Street Drugs
How long does it take for GHB to take effect?
15 to 30 minutes
When was heroin first synthesized?
1874
When was heroin made illegal by federal law?
1924
How long does GHB last?
3 to 6 hours
How much money does a coca farmer receive for every gram of cocaine he products?
5 cents
What are the short term effects of opioid abuse?
A "rush" (a surge of pleasure, or euphoria), dry mouth, warm flushing of the skin, heavy feeling in the arms and legs, nausea and vomiting, severe itching, clouded mental functioning, and "on the nod" (a back and forth state of conscious and semiconscious)
What is Dextromethorphan?
A cough suppressant in many over-the-counter cold and cough medicines
What is Ibuprofen?
A drug used for treating pain, fever, and inflammation
What is amphetamine?
A drug used to to treat ADHD and narcolepsy
What is khat?
A flowering shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian-Peninsula
What form does GHB come as?
A liquid or white powder
What is Acetaminophen?
A medication typically used to treat mild to moderate pain and relieve fever
What is Naloxone?
A medication used to block the effects of opioids
Raw opium is refined into what kind of base?
A morphine base
What is Hydrocodone?
A narcotic analgesic used orally for the relief of moderate to severe pain, is a semi-synthetic opioid synthesized from codeine, one of the opioid alkaloids found in the opium poppy
What is fentanyl?
A powerful synthetic opioid analgesic that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent
What is cocaine?
A powerfully addictive stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America
What is "black tar"?
A relatively crude and unrefined form of heroin; sticky like roofing tar or hard like coal.
What is the process of smoking crack?
A rock crystal is heated to produce vapors that are inhaled into the lungs
What is Oxycodone?
A semi-synthetic opioid synthesized from thebaine, an opioid alkaloid found in the opium poppy
What is methamphetamine?
A stimulant drug
What is a fentanyl analog?
A substance intended for human consumption that is substantially similar in its chemical makeup and effects to fentanyl already listed in Schedule I.
What is Meperidine?
A synthetic opioid pain medication used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain.
What is Pentazocine?
A synthetically-prepared opioid analgesic used to treat moderate to moderately severe pain.
What does illegal or street fentanyl look like?
A white powder
What are the prescription names for fentanyl?
Actiq, Duragesic, and Sublimaze
What other drugs is GHB commonly used with?
Alcohol (primarily), other depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and marijuana
What is methamphetamine chemically similar to?
Amphetamine
What are the signs and symptoms of khat?
Amphetamine-like effects, Euphoria, Increased alertness and energy, Hyperactivity, Anorexia, Feeling relaxed, Talkative, Elevated blood pressure, Dilated pupils, Hyperthermia, Arrhythmias, Increased respiration
What are synthetic cathinones chemically similar to?
Amphetamines, cocaine, and MDMA (Molly)
What is Codeine?
An opiate used to treat mild to moderate degrees of pain
What is U-47700?
An opioid analgesic drug developed by a team at Upjohn in the 1970s that has around 7.5x the potency of morphine
What is Tramadol?
An opioid pain medication used to treat moderate to moderately severe pain
What is Methadone?
An opioid used to treat pain and as maintenance therapy to help with detoxification in people with opioid dependence
What are the street names for fentanyl or for fentanyl-laced heroin?
Apache, China Girl, China White, Dance Fever, Friend, Goodfella, Jackpot, Murder 8, TNT, and Tango and Cash
How long do the effects last from cocaine use?
Appear almost immediately and disappear within a few minutes to an hour
How is methamphetamine distributed?
As a white, bitter-tasting powder, pill form, or something that looks like glass fragments or shiny, clear or bluish-white rocks referred to as crystal meth
How are synthetic cathinones marketed?
As cheap substitutes for other stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine
When did GHB become popular?
At dance clubs and raves in the 1990s; gained notoriety as a date rape drug
How do opioids (prescription narcotics) act?
Attaching to specific proteins called opioid receptors, which are found in the brain, spinal cord, and gastrointestinal tract; when these compounds attach to certain opioid receptors, they can effectively change the way a person experiences pain
Why do methamphetamine users often take repeated doses in a "binge and crash" pattern?
Because the high from the drug both starts and fades quickly
What are some common names for heroin?
Big H, Horse, Hell Dust, and Smack
What is it called when a meth user takes meth repeatedly giving up food and sleep while continuing to take the drug every few hours for up to several days?
