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- Psychoactive drugs lead to an altered state of consciousness and influence a person's emotions, perceptions, and behavior.
- Addictive drugs produce a biological or psychological dependence in the user, and withdrawal from them leads to a craving for the drug.
- Stimulants, such as caffeine, cause a rise in heart rate, blood pressure, and muscular tension.
- Nicotine, found in cigarettes, is a common stimulant.
- Amphetamines are strong stimulants, such as Dexedrine and Benzedrine, popularly known as speed.
- Depressants impede the nervous system by causing neurons to fire more slowly.
- Small doses result in at least temporary feelings of intoxication.
- The most common depressant is alcohol.
- Barbiturates, which include Nembutal, Seconal, and phenobarbital, are another form of depressant.
Narcotics are drugs that increase relaxation and relieve pain and anxiety.
Two of the most powerful narcotics are morphine and heroin.
- Hallucinogens are capable of producing hallucinations, or changes in the perceptual process.
- The most common hallucinogen in widespread use today is marijuana.
- MDMA (“Ecstasy”) and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD, or “acid”) also fall into the category of hallucinogens.
- LSD also produces vivid hallucinations.
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