose / Cramps / Loss of appetite / Irritability / Nausea / Tremors / Chills / Sweating / Slow, shallow breathing / Respiratory depression and arrest / Coma

Depressants: Intoxication similar to alcohol / Impaired memory and judgment / Staggering or stumbling / Lack of coordination / Slurred speech / Lowered blood pressure / Confusion / Addiction / Withdrawal effects / Anxiety / Insomnia / Muscle tremors / Loss of appetite / Convulsions / Delirium / Death / Overdose / Shallow respiration / Clammy skin / Dilated pupils / Weak and rapid pulse / Respiratory depression and arrest (stop breathing) / Coma / Death

Stimulants: Increased heart and respiratory rates / Rapid or irregular heart beat / Elevated blood pressure / Rapid or irregular heartbeat / Loss of coordination / Collapse / Unhealthy weight loss / Perspiration / Irritability / Nervousness / Increased blood pressure or pulse rate / Long periods without sleeping or eating / Insomnia (can't sleep) / Restlessness / Anxiety / Delusions / Overdose / Agitation / Increase in body temperature / Hallucinations / Heart failure, nervousness / Convulsions / Death / Addiction / Withdrawal symptoms / Apathy / Long periods of sleep / Irritability / Depression / Convulsions / Disorientation


Mephadrone (M-Cat/Mad Cat)
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This is fairly new drug in the UK, not sure about US, there has been alot of media coverage recently. It was a legal high until recently, because all it is really, is plant food. The packets you buy them in even says "NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION".

Mephedrone is a stimulant drug with effects similar to amphetamines (speed) and to ecstasy (MDMA) producing euphoria, alertness, talkativeness and feelings of empathy. It can also cause anxiety and paranoid states and risk over-stimulating the heart. It can also over-stimulate the nervous system which can lead to fits. Severe nosebleeds have been reported after snorting. It has also been linked to a small number of deaths.

Reports say that it can be compulsive to use and can create a state of psychological dependence. Some people report an unpleasant come-down after using.

Key Fact: Although it is legal to possess, it is now illegal to sell for human consumption.

Risks

Anxiety and paranoid states / Over-stimulation of the heart / Over-stimulation of the nervous system that can cause fits / Severe nosebleeds / Reduced inhibitions or agitation / Seizures (fit) / Death / The risk is increased if combined with alcohol or other drugs.


K2(Spice)
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K2 is labeled as an herbal blend, marketed for home incense, but it is being used for much different purposes and could have potentially dangerous effects. Although K2 is sometimes marketed as synthetic marijuana, the effects can be 10 times more intense than those from marijuana. The dried herbs come in 3-gram packages of various flavors, including "Blonde," "Pink," "Citron" and "Summit."

K2 samples test positive for synthetic cannabinoids JWH-018 and JWH-073, developed in the mid-1990s by Clemson University researchers conducting lab experiments on mice to test the compounds' effects on the brain. Authorities are very concerned . . . Some European and Asian countries, including France, Austria and Germany, have outlawed some products which contained the compounds JWH-018 and JWH-073.

States and municipalities have started banning these substances. You must login or register to view this content.to see a map of which states have banned K2.

Risks

Teenagers have been hospitalized, suffered severe hallucinations, increased heart rate, seizures, and even death.

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has classified it a "drug or chemical of concern."


Ecstacy (MDMA/Beans/E's)
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MDMA, known as Ecstasy, is a chemical that is usually taken orally as a capsule or tablet. It is a man-made drug that is chemically similar to both stimulants and hallucinogens. It distorts the perception of time and the sense of touch. Taking Ecstasy causes chemical changes in the brain that affect your mood, appetite and sleep.

Ecstasy causes the excessive release of the important neurotransmitter, serotonin, which controls mood, sleep, pain, appetite, and other behaviors. By releasing large amounts of serotonin, Ecstasy causes the brain to become significantly depleted of this important neurotransmitter, which contributes to the negative behavioral problems (depression, sleep problems, etc) that users often experience for several days after taking Ecstasy.

