MIND-ALTERING SUBSTANCES

TABLE 10-5 Major Substances Used for Mind Alteration

Official Name Slang Name Usual Single Adult Dose/Duration legitimate Medical Uses (Present and Projected) Short-Term Effects Long-Term Effects

Alcohol-whisky, gin, beer, wine.
Booze, hooch, suds, moonshine, firewater, nightcap.
½ ounce of gin or whiskey, 12 ounces of beer/2-4 hours.
Rare: sometimes used as a sedative (for tension).
CNS depressant; relaxation (sedation); euphoria; drowsiness; impaired judgment, reaction time, coordination, and emotional control; frequent aggressive behavior and driving accidents; loss of inhibitions; slurred speech.
Diversion of energy and money from more creative and productive pursuits; habituation; possible obesity with chronic excessive use; irreversible damage to brain and liver; addiction with severe withdrawal illness (DTs) with heavy use; many deaths.

Caffeine-coffee, tea, Coca-Cola, No-Doz, APC.
Java, mud, brew.
1-2 cups, 1 bottle. 5 mg/2-4 hours.
Mild stimulant; treatment of some forms of coma.
CNS stimulant; increased alertness; reduction of fatigue.
Sometimes insomnia, restlessncss, or gastric irritation; habituation.

Nicotine (and coal tar)-cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, snuff
Fags, nails, weeds, butts.
1-2 cigarettes/1-2 hours.
None (used as an insecticide).
CNS stimulant; relaxation or distraction.
Lung (and other) cancer, heart and blood vessel disease, cough, etc.; higher infant mortality rate; many deaths; habituation; diversion of energy and money; air pollution; fire.

SEDATIVES

Alcohol

Downers

Barbiturates-amobarbital (Amyta), Tuinal), pentobarbital (Nembutal), secobarbital (Seconal), phenobarbita.
FBarbs, blue angel, blue devils, yellow jackets. yellow birds, dolls, red devils, red birds, phennnies, goofers, jelly beans, tooies.
50-100 mg
Treatment of insomnia and tension
Induction of anesthesia as an anticonvulsant.
CNS depressants; sleep induction); sometimes euphiria; drowsiness; impaired judgement, reaction time, coordination and emptional control; relief of anxiety/tension; muscele relaxation.
Irritability, weight loss, addiction with severe withdrawal illness (like DTs); diversion of energy and money; habituation, addiction.

Glutethimide (Doriden)
Gorilla pills, CBs. D
500 mg

Chloral hydrate (Noctec)
Peter. Mickey
500 mg

Meprobamate (Miltown. Equanil)
Dolls, dollies
400 mg/4 hours

STIMULANTS

Caffeine

Nicotine

Uppers

Amphetamines
Ampethamine (Benzedrine)
Methamphetamine (Methodrine, Pesoxyn)
Dextroamphetamine (Dexdrine)
Pep pills, wake-ups. Bennies, spalsh, peaches Water crystal, speed, meth Dexies, uppers.
2.5-15.0 mg
Treatment of obesity, narcolepsy, fatigue, depression, heperkinesia.
obesity, narcolepsy, fatigue, depression, heperkinesia CNS stimulants; increased alertness; reduction if fatigue; loss of appetite; insomnia; often euphira, agitation.
Restlessness, weight loss, toxic psychosis (mainly paranoid); diversion of energy and money; habitutation; extreme irritability; toxic psychosis.

Phenmetrazine HCI (Preludin)
Cocaine
Diet
Coke, snow, blow, happy gold dust, toot, lady, flake,crack,ceil, girl, C.
25mg
Variable/4 hours*
Anesthesia of the eye and throat.
Symptoms of overdose hallucinations, convulsions; cardiac, respiratory failure; coma; pulmonary edema.

TRANQUILIZERS
Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)
Phenothiazines
  • Chlorpromazine HCI (Thorazine)
  • Perchlorperazine (Compazine)
  • Tifluoperazine HCI (Stelazine)
Reserpine (rauwolfia)
Green and whites, roaches
  • Chlordiazepoxide (5-25 mg)
  • Perchlorperazine (5-10 mg)
  • Tifluoperazine HCI (2-5 mg)
  • Reserpine (0.10-0.25 mg/4-6 hours*)
Treatment of anxiety, tension. alcoholism, neurosis, psychosis, psychosomatic disorders, and vomiting.
Selective CNS depressants; relaxation, relief of anxiety/tension; suppression of hallucinations or delusions, improved functioning.
Sometimes drowsiness, dryness of mouth, blurring of vision, skin rash, tremor; occasionally jaundice, agranulocytosis, or death.

