Drug Information
Alcohol
Alcohol works in the brain primarily by increasing the effects of γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain; by facilitating GABA's actions, alcohol suppresses the activity of the CNS. The substance also directly affects a number of other neurotransmitter systems including those of glutamate, glycine, acetylcholine, and serotonin. The pleasurable effects of alcohol ingestion are the result of increased levels of dopamine and endogenous opioids in the reward pathways of the brain. Alcohol also has toxic and unpleasant actions in the body, many of which are mediated by its byproduct acetaldehyde.
Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines enhance the effect of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) at the GABAA receptor, resulting in sedative, hypnotic (sleep-inducing), anxiolytic (anti-anxiety), anticonvulsant, and muscle relaxant properties; also seen in the applied pharmacology of high doses of many shorter-acting benzodiazepines are amnesic-dissociative actions
Cannabis
“Cannabis” refers to all products derived from the plant Cannabis sativa. The drugs work via the cannabinoid receptors in the brain.
Designer Drugs
A designer drug is a structural or functional analog of a controlled substance that has been designed to mimic the pharmacological effects of the original drug, while avoiding classification as illegal and/or detection in standard drug tests.
Hallucinogen and Dissociative
Hallucinogens are a diverse group of drugs that alter perception (awareness of surrounding objects and conditions), thoughts, and feelings. They cause hallucinations, or sensations and images that seem real though they are not. Dissociative drugs can produce visual and auditory distortions and a sense of floating and dissociation (feeling detached from reality) in users.
Inhalants
Inhalants are volatile substances that produce chemical vapors that can be inhaled to induce a psychoactive, or mind-altering, effect. Although other abused substances can be inhaled, the term "inhalants" is used to describe a variety of substances whose main common characteristic is that they are rarely, if ever, taken by any route other than inhalation.
Methamphetamines
Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system.
Opioids
Opioids are substances that act on opioid receptors to reduce pain. Opioids decrease the release of GABA, thus disinhibiting the GABAergic brake on dopamine networks. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter meaning it either blocks or decreases the potential of a neuron firing. This causes large amounts of dopamine to be released, as it isn't blocked by GABA anymore.