OXYCODONE

Trade Names: OxyContin®, Tylox®, Percodan®

Street Names: Oxy, X, Roxy, Hillbilly Heroin, OC, Perks, Bikes

Oxycodone is a prescription pain reliever and is widely used in clinical medicine.

Oxycodone is abused for its euphoric effects. Every age group has been affected by the relative prevalence of oxycodone availability and the perceived safety of oxycodone products by professionals. The main sources of oxycodone on the street have been through forged prescriptions, home medicine cabinets, professional diversion through unscrupulous pharmacists, doctors, dentists, "doctor-shopping," robberies and break-ins of pharmacies and nursing homes

COCAINE

Street Names: Coke, Soft

Cocaine is a central nervous system stimulant, the most powerful found in nature. Most often seen in the form of a white, crystalline powder, it is extracted from the leaves of the coca plant. The primary route of administration for cocaine powder is through inhalation, commonly referred to as "snorting." Users will feel euphoric within minutes of use. The faster the absorption, the more intense the high. Cocaine causes the heart to beat more rapidly and blood vessels to constrict. Repeated use and large amounts can cause paranoia, acute toxic psychosis, strokes or heart attacks. Cocaine is particularly dangerous when used with alcohol.

MARIJUANA (Cannabis)

Street Names: Trees, Piff, Weed, Zips

Marijuana is the world’s most commonly used illicit drug. Although cannabis contains at least 400 different chemicals, its main mind-altering ingredient is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol).The amount of THC in marijuana determines the drug’s strength and THC levels are affected by a many factors, including plant type, weather, soil, and time of harvest. Marijuana and other cannabis products are usually smoked, sometimes in a pipe or water pipe, but most often in loosely rolled cigarettes known as "joints." Some users will slice open and hollow out cigars, replacing the tobacco with marijuana, to make what are called "blunts." Joints and blunts may be laced with other substances, including crack cocaine and the potent hallucinogen phencyclidine (PCP), substantially altering effects of the drug.

CRACK COCAINE

Street Names: Rock, Hard

Crack cocaine is a smokeable, rapidly reacting form of cocaine base, which is processed from cocaine hydrochloride. It usually appears as off-white chips, rocks, or chunks. Crack is smoked. This is easier than "snorting" and carries much less social stigma than injection. Chips or chunks are usually placed in a pipe, often made of glass or a similar vessel, and heated with a match or cigarette lighter. The user inhales the fumes. Crack causes the same effects as powder cocaine. Because it is smoked, however, onset is more rapid and intensity greater. Thus, the effects may be significantly exacerbated. The depression following use is described as considerably deeper and more profound.

HEROIN

Street Names: Smack, Diesel

Heroin is a fast-acting opiate. It comes from morphine, which is extracted from the seed pods of poppy plants. A white or brownish powder, heroin is generally diluted with other drugs, or sugar, flour, or powdered milk. It may have a bit of a vinegar smell. Heroin is often sold in small, plastic bags or envelopes, decorated with designs, logos or colored stamps. Users typically snort or smoke it. As an addiction worsens, users will start injecting the drug. Heroin induces euphoria, with a "high" generally lasting three to four hours. Regular use causes the body to resist narcotic effects, requiring higher and more frequent doses to achieve the same results. Heroin cannot be prescribed in the Unites States.

ALPRAZOLAM

Trade Names: Xanax®, Alprazolam Intensol®

Street Names: Bars, Zanibars, Tranks

Alprazolam (Xanax) is an anti-anxiety medication which may be prescribed for the treatment of anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder/manic depression and other mental disorders.

Alprazolam (Xanax) abuse generally occurs in the cases of patients who have chronic pain, severe emotional instability or personality disorders, or a history of drug or alcohol dependence and/or abuse. High doses of the medication referred to as "bars" are generally traded on the black market. Abusers tend to illicitly use Xanax and other anxiety meds for the state of relaxation and dis-inhibition the drugs induce. Those who engage in Alprazolam abuse often combine it with other drugs, thereby increasing the dangers involved