Marijuana or cannabis
Pot. grass, Texas tea, weed, stuff, joint, reefers, Mary Jane. MJ, hay. loeoweed.
Variable-1 cigarette or pipe, or 1 drink or cake (lndia)/4 hours*
Treatment of depression, tension, loss of appetite, high blood pressure, nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy.
Relaxation, euphoria, increased appetite, some alteration of time perception, possible impairment of judgment and coordination; mixed CNS depressant-stimulant; lowered inhibitions.
Usually none; possible diversion of energy and money; habituation; occasional acute panic reactions (with paranoia, delusions, hallucinations).

Hashish*
Hash, rope. Sweet Lucy.

ANTIDEPRESSANTS
  • Ritalin
  • Dibenzazepine (imipramine [Tofranil], amitriptyline HCI [Elavil])
  • MAO inhibitors (phenelzine sulfate [Nardil), tranylcypromine sulfate [Parnate])
Speed, uppers, eye opener.
Ritalin (5-10 mg)
Dibenzazepine (25 mg, 10 mg) MAO inhibitors(10 mg, 15 mg/4-6 hours*)
Treatment of moderate to severe depression.
Relief of depression (elevation of mood), stimulation.
Basically the same as tranquilizers above.

NARCOTICS (OPIATES, ANALGESICS)
  • Opium
  • Heroin
  • Morphine (Astramorph)
  • Op, black, poppy, tar, Big O
  • Horse, H, smack, shit, junk, brown, pcag, TNT
  • M, white stuff, Miss Emma
  • 10-12 “pipes“ (Asia)/ 4 hours*
  • Variable-bag or paper with 5-10% heroin
  • 10-15 mg
Treatment of severe pain, diarrhea, and cough.
CNS depressants; sedation, euphoria, relief of pain, impaired intellectual functioning and coordination.
Constipation, loss of appetite and weight, temporary im-potency or sterility; habituation, addiction with unpleasant and painful withdrawal illness.

  • Codeine
    Aspirin/oxycodone HCI (Percodan)
  • Meperidine HCI (Demerol)
  • Terp, robo. romo. syrup
  • Doctors
  • 15-30 mg/ 1 tablet
  • 50-100 mg
Topical anesthetic.

  • Codeine
    Aspirin/oxycodone HCI (Percodan)
  • Meperidine HCI (Demerol)
  • Terp, robo. romo. syrup
  • Doctors

  • Methadone (Dolophine)
  • Cough syrups (Cheracol. Hycodan, Romilar, etc.)
Doctors
  • 2.5-40.0 mg
  • 2-4 ounces. (for euphoria)/ 4-6 hours

Dilaudid
DLs, 4s, lords, little D

HALLUCINOGENS
  • LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide)
  • Psilocybin
  • STP
  • DMT
  • Mescaline (peyote)
  • PCP (Phencyclidine)
  • MDMA
  • Acid, sugar cube, trip, big D
  • Magic mushrooms, God’s flesh, rooms
  • Serenity, tranquility, peace
  • Businessman's Trip
  • Cactus, mesc, mescal, half moon, big chief, bad seed
  • Angel dust, hog, rocket fuel
  • Ecstasy. XTC, Adam
  • LSD (150 µg/10-12 hours)
  • Psilocybin (25 mg)
  • STP (6 mg)
  • 350 mg/12-14 hours
Experimental study of mind and brain function; enhancement of creativity and problem solving; treatment of alcoholism. mental illness, and reduction of intractable pain in the dying person; chemical warfare.
Production of visual imager)'. increased sensory awareness, anxiety, nausea, impaired coordination; sometimes consciousness expansion.
Usually none; sometimes precipitates or intensifies an already existing psychosis (hallucinations); more commonly can produce a panic reaction (extreme hyperactivity).

MISCELLANEOUS
  • Glue, gasoline, and solvents
  • Amyl nitrite
  • Antihistamines
  • Nutmeg
  • Nonprescription "sedatives” (Compote)
  • Catnip
  • Nitrous oxide
  • Glue, gasoline, and solvents (Variable)
  • Amyl nitrite (1-2 ampules)
  • Antihistamines (25-50 mg)
  • Nutmeg (Variable/2 hours)
None except for antihistamines used for allergy and amyl nitrite for fainting.
When used for mind alteration generally produces a “high" (euphoria) with impaired coordination and judgment.
Variable-some of the substances can seriously damage the liver or kidney, and some produce hallucinations.