Binging or a "run"
What are some street names for bath salts?
Bliss, Blue Silk, Cloud Nine, Drone, Energy, Ivory Wave, Lunar Wave, Meow Meow, Ocean Burst, Pure Ivory, Purple Wave, Red Dove, Snow Leopard, Stardust, Vanilla Sky, White dove, White Knight, White Lightening
What does heroin look like?
Can be a white or brown powder, or a black sticky substance known as black tar heroin
What can the additives in heroin do to the body?
Can clog blood vessels leading to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain causing permanent damage
What is the principal active stimulant in khat?
Cathinone
What are the two central nervous stimulants in khat?
Cathinone and cathine
What are common street names for methamphetamine?
Chalk, crank, crystal, ice, meth, and speed
What are the benefits to selling fentanyl instead of heroin?
Cheaper and faster to produce; purely synthetic
Where is the primary source of supply for fentanyl and fentanyl precursors destined for the United States, Canada, and Mexico?
China
What are cocaleros?
Coca leaf farmers in Peru and Bolivia
How does cocaine interact with dopamine in the brain?
Cocaine prevents dopamine from being recycled, causing large amounts to build up in the space between two nerve cells, stopping their normal communication. This flood of dopamine in the brain's reward circuit strongly reinforces drug-taking behaviors, because the reward circuit eventually adapts to the excess of dopamine caused by cocaine, and becomes less sensitive to it
What are the signs and symptoms of cocaine use?
Constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, increased body temperature, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, bizarre, erratic, and violent behavior, restlessness, irritability, headaches, anxiety, panic, paranoia, tremors, vertigo, gastrointestinal complications, abdominal pain, nausea, muscle twitches, disturbances in heart rhythm, heart attacks, neurological effects including strokes, seizures, coma, death
What do street dealers often mix with cocaine?
Cornstarch, talcum powder, or flour to increase profits
What is a freebase form of cocaine that is usually heated in aluminum foil or glassware and inhaled?
Crack cocaine
What is GHB known as?
Date rape drug
What are some withdrawal symptoms from crack cocaine?
Depression, Fatigue, Increased appetite, Unpleasant dreams and insomnia, Slowed thinking
Where are natural narcotics derived from in the opium poppy?
Directly from the sap of the unripe seed pods
How is GHB administered?
Dissolved in water, juice, or alcohol. In liquid form, GHB is clear and colorless with a slightly salty taste.
How is impure heroin usually used?
Dissolved, diluted, and injected into veins, muscles, or under the skin.
What natural chemical does methamphetamine increase the amount of?
Dopamine
What natural chemical in the body involves body movement, motivation, and reinforcement of rewarding behaviors?
Dopamine
How are some drugs commonly smuggled in airports?
Drug smugglers swallow a number of packets before going to the airport.
What is the mixture of heroin and fentanyl called?
El diablito
What does heroin do to the brain?
Enters the brain rapidly and binds to opioid receptors on cells located in many areas, especially those involved in feelings of pain and pleasure and in controlling heart rate, sleeping, and breathing
What are the signs and symptoms of opioid abuse?
Euphoria, Drowsiness, Nausea, Confusion, Constipation, Sedation, Tolerance, Addiction, Respiratory Depression and Arrest, Unconsciousness, Coma, Death
What are the short-term effects of cocaine use?
Extreme happiness and energy, mental alertness, hypersensitivity to sight, sound, and touch, irritability, and paranoia
What are the long-term effects of methamphetamine use?
Extreme weight loss, severe dental problems ("meth mouth"), intense itching, leading to skin sores from scratching, anxiety, confusion, sleeping problems, violent behavior, paranoia, hallucinations, reduced coordination, and impaired verbal learning
True or False: Hypoxia does not have short and long term mental effects.
False. It does.
True or False: Fentanyl is a schedule III prescription drug.
False. It is Schedule II.
True or False: It is illegal for Chinese manufacturers to make and sell pill presses.
False. It is legal, making them easily accessible to drug traffickers.
True or False: Fentanyl sales or less lucrative than heroin.
False. More lucrative.
True or False: Much is known about how synthetic cathinones affect the human brain.
False. Much is still unknown.
What is the most prevalent and significant synthetic opioid threat to the United States right now?
Fentanyl
What does cocaine look like?
Fine, white, crystal power
What are GHB and its analogs abused?
