subject: Illegal Substances You Never Knew Existed [print this page] Drug abuse and addiction levels are at all-time highs in the United States. Despite massive law enforcement efforts, tens of millions of people in America continue to use a wide array of illicit drugs. Because of the pervasive nature of this problem, most people are at least cursorily familiar with common illegal substances. Marijuana is often the subject of music and comedy, and even many high school-age kids have used it. Casual drug users and addicts alike use cocaine at parties and in night clubs. Heroin and crack are often viewed as street drugs for supposedly hopeless addicts and homeless people. Even people who have never known a drug user are typically familiar with these substances.
However, there are still many illegal drugs which few people have even heard of. Many drug users try to avoid law enforcement or experience different drug effects by using these substances, but their possession still carries stiff legal penalties. More importantly, these uncommon drugs are as dangerous as addictive as more widely-known substances. In order to effectively treat addicts and curb the growth of drug addiction, medical professionals and laypeople alike need to be able to recognize rare drugs. Here are several illegal substances you never knew existed.
San Pedro
Echinopsis Pachanoi, also known as San Pedro, is a cactus native to South and Central America. As with many other drug-containing plants, various cultures have used it for thousands of years for medicinal and spiritual purposes. San Pedro is illegal to cultivate in the United States because it contains mescaline, a dangerous and addictive alkaloid substance.
Amyl Nitrate
Commonly called rush or poppers, amyl nitrate is a drug which people carry in liquid form and sniff from a bottle. Users typically report brief and intense physical sensations including rapid heartbeats, slowed time, relaxed muscles, and dizziness. Many people who take poppers do so in attempts to enhance other activities, especially sex. When used in combination with common muscle relaxants, erectile dysfunction medications, and other vasodilators, poppers can cause a fatal decrease in blood pressure. Though not completely illegal, amyl nitrate exists in a legal grey area it can be sold for its aromatic and medicinal purposes, but not as a recreational substance.
Quaaludes
Common effects of Quaaludes include euphoria, sleepiness, lowered heart rate and blood pressure, and increased libido. They were first marketed legally during the 1970s as sleeping pills, though people soon began to abuse them for heightened sexual pleasure and other recreational purposes. The drug became illegal in the United States in 1984, but the key ingredient methaqualone is still available throughout the world. This availability problem is similar to that of methamphetamines making the drug requires complex ingredients, but those ingredients are hard to control.
Fentanyl
Fentanyl has historically been used a pain relief agent, and it is still used by cancer patients in medical settings. However, it is classed as a narcotic in the United States, and its recreational use is illegal. Users report feelings similar to those produced by heroin, though it tends to cause less euphoria and more relaxation. It is also potentially more addictive because its effects are so short-lived. Users often consume a great deal of fentanyl in a short amount of time, leading to the rapid onsets of tolerance and dependency.
Oxymorphone
Like most opium derivatives, oxymorphone has historically been used for severe pain relief. It has also been used in preoperative patients as a calming drug to maintain the sedative effects of anesthesia. People typically use oxymorphone illicitly for its ability to alleviate depression social anxiety, though it does have short-lived euphoric effects. Because these effects are brief, users can quickly develop addictions from large and frequent doses.
Oxycodone
Another opiate, oxycodone is commonly used as an alternative to morphine to treat pain in cancer patients. A common brand of this drug is Oxycontin one of the most illicitly-used pharmaceuticals in the country. The Drug Enforcement Administration recently reported that roughly 1.9 million Americans have used it without a prescription. Although Oxycontin was designed to time-release the active ingredient, illicit users often crush pills for snorting or injection. This produces a rapid, intense euphoria similar to the feeling produced by heroin injection.
If you or someone you know is struggling with any of these substances, call the number above for a free consultation. Youve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Take the first steps on the road to recovery today.
