Drug Guide

A comprehensive and up-to-date source of substance-specific information.

Easily recognized as one of the most popular substance use trends among teens, vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling an aerosol produced by an e-cigarette, vape pen, or similar devices commonly known as “vapes”. These devices contain flavored e-liquids, nicotine and/or cannabis (marijuana).
Fentanyl and similar compounds like carfentanil are powerful synthetic opioids 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine
MDMA or Ecstasy (3-4-methylenedioxymethampheta-mine), is a synthetic, psychoactive drug with amphetamine-like and hallucinogenic properties.
Speed, Uppers, Addies — Stimulants were used historically to treat a variety of ailments, before their potential for abuse and addiction became apparent.
Opium is a narcotic made from the white liquid in the poppy plant. It shares many of the same characteristics and risks as other opioids like heroin.
Caps, Magic Mushrooms, Shrooms -- Psilocybin and psilocyn are the hallucinogenic compounds contained in certain mushrooms.
Methcathinone is a stimulant that is a structural analogue of methamphetamine. It is illegally manufactured from readily available chemicals.
In its illicit form, meth is a crystal-like powdered substance that sometimes comes in large rock-like chunks -- inspiring many of its slang terms.
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia, with leaves that contain psychoactive (mind-altering) opioid compounds.
Khat is a stimulant made up of fresh leaves of the Catha edulis shrub found in East Africa and southern Arabia. It contains a variety of chemicals.
Heroin is a highly addictive drug derived from morphine, which is obtained from opium poppy plants — otherwise known as an opioid.
Cocaine is a drug extracted from the leaves of the coca plant. It is a potent brain stimulant and one of the most powerfully addictive drugs.
These “club drugs” are psychoactive or hallucinogenic compounds similar to mescaline.
Cannabis (marijuana), the most-used illegal drug in this country. A product of the hemp plant, the main active chemical in marijuana is THC.
LSD (D-lysergic acid diethylamide) is the most common hallucinogen, a group of drugs that alter awareness of perception, thoughts and feelings.
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic (causes a person to feel detached from reality) used in human anesthesia and veterinary medicine.
K2 is a mixture of herbs, spices or shredded plant material that is sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids chemically similar to THC.
Inhalants are ordinary household products that are inhaled or sniffed to get high. Hundreds of products can be misused as inhalants.
Herbal Ecstasy is a term used to describe a combination of herbs that are legal, inexpensive, and marketed as a “natural high.”
Hashish or hash is made from the resin (a secreted gum) of the cannabis plant. It is rich in THC, the main mind-altering substance found in the cannabis plant.
GHB (Gamma hydroxybutyrate) is predominantly a central nervous system depressant often manufactured recipes and kits found and purchased on the Internet.
Flakka is the street name for a synthetic cathinone that is chemically similar to other synthetic drugs known as “Bath Salts.”
Dextromethorphan (DXM) is a cough-suppressing ingredient found in a variety of over-the-counter cold and cough medications which are susceptible to misuse.
These so-called “designer drugs” are stimulants similar to MDMA or Ecstasy. They are produced illegally and the dosage and quality varies considerably.
Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a hallucinogenic tryptamine. It is found in a variety of plants and seeds, and can also be produced synthetically.
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