Course Reader: Drug Education

Ecstasy

ADF Drug Hit | Ecstasy: This site gives the definition of ecstasy, and how it is made thorough the combination of other substances. It also explains the method of injecting ecstasy, and the possibility of contracting HIV and Hepatitis through this method. It explains the effects of this drug on the body, discusses overdose, and death. It also explains the effects of this drug on pregnancy, mixing ecstasy with other substances, hallucinations, unsafe sex, dependence, tolerance, and other social problems.
Ecstasy Fact Sheet: This site gives a detailed description of how this particular drug affects the body. It has some statistics of the number of deaths that this drug has caused.
Ecstasy - molecule in the third dimension: This site gives the many slang street terms for the drug, and gives a description of how it affects your body.
Information on Drugs of Abuse: MDMA (Ecstasy): This site links to articles dealing with ecstasy. Club Drugs-Community Drug Alert Bulletin, Mind Over Matter, "Ecstasy" Damages the Brain and Impairs Memory in Humans, Facts About MDMA (ecstasy), Study Takes a Closer Look at "Ecstasy" Use, and Like Methamphetamine, "Ecstasy" May Cause long-term Brain Damage.
NCADI: Popular Rave Drug "Ecstasy" Impairs Memory, Apparently Related To Brain Damage: This site is an article focusing on the affects of ecstasy including memory loss and brain damage.

Tobacco

ADF Drug Hit | Tobacco: This site defines nicotine, tar, and Carbon Monoxide. It discusses the effects of smoking; immediate and long-term, and the benefits of quitting.
Lycos News: Smoking: Young Teen Smokers Concern Health Officials. Discusses the use of tobacco at an early age (11-13 year olds). Discusses ways to quit, and background information on smoking.
Smoking and Other Tobacco-Related Dependencies: This site includes affects of smoking on the body, treatment and diagnosis , major health hazards, articles of general interest, drug therapy, self help, pregnancy and breast feeding, self care, and lifestyle issues.
Web-Lycos Condition Center: This site features articles such as: Family Ties Possibly Responsible for Lung Cancer in Nonsmokers, Lung Cancer: Families Affected by Lung Cancer, Lung Cancer: Understanding Treatment Options, and many other resources.
COHIS: The Ashtray: Smoking and Tobacco Abuse: Harmful affects about smoking: This site discusses nicotine addiction, signs of nicotine addiction, the effects of nicotine on the body, treating nicotine addiction, and the effects of smoking.

Alcohol

ADF Drug Hit | What is alcohol? What is alcohol?: This site explains that alcohol is actually a drug. It explains the effects of alcohol on the body; immediate and long-term, women and alcohol, Blood Alcohol Concentration, health problems, hormonal differences, alcohol and pregnancy, alcohol and other drugs, possible benefits of alcohol, social problems, family problems, legal problems, work problems, sexual problems, accidents, appearance, psychological dependence, physical dependence, withdrawal, tolerance, alcohol and the law, alcohol and driving, binge drinking, and tips on how to drink less.
WebMD/Lycos - Article - Alcoholism: This article defines alcoholism, and its effects on the body. It discusses treatment and diagnosis, self care tips, complications, pregnancy and breast feeding, articles of general interest, and how alcoholism is diagnosed.
Information on Drugs of Abuse: Alcohol: Includes a site that will give information on alcohol (from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism).
Drug Addiction Rehabilitation Institute D.A.R.I.: This site provides a list of rehabilitation institutes all over the country.
Encyclopedia.com - Results for alcohol: This site gives a detailed definition of alcoholism. It also contains a reading lists with sites discussing: The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure, the role of family influences in development and risk, physiological responses in sons of alcoholics, parenting influences on the development of alcohol abuse and dependence, assessing the impact of maternal drinking during and after pregnancy, a behavioral genetic perspective on children of alcoholics, alcohol induced stimulation and sedation: relation to physical aggression, and Neuropsychological responses in COAs.(children of alcoholics).

Marijuana

ADF Drug Hit | Cannabis: This site defines cannabis, marijuana, hashish, the immediate effects of this drug, as well as the long-term effects. It discusses cannabis and pregnancy, dependence (psychological as well as physical), tolerance, cannabis and other drugs, cannabis and driving, and family and work problems.
Information on Drugs of Abuse: Marijuana: This site includes facts on marijuana: Facts for teens, and facts parents need to know. It also has a link to the National Conference on Marijuana Use: Prevention, Treatment, and Research. There is a link here that is specifically for grades 5 through 9, designed to learn about the effects of drug abuse on the body and the brain. There are also many other sites that link to articles involving drug use and abuse.
Marijuana Facts: This site contains facts for parents about marijuana and the effects that it has on the body.
Marijuana Facts for Teens: This site contains facts for teens about marijuana and the effects that it has on the body.