Risks

Confusion / Depression / Sleep problems / Severe anxiety / Muscle tension / Involuntary teeth clenching / Nausea / Blurred vision / Faintness / Chills or sweating / Dependence and withdrawal effects (fatigue, loss of appetite, depressed feelings, and trouble concentrating) / Some problems can occur while or soon after taking the drug, others come days or weeks after taking Ecstasy.

Tips: Try and stay cool, through each hour you should really be drinking a pint of water. If you're at a club, buy some bottled water aswell as your alcohol. Drinking too much or too little water can unbalance the salt levels in your body and can kill you.

My experience's on these have been high ones and low ones, alot more being great though. Depending on what my mood was and who i was with sometimes had a dramatic effect on how my "come up" was. My worst experience was i had to be taken to hospital because i had extremely bad anxiety thinking i was going to die. This only happened once in the 2 years i took these.


GHB (Liquid Ecstacy)
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GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate, or gammahydroxy-butyric acid) is a depressant that is usually available in odorless and tasteless liquid form. It can also be sold as a powder or pill. It takes effect 10-20 minutes after it is ingested and its effects typically last up to four hours.
GHB has been used in "date rape." It can be colorless, tasteless, and odorless, and has been added to beverages and ingested without the victim's knowledge. It can also cause anterograde amnesia (loss of memory), which makes it difficult for victims to recall what happened or identify his/her attacker.

Differents amounts of GHB can affect people in different ways, so no amount is safe.

Risks

Coma (at high doses) / Seizures / Nausea and breathing difficulties (when combined with alcohol or other drugs) / Poisoning / Overdose / Death (at high doses) / Addiction and withdrawal effects (including insomnia, anxiety, tremors, and sweating) / Assault or sexual assault "date rape" (due to the pills being colorless, tasteless, and odorless, they can be added to beverages to ingest unbeknownst to the victim, who becomes unable to defend him/herself because of the drug's effects) / Anterograde amnesia (inability to remember events experienced while under the influence of the drug)


Mushrooms(Shrooms/Mushies)
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There are around twelve different varieties of magic mushrooms that grow wild throughout the UK in autumn, and they have a powerful hallucinogenic effect similar to LSD.

The main type of mushroom used is called liberty cap psilocybe. The other more potent variety is the amanita muscaria this bears close resemblance to deadly poisonous fungi. Magic mushrooms contain the psychedelic chemical psilocybin. Magic mushrooms can be eaten raw or they can be cooked or stewed into a tea and drunk; they can also be dried and then stored.

Risks

Once the trip has started there is no way to control or stop it, and a bad trip can be unpredictable, with users experiencing feelings of paranoia and being out of control. Users sometimes experience severe stomach pains, as well as diarrhoea and sickness. Too often, magic mushrooms can be confused with other poisonous, sometimes deadly fungi, so if users experience illness, they should get to hospital as soon as possible with a sample of the fungi. Users do not become physically addicted and there are no withdrawal symptoms.

I recommend you You must login or register to view this content. and read more because there is too much info to put here. And do ALOT of research before picking and/or taking mushrooms because one type of shroom looks closely like a poisnous type and will kill you.


Hallucinogens, LSD and PCP (Acid/Angel Dust/Trips)
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Hallucinogens are strong mood-changing drugs with unpredictable psychological effects. LSD, or "acid," is sold as tablets, capsules, liquid, or on absorbent paper. PCP is illegally manufactured as tablets, capsules, or colored powder and can be snorted, smoked or eaten. Other hallucinogens can come in many forms, including plants and cough suppressants.
The effects of hallucinogens differ greatly from person to person, time to time, and from drug to drug. This is mainly due to the significant differences in strength, amount, and chemical makeup of active ingredients. Because of their unpredictable nature, the use of hallucinogens can be particularly dangerous. People who abuse PCP for long periods of time report memory loss, difficulties with speech and thinking, depression, and weight loss. These symptoms can persist up to a year after stopping PCP abuse. LSD has an unusual "echo." Many users have flashbacks — sudden repetitions of their LSD experiences — days or months after they stop using the drug. Hallucinogen-related deaths (with the possible exception of MDMA and PCP) often result from accidental injury or suicide from the uncontrolled actions and emotions caused by intoxication.

