There are different types of drugs, soft or hard but all of them provoke addictions and have serious consequences on your health.
Read and get informed not to be involved in something you won’t be able to control…

Marijuana

Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. A dry, shredded green/brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, it usually is smoked as a cigarette (joint, nail), or in a pipe (bong). It also is smoked in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, often in combination with another drug. It might also be mixed in food or brewed as a tea. As a more concentrated, resinous form it is called hashish and, as a sticky black liquid, hash oil. The main active chemical in marijuana is THC

The short-term effects of marijuana can include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate. Research findings for long-term marijuana abuse indicate some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term abuse of other major drugs

Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency to obstructed airways. Smoking marijuana possibly increases the likelihood of developing cancer of the head or neck.

Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person's existing problems worse. Depression, anxiety, and personality disturbances have been associated with chronic marijuana use. Because marijuana compromises the ability to learn and remember information, the more a person uses marijuana the more he or she is likely to fall behind in accumulating intellectual, job, or social skills. Moreover, research has shown that marijuana’s adverse impact on memory and learning can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off.

Drug craving and withdrawal symptoms can make it hard for long-term marijuana smokers to stop abusing the drug. People trying to quit report irritability, sleeplessness, and anxiety. They also display increased aggression on psychological tests, peaking approximately one week after the last use of the drug.

Cocaine

With cocaine, everything goes up–not just your usage but your risks as well.

What is cocaine and what does it look like?
Cocaine usually comes in the form of a white powder.
It is extracted from dried leaves of the coca plant.
Cocaine can be snorted (inhaled through the nose, in “lines”), or injected into a vein, or smoked.
Cocaine is often mixed with other substances, which can make it more dangerous. Users have no way of knowing what these substances are, but they can amplify cocaine’s effects and interact with it in unpredictable ways.

Effects and dangers of cocaine
Cocaine is a major stimulant of the central nervous system. It causes intense euphoria and feelings of intellectual and physical prowess. Cocaine also suppresses fatigue, appetite, and pain.
This state of stimulation is often accompanied by a certain amount of agitation and anxiety.
Once the period of euphoria is over, feelings of dysphoria (uneasiness) and anxiety take over. These feelings drive users to take additional hits at fairly regular intervals (for instance, one line every half hour). As users take more and more cocaine, their agitation and anxiety increase. Many users then end up taking alcohol, anxiolytics, sedatives , or cannabis along with their cocaine to reduce these symptoms or to get some sleep.

Cocaine causes the following SYMPTOMS:
• Contraction of most blood vessels, which starves the body’s tissues of blood and can eventually cause them to die. This is what happens when a user’s septum (the wall between the nostrils) becomes perforated–a common symptom in people who snort cocaine regularly.
• Irregular heartbeat and high blood pressure, which can lead to strokes, especially in people who are already susceptible to them or who also smoke a lot of tobacco or cannabis.
• Mental problems, in people who are already susceptible to them or who use large amounts of cocaine. These problems can include psychological disorders, intense mood swings, paranoid delirium, hallucinations (especially auditory ones), and panic attacks. Cocaine sometimes also causes toxic psychosis, in which users lose touch with reality and behave in ways that are unpredictable and potentially dangerous.
• Increased mental activity and resulting insomnia, periods of excitation, and memory problems.
• Another characteristic of cocaine is that it lowers inhibitions, which can cause users to commit violent acts (including sexual aggression), to spend money compulsively, and so on. Because cocaine gives users a feeling of being all-powerful, it can readily lead them into various kinds of undesirable and criminal behaviour.

 In addition, when users share straws or other equipment to snort cocaine, they can pass on the hepatitis A, B and C viruses. When users share needles to inject cocaine, they can transmit the viruses that cause AIDS and hepatitis B and C.
Cocaine is a powerful stimulant that creates a significant psychological dependence.
It then becomes very hard to stop using the drug. The need to take more of it is so strong that it is hard to resist, even if the user takes another substance to try to suppress it.

Crack or rock: a cocaine derivative

Crack or rock is cocaine in free-base form. It is produced by heating cocaine together with sodium bicarbonate and water. It looks like small rocks.
Users take crack by heating it and then inhaling the smoke. In the heating process, cracks form in the rocks–hence the name crack.
The effects of smoking crack are immediate and far more intense than those of snorting cocaine, and similar to those of injecting it. Crack reaches the brain faster, its euphoriant effect is briefer, and coming down from it is far more unpleasant.

Using crack regularly
can cause:
• brain damage
• paranoid episodes
• hallucinations
• suicidal thoughts
• violent behaviour
• serious respiratory damage
• cardiac or respiratory arrest, sometimes resulting in death

Using crack regularly soon creates a very strong, persistent psychological dependence. Even after people have stopped taking crack, they continue to undergo mood swings, and they may experience relapses for up to several months after they stopped taking this drug.