New Scientist Planet Science - New Scientist Special Report

Cocaine

Cocaine/Crack: This site defines cocaine and explains where it is originated. It also explains how it effects the brain as well as the body. It contains a link entitled "Facts for Teens". It also gives the definition for crack and how it is associated with cocaine.
ADF Drug Hit | Cocaine: This site explains what cocaine is, and the ways that it can be taken. It also discusses the cocaine form known as crack. It discusses immediate effects, effects of higher doses, long-term effects, overdose and death, long-term injections leading to HIV and Hepatitis, mixing cocaine with other drugs, tolerance, dependence (both psychological and physical), withdrawal, cocaine and pregnancy, breast feeding, cocaine and the law, cocaine and driving, and other problems.
Cocaine and Crack Substance Abuse Education, Inc. NCBuy Computer Store: This site gives information about purchasing software about cocaine. It sells for $18.90. The tutorial, Cocaine and Crack is appropriate for learner in grades 6-12 to adult. It presents the psychological and physical effects associated with cocaine and crack use.
Information on Drugs of Abuse: Cocaine: Discusses abuse and addiction. This site has links to publications entitled: Mind Over Matter, Combining Drug Counseling Methods Proves Effective in Treating Cocaine Addiction, Cocaine's Pleasurable Effects Involve Multiple Chemical Sites in the Brain, Coping Skills Help Patients Recognize and Resist the Urge to Use Cocaine, Cocaine Activates Different Brain Regions for Rush Versus Craving, Prenatal Cocaine Exposure Costs at Least $352 Million Per Year, Men and Women in Drug Abuse Treatment Relapse at Different Rates and for Different Reasons, and others.
Drug Abuse and Addictions: Contains: APA treatment guidelines for alcohol, cocaine, opioids, NIH therapy manual for drug addiction, information about commonly abused drugs, diagnosis and treatment of drug abuse, Bill Moyers on addiction, Amer. Academy of Health Care Providers in Addictive Disorders, Parent's guide to drug prevention, and resources to reduce substance abuse.

LSD

ADF Drug Hit | Hallucinogens: Defines hallucinogens as drugs which act on the central nervous system to produce significant, often radical, changes to the user's state of consciousness. Discusses LSD as well as other hallucinogens. Discusses immediate effects, long-term effects, dependence (psychological and physical), withdrawal, tolerance, LSD and pregnancy, and hallucinogens and driving.
Information on Drugs of Abuse: Acid/LSD: Defines LSD and gives publication sites about the drug. Club Drugs Community Drug Alert Bulletin, and Mind Over Matter.
Encyclopedia.com - Results for LSD: This site gives a detailed definition of the drug called LSD.
LSD INFORMATION: This site answers frequently asked questions about LSD. Discusses the psychological effects of LSD. It also clears up some misconceptions about the drug. Includes a reading list including: LSD, My Problem Child: text of the book by Albert Hofmann, and The CIA and LSD: the CIA's early experiments. Other information includes: LSD and Lithium: some warnings on LSD and lithium interactions, No Hitter: Dock Ellis pitches a baseball game on acid: no-one gets a hit against him, and Types of LSD: a table of some of the kinds of LSD.
UMHS - LSD: This site defines the drug LSD, and gives some other related health sites, including: Division of Substance Abuse, Department of Psychiatry, MCare Drug Dependence & Abuse, National Institute on Drug Abuse, and Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.

Heroin

ADF Drug Hit | Heroin: This site defines heroin. It discusses its immediate effects, long-term effects, heroin and other drugs, association with hepatitis and HIV, dependence, tolerance, heroin and pregnancy, withdrawal, and heroin and driving.
Opiate / Heroin Information: This site provides street terms for heroin, a definition of heroin, history, effects, dangers, and the law.
Heroin: Defines heroin as a highly addictive drug derived from morphine, which is obtained from the opium poppy. Tells the ways that heroin can be taken, and gives negative effects of the drug.
Heroin Alert -- The Story of Erin Allen: An actual account of a teen age girl who died from a heroin overdose.
Encyclopedia.com - Results for heroin: This site gives the definition of heroin, and the negative effects of the drug.

Benzodiazapines

ADF | Minor Tranquillisers: This site discusses minor tranquillisers belonging to a group of drugs called 'benzodiazepines' (or benzos). They are prescribed by doctors to relieve stress and anxiety and to help people sleep. It also discusses other reasons that benzos are taken, immediate effects, long-term effects, pregnancy and breast feeding, tranquillisers and driving, dependence (psychological and physical), withdrawal, tolerance, and other tips to remember.
Tranquilizers Handout: This site gives some of the street names of benzos: Tranks, downers, anti anxiety agents (anxiolytics), happy pills, BZD's, mood modifiers, and mood elevators. It discusses what these drugs feel like, what they do, how they can hurt you, and when to get help.
Tranquilizers fact sheet: This site discusses major tranquilizers, minor tranquilizers, immediate effects, long-term effects, toxic effects, side effects, tranquilizers and pregnancy, withdrawal symptoms, why tranquilizers are prescribed, and extent of use.
The Minor Tranquilizers, Including Xanax, Valium, BuSpar, Ativan, and Halcion, and the Antidepressant Anafranil, excerpts by Peter R. Breggin MD: This site is an article discussing the different types of benzos and the effects they have on the body.
Tranquilizers: This site gives background information on benzos, the effects they have on the body, questions regarding dependency, and other resources such as: The Addiction Research Foundation's Tranquilizer Page, The Addiction Research Foundation's Benzodiazepines Page, and The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information's Prescription Drug Abuse Page.