Risks

PCP: Disturbing psychological effects / Delusions / Hallucinations / Paranoia / Anxiety / Addiction / Aggression / Sleeplessness / Flicking up and down of the eyes / Drooling / Loss of balance / Dizziness / Nausea and vomiting / Trembling / Loss of muscular coordination / Cirrhosis of the liver / Numbness of the extremities / Increased heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure / Profuse sweating / Memory loss / Difficulties with speech and thinking / Depression / Violent or suicidal acts / Seizures / Coma / Drug death / Death from accidents while high / These symptoms can persist up to a year after stopping PCP.

LS Feelings of extreme terror / Feeling several different emotions at once / Rapid changes from one emotion to another / Terrifying thoughts like losing control or fear of insanity or death / Feelings of despair / Delusions and visual hallucinations / Tolerance - having to take larger doses to get high which is extremely dangerous / Dilated pupils / Increased body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure / Profuse sweating / Loss of appetite / Sleeplessness / Dry mouth / Tremors / Flashbacks — sudden repetitions of their LSD experiences — days or months after they stop using the drug.

I've had Acid twice, and both times were great, the feeling i got was like the "come up" from ecstacy but without the weird head**** and sudden rushes, the hallucinations were ALOT more vivid too. I didn't feel too bad either the next day even though i didnt get much sleep, but when i woke up the effects were still around and my body clock was ****ed for about 2 weeks.


Ketamine (Ket/Super Acid)
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Ketamine is an odorless, tasteless drug that is found in liquid, pill, and powder form. Ketamine was developed as an anesthetic for veterinarians to use on animals. Ketamine is classified as a type of disassociative drug. It alters the actions of the neurotransmitter glutamate throughout the brain. Glutamate is involved in perception of pain, responses to the environment, and memory.
Ketamine distorts sounds and sensations and makes users feel detached from reality. Some ketamine experiences involve a terrifying feeling of almost complete sensory detachment that is likened to a near-death experience sometimes referred to as "the K-hole."

Ketamine is odorless and tasteless and possesses amnesia-inducing properties, the drug is sometimes added to the beverage of unsuspecting victims and used in the commission of sexual assaults, referred to as "drug rape."

Risks

Impaired senses, judgment (low doses), coordination, and motor coordination (high doses) / Hallucinations, delirium, and disconnection from surroundings (high doses) / High blood pressure (high doses) / Amnesia (high doses) / Vulnerable to sexual assault (due to loss of control) / Depression (high doses) / Fatal respiratory problems (high doses)

Ketamine is commonly used as a horse tranquilizer, food for thought there....

I'v never taken this drug myself, but i've been around people who have, and it looks like something i would recommend you stay away from. This guy got up to go to the toilet and it took him over an hour to get up the stairs and pissed himself in the process.


Cocaine (Blow/Sniff)
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Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug. The powdered form of cocaine is either snorted or injected. Crack is cocaine that comes in a rock crystal that is heated and smoked. The term “crack” refers to the crackling sound produced by the rock as it is heated.

Many cocaine users report that they seek but fail to achieve the same experience as they had with their first use. Some users will increase their dose in an attempt to intensify and prolong the effect, but this can also increase the risk of adverse psychological or physiological effects.

Risks

Increased body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure / Headaches / Abdominal pain and nausea / Decreased appetite, resulting in malnutrition / Irritability, restlessness, anxiety, and paranoia / Paranoid psychosis (loss of touch with reality and auditory hallucinations) / Addiction or dependence / Loss of smell, nosebleeds, and a chronically runny nose (from snorting) / Severe bowel gangrene (intestine tissue dies) (from swallowing) / Increased risk of HIV and other diseases / Respiratory arrest (stopped breathing) / Heart attack or stroke which may cause sudden death / Cocaine and alcohol combined dramatically increases the risk of sudden death.