Cocaine Overdose

The symptoms of a cocaine overdose are intense and generally short in nature. The exact amount of cocaine that causes an overdose varies from person to person and is dependent on a variety of factors including weight, metabolism, health etc. An overdose from cocaine can cause a serious increase in blood pressure, which as a result, bleeding in the brain occurs leading to a higher possibility of a stroke. A cocaine overdose can cause heart and respirator problems resulting in death.
Symptoms of cocaine overdose may include some or all of the following:
• Dangerous or fatal rise in body temperature
• Seizures
• Heart attack
• Brain hemorrage
• Kidney failure
• Stroke
• Repeated convulsions
• Tremors
• Delirium
• Death

Heroin

Heroin is derived from morphine. Both heroin and morphine are powerful opiates obtained from a species of poppy.

What does heroin look like?
Heroin comes as a white, beige, or brown powder. It is usually injected intravenously, after being diluted and heated. Heroin can also be snorted or smoked.
The heroin user experiences a powerful analgesic (pain-killing) effect, a quiet euphoria, and feelings of bliss and tranquillity. Heroin also has powerful anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing) and antidepressant effects. Users often seek these effects to ease psychological pain and suffering, or to forget things that they don’t want to think about.
When injected, heroin produces an immediate orgasmic effect, known as a rush. The rush is followed by feelings of euphoria and sleepiness, sometimes accompanied by nausea, dizziness, slower breathing, and a slower heart rate.
If someone uses heroin repeatedly, it is usually only for the first few weeks that they will experience the same intense pleasure every time they take it. After that, they often need to increase their dosage and to take fixes more frequently. Taking heroin becomes so important that it alters their entire daily lives.
A heroin overdose slows breathing and causes loss of consciousness and sometimes death.
 Injecting heroin poses risks of infection (particularly from the AIDS, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C viruses) unless sterile needles and syringes are used and discarded after one use.
Physical and psychological dependence on heroin is very strong.

Heroin Overdose

Tolerance to heroin in particular is quickly acquired. Even occasional weekend users need to take more to get the same effect over time. Tolerance can drop. Some users have overdosed on their 'regular dose', after just a few weeks’ break.
Symptoms of a Heroin overdose include but are not limited to:
• muscle plasticity
• slow and laboured breathing
• shallow breathing
• stopped breathing (sometimes fatal within 2-4 hours)
• pinpoint pupils
• dry mouth
• cold and clammy skin
• tongue discoloration
• bluish colored fingernails and lips
• spasms of the stomach and/or intestinal tract
• constipation
• weak pulse
• low blood pressure
• drowsiness
• disorientation
• coma
• delirium

Ecstasy

Originally the pills sold as ecstasy contained a specific chemical, MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), which was responsible for its psychoactive effects. But nowadays, drugs sold as ecstasy often contain other substances: stimulants such as amphetamine, methamphetamine, caffeine, and ephedrine; hallucinogens such as LSD, PCP, ketamine, nexus, and PMA (paramethoxyamphetamine); anabolic steroids; and analgesics (such as aspirin). Ecstasy may also be cut with corn starch or even with soap or detergents!
Sometimes called the party pill or the love drug, ecstasy is a chemical and comes in tablets. It is being used more and more around the world, but its dangers are often underestimated.

What does ecstasy look like?
Ecstasy generally comes in tablets of various shapes and colours, often with various designs stamped on them (hearts, stars, butterflies, cloverleaves, etc.). These marks are no guarantee of the quality or purity of the product. Ecstasy is mainly swallowed, but may sometimes be snorted, smoked, or injected intravenously. The dose of MDMA in one tablet can vary from 12 mg all the way up to 131 mg, so the effects too can vary considerably.

Effects and dangers of ecstasy
In ecstasy, it is these stimulant effects that predominate, causing excitation and feelings of physical and mental prowess while suppressing fatigue, hunger, and pain. The hallucinogenic effects are relatively minor and generally occur only with high doses.
Ecstasy initially causes a feeling of slight anxiety, along with higher blood pressure, a faster heart rate, clenched jaw muscles, damp skin, and a dry mouth. Next, users experience feelings of euphoria (well-being and satisfaction), relaxation, enhanced self-confidence, reduced fatigue, and lowered inhibitions. Users’ senses become more acute, and they find it easier to express emotions and communicate with other people.
This phase of pleasant sensations is generally followed by one in which users feel tired, sad, depressed, and irritable. This phase may be accompanied by panic attacks and nightmares. Sometimes users may experience intense anxiety, or feel so depressed three or four days after taking the drug that they think they need to see a doctor.
Some frequent users of ecstasy may lose weight and start to feel weak. They may also experience mood swings, sometimes accompanied by aggressive behaviour. This usage pattern may indicate or lead to serious, lasting psychological problems.
• Using ecstasy can dehydrate you and raise your body temperature, so if you are using ecstasy in an overheated room where you are engaged in intense physical activity such as dancing, you need to keep rehydrating your body and getting outside for some fresh air. It is important to drink small amounts of non-alcoholic liquids at regular intervals and to urinate and take rests frequently.

