What are the effects of drugs?

What are the effects of drugs(cocaine and extascy)
The long term effects and the short term effects(like when your just after taking them)
And how dangerous they are?

I know so many people that are doing them it p*sses me off
So refresh my memory...

on them lol?

*Sorry for the length, if you don't want to read it all, just visit the two links at the end of this post*

COCAINE
Cocaine effects are extremely detrimental on the body and the consequences related to cocaine effects can eventually lead to permanent damage, addiction and death. While each person who uses this drug reacts to it differently, there are two distinct categories of cocaine effects: short-term effects and long-term effects. Even if a person has only used cocaine once, he/she can experience short-term cocaine effects. Long-term cocaine effects appear after increased periods of use and are dependent upon the duration of time and amount of cocaine that has been consumed.

Short-term cocaine effects are noticeable immediately and although they are not always damaging, in some cases they have caused serious bodily damage and death. Deaths related to cocaine effects are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures and respiratory failure. * Some of the short-term cocaine effects first time users experience includes increased energy, decreased appetite, and increased heart rate and blood pressure.

Short-term cocaine effects include:
Increased blood pressure
Constricted blood vessels
Dilated pupils
Mental alertness
Increased energy
Increased heart rate
Decreased appetite
Increased temperature

People who try cocaine often get hooked to the short-term cocaine effects, namely feeling as though they have increased energy. The quick high keeps users feeling energetic and able to endure longer in physical activities. New cocaine users often try cocaine to increase productivity at work and in other areas of their lives so that they can work longer and harder. While these results may seem promising in the beginning, increased tolerance and dangerous life choices often follow repeated cocaine use.

One cocaine effect, appetite suppression, is very popular for people looking to lose weight or maintain a low weight. Fashion models have been known to use cocaine in order to stay thin. Cocaine users often go days without eating and if this behavior is continued it can lead to addiction. Increased heart rate, blood pressure, constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, and increased temperature are all short-term physiological cocaine effects. When taken in large quantities, cocaine will intensify the user's high and may cause violent and erratic behavior on the part of the user.

Long-tem cocaine effects are noticeable as cocaine abuse continues and tolerance builds. Since cocaine is a highly addictive drug, it can lead to major medical complications and health problems. Some of the these complications include heart disease, heart attacks, respiratory failure, strokes, seizures, and gastrointestinal problems. Other physical symptoms include convulsions, nausea, blurred vision, chest pain, fever, muscle spasms, and coma.

As the habit of using cocaine becomes increasingly important, behavior such as lying, heating, stealing, absenteeism at work and denying the use of cocaine, is an evident side effect. While these behaviors are not directly related to the use of cocaine, these cocaine effects are often present due to the lifestyle of the addict.

Other long-term cocaine effects include:

Addiction
Paranoia
Irritability
Restlessness
Auditory hallucinations
Mood disturbances

With continued use, many cocaine addicts develop a higher tolerance for the drug over time. Addicts are also said to chase the high; meaning they continue to use cocaine seeking the feeling they felt the first time they used it. For people addicted to cocaine and cocaine effects, this high will never again be felt in the same way, and this addiction can lead to insanity and death.

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EXTACY
Extacy, one of several club drugs appearing on the “rave” or all-night party scene, is increasingly becoming the drug of choice among teens.

Not only is the extacy drug inexpensive, but teens do not associate a great deal of risk with this drug. However, this colorless, tasteless, and odorless drug that produces increased stamina and intoxicating highs is a silent but deadly menace. It can lead to long-lasting psychological and physical problems and it can even be lethal when used in excessive amounts.

Clinically referred to as 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), extacy is known by several street names including Adam, X, and XTC. Use of extacy has now spread to a wide range of settings and is no longer restricted to the club scene. In fact, more than 10 million people have tried MDMA at least once, according to the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Ecstasy’s popularity is clearly linked to its reputation as a harmless party drug that lowers inhibitions, enhances sensations, and produces a relaxed, euphoric state. However, studies have shown that this sense of well-being comes at a great price. Ecstasy’s effects on the brain can include depression, anxiety, paranoia, and severe neurological problems when used over a long period of time. Physical effects can include muscle tension, nausea, blurred vision, kidney failure, and heart attack. Women are particularly threatened because of the high levels of female hormone estrogen, which prevents their bodies from coping with the water retention that occurs as extacy is absorbed into the system. Because extacy is mostly created in illegal labs, it is often mixed with other more harmful drugs, which can and do lead to serious health problems.

While it is very hard to know if a friend or a child is using a club drug, there are some warning signs to look for:

• Memory problems
• Loss of coordination, dizziness, fainting
• Depression
• Confusion
• Sleep problems
• Chills or sweating
• Slurred speech.

Data show that extacy can be an addictive drug for some users. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 43 percent of young adults and adolescents who reported extacy use met the accepted diagnostic criteria for dependence. Almost 60 percent of people who use extacy report withdrawal symptoms, including fatigue, loss of appetite, depressed feelings, and trouble concentrating.

Effects of Extacy Abuse
Many problems users encounter with MDMA are similar to those found with the use of amphetamines and cocaine.

Psychological difficulties, including confusion, depression, sleep problems,
drug craving, severe anxiety, and paranoia during and sometimes weeks
after taking MDMA (in some cases, psychotic episodes have been reported).

Sources:
http://www.testcountry.com/resources/ecstasy.asp
http://www.cocaine-effects.com/

well I used to take ectasey and cocaine every wk end when I was younger,I now realise how stupid and careless I was,I lost a lot of weight and I used to get really depressed and down,mostly the side effects frm these drugs are mental and not physical,they can also make you paranoid are even kill u,and most times there will b all sorts of dangerous chemicals mixed in with the cocaine and exctacy,so they are very dangerous and cud most definately kill u,I no of a few people that took cocaine once with alcohol and died

Ok I started doing these drugs on the weekend only. Then I got brave and started using at work. It was always something to look forward to. I lost everything and then found out I was prego. That moment changed everthing. I never used through my pregnancy and was blessed with a healthy baby.I am now living clean but with the long term affects of my usage.I know my brain wil NEVER be the same. I will never again be that person I was before extacy. I have lived that life and I am proof of the seriosness of these drugs. PLEASE dont go down the same road.