For their euphoric and calming effects and because some people believe they build muscles and cause weight loss; has ability to increase libido, suggestibility, passivity, and to cause amnesia
What are the street names of GHB?
G, Georgia Home Boy, Goop, Grievous Bodily Harm, Liquid X, Scoop, Liquid Ecstasy
What does GHB stand for?
Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid
What is crystal methamphetamine commonly called?
Glass or Ice
Where does the term "narcotic" come from?
Greek word for "stupor"
What are some signs and symptoms of GHB?
Hallucinations, Euphoria, Drowsiness, Decreased anxiety, Excited and aggressive behavior
What are synthetic cathinones?
Human-made stimulants chemically related to cathinone, a substance found in the khat plant
Where is opium grown?
In a narrow, 4,500 mile stretch of mountains extending across central Asia from Turkey through Pakistan and Burma; also grown in Latin America, notably Colombia and Mexico
How is fentanyl sold?
In little bags (bindles)
What are some health effects of synthetic cathinones?
Increased heart rate, Increased blood pressure, Increased chest pain
What are the short-term effects of methamphetamine use?
Increased wakefulness and physical activity, Euphoria, Rapid speech, Decreased appetite, Faster breathing, Rapid and/or irregular heartbeat, Increased blood pressure and body temperature
What are people who inject methamphetamine at risk of contracting?
Infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B and C
How is methamphetamine consumed?
Inhaling (smoking), Swallowing (pill), snorting, and injecting the powder that has been dissolved in water or alcohol
How do drug users use heroin?
Inject, sniff, snort, or smoke; some mix heroin with crack cocaine
In what forms is Naloxone available?
Injectable solution, handheld auto-injector, and a nasal spray
What are the withdrawal symptoms of GHB?
Insomnia, anxiety, tremors, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, psychotic thoughts
What are the long term effects of opioid abuse?
Insomnia, collapsed veins for people who inject the drug, damaged tissue inside the nose for people who sniff or snort it, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses (swollen tissue filled with pus), constipation and stomach cramping, liver and kidney disease, lung complications (including pneumonia), mental disorders (such as depression and antisocial personality disorder), sexual dysfunction for men, and irregular menstrual cycles for women
What is the pricing for fentanyl so great in comparison to heroin?
It is cut and mixed with heroin and other drugs to expand the volume
How does Naloxone work?
It rapidly binds to opioid receptors and blocks the effects of heroin and other opioid drugs
What drugs are grouped under Hallucinogens?
LSD, PCP, MDMA (Ecstasy), Ketamine, Phencyclidine, Inhalants, Magic Mushrooms, Peyote
What are the after effects of khat?
Lack of concentration, numbness, and insomnia
How long do the effects of khat usually last?
Lasts between 90 minutes and 3 hours
What has been linked to a heightened risk for hemorrhagic stroke in young adults?
Methamphetamine
What drugs are grouped under Stimulants?
Methamphetamine, Prescription Stimulants, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, Khat, Tobacco, E-Cigarette
What is Homatropine?
Methyl Bromide is mixed with drugs such as hydrocodone to discourage intentional overdose
The opium poppy is the source for which natural alkaloids?
Morphine, Thebaine, Codeine Papaverine, and Noscapine
What is a medicine that can treat an opioid overdose when given right away?
Naloxone
What are prescription narcotics also known as?
Narcotic analgesics or opioids
What do low doses of GHB cause?
Nausea
In what ways can customers purchase fentanyl products from China?
Online, purchasing in person, or through a chemical broker
What drugs are grouped under narcotics?
Opioids, Fentanyl, Heroin, Black Tar Heroin, Counterfeit Tablets, Prescription Narcotics
What is the flower of the opium plant called?
Papaver Somniferum
What are signs and symptoms of synthetic cathinones?
Paranoia, hallucinations, increased friendliness, increased sex drive, panic attacks, and excited delirium
What is the most commonly utilized transportation method for methamphetamine?
Passenger vehicles with hidden compartments
What forms is non-pharmaceutical fentanyl sold in?
Powder, spiked on blotter paper, mixed with or substituted for heroin, tablets that mimic other less potent opioids
What drugs are grouped under Depressants?
Prescription Benzodiazepines, Barbiturates, GHB
What are the most used and abused medicines today?
Prescription narcotics
How much is a kilogram of fentanyl purchased and then sold for?
