Secobarbital, Phetobarbital, Amobarbital, Amosecobarbital, Phenobarbital, Chloral Hydrate, Glutethimide, Methyprylon, Methaqualone, Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride, Chlordiazepoxide, Diazepam or Valium, Diphenhylhydantoin Sodium, Flurazepam, Alprazolam or Xantax, Phenelzine Sulfate, Amitriptyline Hydrochloride, Desipramine, Doxepin Hydrochloride, Lithium Carbonate, Lithium Citrate, Droperidol, Chlorpromazine, Alcohol
Reds, Red Devils, RD's, Fender Benders, Yellows, Yellow Jackets, Blues, Blue Heavens, Rainbows, Christmas Trees, Pink Ladies, Mickey Finn, Knockout Drops, Ludes, Barbs, Downers, Busters, Butisol, Courage Pill, Florinal, G.B.'s, Goof Balls, Green Dragons, King Kong Pills, Lotusate, Peanuts
Central nervous system depressants slow down the operation of the brain. They first affect those areas of the brain that control a person’s conscious, voluntary actions. As dosage increases, depressants begin to affect the parts of the brain controlling the body’s automatic, unconscious processes, such as heartbeat and respiration.
Alcohol is the most familiar, and most widely abused depressant. With some exceptions, all depressants affect people in much the same way as does alcohol.
Most depressant users ingest these drugs orally. However, a few abusers will inject their drugs intravenously. The injection paraphernalia used by barbiturate abusers are similar to those used by heroin addicts, although a wider gauge hypodermic needle is used, because the barbiturate solution is thicker than the heroin solution. The injection sites on the skin of a barbiturate abuser exhibit large swellings, and may develop ulceration’s resembling cigarette burns.
The affects of depressants are once again compared to those of alcohol. Side effectrs include: reduced social inhibitions, impaired ability to divide attention, slow reflexes, impaired judgment and concentration, impaired vision and coordination, and slurred, mumbled or incoherent speech. There are a wide variety of emotional effects such as euphoria, depression, suicidal tendencies, laughing or crying for no apparent reason.
Depressants vary in the amount of time it takes the user to feel the effects and the amount of time the effects last. Some depressants act very quickly and begin to affect their user within seconds. Others act more slowly, sometimes taking one-half hour or more to begin to exert an influence. The quick-acting depressant's effects tend to last a shorter amount of time. In some cases, their effects wear off in a matter of minutes. However, the slow-acting depressants, tend to produce longer-acting effects.
Overdosing on depressants produce effects that are similar to overdosing on alcohol. The person becomes extremely drowsy and can pass out. Their heartbeat slows and respiration will become shallow. Their skin may feel cold and clammy, and death may result from respiratory failure.
Drug Addiction and Drug Addiction Resource Center
Drug Education.net
Drug Photos from Miscellaneous Government Publications
National Families in Actions
Partnership for a Drug-free America: List of Drugs
