Amphetamines, including methamphetamines (speed, base, ice) | Aggressive or overactive behaviour, giggling, silliness, euphoria, rapid speech, confused thinking, no appetite, extreme fatigue, dry mouth, anxiety, shakiness | Hypertension, death from overdose, fatal arrhythmias, hallucinations; methamphetamines sometimes cause temporary psychosis, cardiac arrest |
Ecstasy (MD-methamphetamine) dose may be unknown | Anxiety, panic, sweating, ‘loving’ feelings, jaw clenching, teeth grinding, bizarre overactive behaviour, hallucinations, increased heart rate, BP and body temperature, feelings of confidence, happiness and love | Convulsions, risk of death from heart attack, cerebral haemorrhage, hyperthermia, fluid imbalance with dehydration and hyponatraemia, acute kidney failure, DIC, liver toxicity, depression |
Narcotics, opioids (e.g. heroin) | Stupor/drowsiness, marks on body, watery eyes, loss of appetite, running nose, narrowed pupils, loss of sex drive, agitation | Death from overdose, mental deterioration, coma, destruction of brain and liver, hepatitis, embolisms |
Cocaine, including ‘crack’ | Similar effects to amphetamines—muscle pains, irritability, paranoia, hyperactivity, jerky movements, euphoria, dilated pupils | Hallucinations, death from overdose—sudden death from arrhythmias, seizures, mental disorders, severe respiratory problems |
Fantasy (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) | Relaxation and drowsiness, dizziness, relaxed inhibition/euphoria, increased sexual arousal, impaired mobility and speech | Tremors and shaking, amnesia, coma, convulsions, death from high doses |
Solvents, e.g. glue sniffing | Aggression and violence, drunk appearance, slurred speech, dreamy or blank expression | Lung/brain/liver damage, death through suffocation or choking, fatal arrhythmias |
LSD | Severe hallucinations, ‘trips’, feelings of detachment, incoherent speech, cold hands and feet, vomiting, laughing and crying | Suicidal tendencies, unpredictable behaviour, chronic exposure causes brain damage, LSD causes chromosomal breakdown |
Barbiturates | Drowsiness, stupor, dullness, slurred speech, drunk appearance, vomiting | Death from overdose or as a result of withdrawal, addictions, convulsions |
Cannabis/marijuana  87) | Initial euphoria, floating feeling, sleepiness, lethargy, wandering mind, enlarged pupils, lack of coordination, craving for sweets, changes of appetite, memory difficulty | Inducement to take stronger narcotics, recent medical findings reveal that prolonged usage causes cognitive defects, precipitates or exacerbates schizophrenia |