Purchased: approximately $6,000 Sold: approximately $1.6 million
How much is a kilogram of heroin purchased and then sold for?
Purchased: approximately $6,000 Sold: approximately $80,000
What drugs are grouped under Cannabis?
Recreational Marijuana, Medical Marijuana, Concentrates
What category is illicit fentanyl analogs not already regulated by the Controlled Substance Act placed into?
Schedule I
What can increase the use of contracting infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis when using heroin?
Sharing drug injection equipment and having impaired judgment from drug use
When a drug user mixes heroin with water for injection, what is it often called?
Slamming, Shooting up, banging, pinning, or jacking up (also depends on the specific drug subculture in which the term is used, i.e. heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine)
How is crystal methamphetamine most often produced?
Slowly by recrystallizing powder methamphetamine using a solvent such as water, ethanol, isopropanol, or acetone to remove impurities
What is a popular method of using cocaine?
Smoking crack
How is cocaine administered?
Snort through the nose, or they rub it into their gums; others dissolve the powder and inject it into the bloodstream
What are the long-term effects of cocaine use?
Snorting, Smoking, Consuming by mouth, Needle injection
How are synthetic cathinones usually packaged?
Sold in small plastic or foil packages labeled "not for human consumption"; can be labeled as "bath salts," "plant food," "jewelry cleaner," or "phone screen cleaner."
What is mixing heroin with crack cocaine called?
Speedballing
What drugs are grouped under Synthetics?
Spice and Bath Salts
What other drugs can cocaine be mixed with?
Stimulant amphetamine or synthetic opioids, including fentanyl
What kind of additives does heroin contain?
Sugar, starch, and powdered milk
How do people administer non-pharmaceutical fentanyl?
Swallow, snort, or inject fentanyl; put blotter paper in their mouths so that fentanyl is absorbed through the mucus membrane
How are bath salts typically administered?
Swallowed, snorted, smoked, or injected
What are bath salts?
Synthetic cathinones
What is Schedule I?
The category for drugs with no currently accepted medical use
What are the signs of life-threatening overdose?
The face is extremely pale and clammy to the touch, body is limp, fingernails or lips have a blue or purple cast, the patient is vomiting or making gurgling noises, the patient cannot be awakened from sleep, the patient is unable to speak, breathing is very slow or stopped, and heartbeat is very slow or stopped
Why is smoking heated rock crystal called crack?
The rock makes a crackling sound while it's being heated
What happens when people overdose on heroin?
Their breathing slows or stops; this can decrease the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain (hypoxia)
Why would a dealer prefer to sell heroin laced with fentanyl?
To produce the highest quality heroin to keep customers and steal customers from other dealers.
What is fentanyl typically used for?
To treat patients with severe pain or to manage pain after surgery; sometimes used to treat patients with chronic pain who are physically tolerant to other opioids
True or False: A recent study suggests that people who used methamphetamine have an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
True.
True or False: Fentanyl and U-47700 are lethal at very low doses.
True.
True or False: Fentanyl availability continues to be primarily by itself or with heroin.
True.
True or False: GHB can be taken without another drug involved.
True.
True or False: Hypoxia has short and long term effects on the nervous system including coma and permanent brain damage.
True.
True or False: It is common for drug gangs to murder their rival gang members and then shoot up the funeral.
True.
True or False: Methamphetamine in powder form is usually white, but can come in green, pink, tan, blue, and other colors.
True.
True or False: Much of the heroin sold on the streets today is mixed with fentanyl.
True.
True or False: The morphine base from raw opium is converted into heroine by a chemical reaction with acetic anhydride followed by a varying degree of purification.
True.
True or False: The profit by mixing fentanyl is about 20 times more profitable than heroin alone.
True.
What are the overdose symptoms of GHB?
Unconsciousness, seizures, slowed heart rate, slowed breathing, lower body temperature, vomiting, nausea, coma, death, addictive
When prescribed by a physician, how is fentanyl often administered?
Via injection, transdermal patch, or in lozenges
When does a heroin overdose occur?
When a person uses enough of the drug to produce a life threatening reaction or death.
What form do synthetic cathinones usually take?
White or brown crystal-like powder
What is GHB prescribed as?
Xyrem
How much does a gram of cocaine sell for in the US?
approximately $100
What is the average purity of methamphetamine?
around 90%
Who introduced heroin for medical use and and when?
the Bayer Company of Germany in 1898