• Ecstasy can cause a rapid or irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, and various other cardiovascular problems. For people who are predisposed to such problems, ecstasy can make them especially serious. In regular users, ecstasy can also cause hepatitis–sometimes very serious, or even fatal.

• Taking ecstasy together with other substances can increase the undesirable effects. The risks of complications seem to increase with the amount of ecstasy taken, its actual chemical composition, and the individual user’s susceptibility.

• Ecstasy can be dangerous for people who are taking prescription medications, because of the potential interactions, particularly with sildenafil (Viagra®), certain AIDS medications, and certain antidepressants.

• Taking ecstasy is especially dangerous for people with irregular heartbeats, asthma, epilepsy, kidney disease, diabetes, chronic fatigue, or psychological disorders.

The neurological toxicity of ecstasy in human beings is still being assessed.
 Most of the scientific research on the effects of ecstasy has been done using animals, in particular non-human primates. These studies have revealed degeneration in the neurons that secrete dopamine and serotonin. Such brain damage may increase the risks of developing certain neuropsychological disorders associated with dopamine or serotonin deficiency. In humans, these effects might not become apparent until several years after someone started taking ecstasy.
Over the long term, use of ecstasy can lead to degenerative illnesses of the central nervous system, or to mental disorders that may include symptoms such as depression.
Some studies suggest that humans who take repeated doses of MDMA over a short period (for example, three doses at three-hour intervals) run a high risk of severely damaging the brain cells that produce dopamine and serotonin. This neurotoxicity may be irreversible

Amyl and butyl nitrite (poppers)

Amyl and butyl nitrite are chemically very similar. Both are clear yellow liquids with a sweet smell when fresh. They are usually sold in small bottles. They used to be produced in ampoule form which popped when opened (which is where they get their name) but these are no longer available. The gas given off from the liquid is inhaled and gives a relaxed feeling for about five minutes. Poppers have been popular with gay men, particularly to enhance orgasm. But poppers also cause dizziness, headaches and swallowing the liquid can be fatal. Poppers are stimulant drugs.

Hallucinogenic mushrooms (magic mushrooms)

"Magic" or "Sacred" mushrooms have been used by native Americans for religious purposes for centuries. Most belong to the genus Psilocybe which has over 100 species. The active drugs they contain are Psilocybin and Psilocin which are hallucinogens and have similar effects to LSD and mescaline. Not all those 100 species contain hallucinogens.

Many wild mushrooms can be dangerous if eaten. They are generally called Toadstools, though the distinction is not clear.

LSD (acid)

LSD is a hallucinogenic drug and it can be very powerful. It usually comes as a small paper square with a picture on it (the drug is already impregnated onto the paper).
LSD has the effect of changing what you see and hear. Colours and sounds can all seem distorted and strange or very beautiful. A lot depends on how you are feeling and who you are with when you take LSD. In the wrong environment you can start to feel confused or to panic. Some people develop delusions, believing they can do things which are clearly not possible. This can obviously be dangerous and although LSD itself has no big physical side effects, most problems come from people having accidents while they are on a trip. Once you are on an acid trip you can't stop and a trip can last 6 to 12 hours.
Once a trip has started it cannot be stopped. If someone experiences a bad trip go somewhere quite away from crowds and bright lights. Keep calm. If the bad feelings continue, seek professional advice as soon as possible.

Solvents (glue sniffing, glue, butane gas)

Solvents are usually commercial products (like glue, nail polish remover, aerosols, gas lighter fuel and petrol) which give off a vapour. When the vapour is inhaled it can make you feel light-headed, happy, dizzy and sick. The effects can last up to an hour, depending on what, and how much was inhaled. Solvents are depressant drugs.

Because solvents are often sniffed from a plastic bag (sometimes covering the head) there is a risk of suffocation if the user becomes unconscious. Remember;
using flammable liquids like lighter fuel especially when users are smoking, is very dangerous;
there is a danger of death by choking on vomit if the user becomes unconscious;
there are also poisonous effects of inhaling chemicals. For example butane (found in lighter fuel), can make your throat swell inside (which causes suffocation) or make your heart race faster (with the danger of a heart attack).

Good to know…

Greek law makes no distinction between hard and soft drugs, although an interesting distinction that the law does make is between addicts and non-addicts. Drug use is only an offence when the user is a non-addict. Addicts obtaining drugs for personal use are compelled to treatment. An addict is defined as "any person who, having succumbed to the habit of drug use, is incapable of overcoming it without the help of specialized therapy." A specialist is enlisted by the court to draw up a report on anyone accused of or claiming to be an addict. Dependent users cannot be criminally prosecuted, but they are mandated to treatment for up to one year at a detoxification center. Non-addicts acquiring drugs for personal use is a crime punishable by two to five years of prison. The length of the sentence depends on the amount of drugs obtained and/or possessed. Possession by non-addicts with a view to use is not a specific offense, but it is covered indirectly under the laws of acquisition. Trafficking through negligence results in up to one year imprisonment while trafficking given aggravating circumstances carries a penalty of up to eight years in prison.