Amphetamines

E.g.: speed, meth, and crystal

Effects Speed is about 5% amphetamine sulphate, 95% saccharin, talc etc. It will make you feet alert, awake, energetic, talkative, confident and even 'invincible'. Crystal Methamphetamine (Meth) is a very strong, pure speed. The effects are similar too, only much more intense. If you smoke or inject it, your rush will happen within 5 - 10 seconds; snorting 3 - 5 minutes; swallowing 15 - 20 minutes.

Side Effects Anxiety and paranoia are the two most common mental effects. Many say a speed comedown is the worst. Physically, effects can include dehydration, jaw gnashing, the shakes, palpitations, breathlessness, chest pain, heart attack, irritability and aggression.

In the long term, dependence is not uncommon since tolerance is quickly acquired. It has serious consequences on mental health. Paranoia, depression and psychosis are all widely reported. Physical problems include high blood pressure, weight loss and vitamin deficiency.

Safer Use Much of the advice on safer ecstasy use applies equally to speed & meth. Remember that mixing speed with other drugs can be a dangerous business, placing a great strain on your body. Alcohol will only dehydrate you more. Be kind to yourself when you're coming down and for a few days after. Your body has to recover sometime, so don't be tempted to put it off by taking more stimulants.

Cannabis/Skunk

eg: dope, draw, grass, ganja

Effects If smoking, the effects kick in after a few minutes and last between 1 and 3 hours. It takes 40 minutes or so if you eat or drink it and the effects last much longer. The active ingredient in cannabis, THC and MLI increase your sensitivity and appreciation of the world around you (sounds sound clearer, food tastes tastier and the like); you relax, become chattier, giggle a lot (the inane is funny) and you will probably crave food (known as 'the munchies') too.

With skunk, a weed with far higher levels of THC in it, you can expect all these effects but to a greater degree. It's also described, by users, as a 'frothier' experience where you don't feel so heavy nor as sedated.

Side Effects Mild and pleasurable hallucinations are to be expected, but sometimes this gets out of hand; bad trips, anxiety, paranoia, disorientation, panic attacks and extreme sadness are all possible. With heavy smoking of skunk, it's possible to have quite a nasty trip. Nausea and headaches are not unusual with either cannabis or skunk.

Over a longer term, there is little evidence to suggest that there are many serious physical side effects. Obviously, for the smoker, inhaling tobacco has all of its associated risks. Cigarettes are still the single largest killer drug in the UK.

In terms of its effects on mental health, lethargy, depression, short-term memory loss, anxiety and psychosis are all common features for tong term daily users. All of these effects are heightened with skunk.

Finally, dependence. Recent studies have identified a part of the brain that becomes used to the presence of the active ingredient, THC. When the supply is lessened or stopped, withdrawal and craving begins. This is brought out by many users' experiences.

Safer Use If you smoke cannabis with tobacco (as most do), try to avoid using it from pre-packed cigarettes. These contain all sorts of adulterants, which are highly toxic and not meant to be smoked without a filter tip. Use rolling tobacco instead. Or, better still, try an herbal tobacco-alternative (some don't taste that bad).

The advantage is two-fold; you're not inhaling so many toxins into your lungs and some report a marked decrease in their craving for cannabis. This suggests that much of the craving for the daily joint may be to do with nicotine- dependence.

There are increasing numbers of people using daily who cannot get out of the house in the morning without a spliff, or who cannot get out of their armchairs all day because of smoking cannabis. The bad news is that, at that stage, withdrawal symptoms feel rather like the effects of smoking dope; lethargy, feeling withdrawn, depressed and tearful.

The best harm reduction strategy, therefore, is to try to avoid getting to that stage in the first place. All things in moderation.