Cocaine can kill you the first time you use it!!

A personal tip: Dont take with viagra aswell as being drunk, seriously....

I take this most weekends, i dont buy alot, just 1 gram. I just have it for that extra buzz when im out round town at bars and clubs. I dont encourage this, but i find the effects and after effects to be alot better than any other drug. But when i have sniffed alot cocaine, my heart was still pounding very hard and pretty fast the next day, this wasnt a good feeling at all.


Methamphetamine (Meth/Speed)
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Methamphetamine, or meth, is a highly addictive synthetic chemical that acts as a stimulant. It is snorted, injected, smoked, or swallowed. Most of the methamphetamine abused in this country comes from foreign or domestic superlabs, although it can also be made in small, illegal laboratories, where its production endangers the people in the labs, their neighbors, and the environment.
Creating a sense of energy, meth can push the body faster and further than it's safe to go. It increases the heart rate, blood pressure, and the risk of stroke.

Risks

Increased respiration, rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and hyperthermia (when the body overheats) / Unhealthy weight loss / Severe dental problems / Anxiety, confusion, insomnia, mood disturbances, and violent behavior / Psychotic features, including paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and delusions (for example, the sensation of insects "Meth Bugs" creeping under the skin) / Severe "crash" after the effects wear off / Damage to blood vessels in the brain / Risk for acquiring HIV/AIDS for those that inject the drug, or those who engage in risky sexual behavior-sometimes associated with meth abuse. / Structural and functional changes in areas of the brain associated with emotion and memory / Addiction / Liver, kidney, and lung damage, which may cause death / Stroke / Heart attack / Death with the very first use (an overdose of meth can result in heart failure).

I did have speed a few times in my teens, and to be honest, dont bother. My appetite had gone, i lost loads of weight within weeks. And when i was on it, sleep was a bye bye for the next day or 2 and i began to think i kept seeing things in the corner of my eye and panic.


Heroin (Smack/Skag)
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Heroin is a highly addictive white or brown powder or brown sticky tar made from opium poppies. Users may snort, smoke or inject it. Heroin is a depressant. It enters the brain, where it is converted to morphine and binds to receptors known as opioid receptors. These receptors are located in many areas of the brain that deal with pain but also within the brain stem — important for automatic processes critical for life, such as breathing, and blood pressure. Heroin overdoses frequently involve a suppression of respiration.

Risks

Warm flushing of the skin / Dry mouth / Heavy feeling in the extremities / Nausea / Vomiting / Severe itching / Clouded mental functions / Infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis (from injection needles) / Collapsed veins / Infection of the heart lining and valves / Abscesses at the injection location / Liver or kidney disease.

I think it's pretty obvious to say, NEVER even consider going anywhere near this shit.


Methadone
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Methadone is a synthetic narcotic analgesic that acts in a manner similar to morphine or heroin. It was developed as a pain killer, but now its primary use is the sedation, maintenance, and detoxification of narcotic addicts. It is given to addicts in sanctioned methadone programs to reduce their opiate use. Methadone is sometimes used for severe pain management, usually with cancer patients.

Methadone is produced in tablet, oral, and injectable forms. In the United States, methadone clinics prescribe and dose in liquid form only, per federal regulations. Methadone is classified as a Schedule II drug and is a federally controlled substance.

Risks

The major hazards of methadone overdose are respiratory depression, and to a lesser degree, circulatory depression, respiratory arrest, shock, and cardiac arrest. Methadone can cause psychological dependence, physical dependence and tolerance. Overdose and death can also occur.


I am not encouraging nor condoning drug taking, this is merely to give people knowledge about the risks and my personal past experiences hopefully give a slightly better insight which most leaflets or whatever dont tell you.

Thank you.

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