What is a drug?
A drug is any substance—solid, liquid or gas—that brings about physical and/or psychological changes in the body.
Psychoactive drugs affect the central nervous system (CNS). They act on the brain and can change the way a person thinks, feels or behaves.
Some drugs, such as alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and various prescribed and over-the-counter medications, are legal. Most legal drugs are restricted and their availability, quality and price strictly controlled.
Other drugs, such as cannabis, methamphetamines, ecstasy, cocaine and heroin, are illegal. They are not subject to quality or price controls. This means that a person can never be sure of the drug's strength or what is in it. Different batches of an illegally manufactured drug may have different concentrations of the drug and other additives. Sometimes, the additives can be poisonous. Even the drug itself could be poisonous.
Types of drugs and their effects
Drugs can be classified according to the effect they have on the CNS—and the way they change how a person thinks, feels or behaves. The three major classifications are depressants, stimulants and hallucinogens.
Depressants
Depressant drugs don't necessarily make a person feel depressed. They slow down the functions of the CNS and the messages going between the brain and the body. Depressants affect concentration and coordination. They slow down a person's ability to respond to unexpected situations.
In small quantities they can cause a person to feel more relaxed and less inhibited. In larger quantities they may cause unconsciousness, vomiting and, in some cases, death.
Depressant drugs include:
Some immediate effects include:
- difficulty concentrating
- drowsiness
- unconsciousness
- reduced coordination
- nausea and vomiting
- feeling relaxed
- decreased inhibition
- slow reaction time.
Stimulants
Stimulant drugs speed up the messages going between the brain and the body. They can make a person feel more awake, alert, confident or energetic. Large quantities of stimulants can "over-stimulate" a person, causing anxiety, panic, seizures, headaches, stomach cramps, aggression and paranoia. Prolonged or sustained use of strong stimulants can also cause these effects.
Stimulant drugs include:
Some immediate effects of stimulants include:
- dilated pupils
- increased heart rate and blood pressure
- increased body temperature
- increased energy
- feeling more awake and alert
- headaches
- reduced appetite
- stomach cramps
- increased confidence
- talkativeness
- sleep disturbances
- agitation, anxiety and panic
- aggression and paranoia.
Hallucinogens
Hallucinogens distort a person's perception of reality. People who have taken them may see or hear things that aren't really there, or what they see may be distorted in some way. The effects of hallucinogens vary greatly.
Hallucinogenic drugs include:
Cannabis is a depressant as well as a hallucinogen. Ecstasy can also have hallucinogenic qualities.
Some immediate effects of hallucinogenic drugs include:
- dilation of pupils
- loss of appetite
- stomach cramps and nausea
- increased activity, talking or laughing
- feelings of euphoria and wellbeing
- hallucinations and distorted sensory processing, including visual, auditory, bodily, time and space perception
- panic and paranoia
- loss of contact with reality, irrational or bizarre behaviour.
General effects
The effects of any drug vary from person to person. Drug effects depend on many factors, including:
- the person's size, weight, metabolism and general health and wellbeing
- how much of the drug is used
- how the drug is taken (injected, inhaled, snorted, smoked, or taken orally or anally)
- whether the person is used to taking it (the first time a person uses a drug, he or she will have a very low tolerance—in general, the more often the drug is used, the less intense the effects will be)
- whether other drugs are also taken (combining drugs can have unpredictable, unpleasant and dangerous effects)
- the person's mood and the environment in which the drug is used (people are more likely to enjoy the experience in a comfortable social atmosphere than in a threatening environment).
Why do people use drugs?
People use drugs to relax, to have fun, to be part of a group, out of curiosity or to escape from physical and/or psychological pain.
Drug use can be influenced by a number of factors. Most people use drugs because they want to feel better or different. They use drugs for the benefits (perceived and/or experienced), not for the potential harm. This applies to both legal and illegal drugs.
There are five main types of drug use and most people who use drugs fit into the first two categories:
Experimental use: a person tries a drug once or twice out of curiosity.
Recreational use: a person chooses to use a drug for enjoyment, particularly to enhance a mood or social occasion.
Situational use: a drug is used to cope with the demands of particular situations. For example, people may use amphetamines to maintain alertness and to gain energy.
Intensive use (also known as "bingeing"): a person consumes a large amount of drugs over a short period of time, and/or use is continuous over a number of days or weeks.
Dependent use: a person becomes dependent on a drug after prolonged or heavy use over time. They feel a need to take the drug consistently in order to feel normal, or to avoid uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.
It is not uncommon for people to move between categories, and one stage does not inevitably lead to the next. Harms associated with drug use can occur at all levels of use.
Tolerance and dependence
With regular use of some drugs, a person can develop a tolerance to the drug. This means they need to take more and more to get the same effect.
Dependence can be psychological, physical, or both. There are degrees of dependency, from mild dependency to compulsive drug use (often referred to as addiction). It is impossible to say how long or how often a person must use a drug before they become dependent. However, a person cannot become dependent after one-off use of a drug.
Treatment options
There are a number of different drug treatment options available in Australia. Some aim solely for a person to achieve a drug-free lifestyle. Others recognise abstinence as one option among a number of strategies that have an overall aim of reducing the harms and risks related to the person's drug use.
Treatment is more effective if tailored to suit a person's circumstances and involve a combination of methods. Some treatment options include counselling, group therapy, withdrawal (detoxification) and medication (pharmacotherapy). Residential and supervised/home withdrawal programs are available.
For further help and information regarding treatment options, contact your state alcohol and drug information service.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Many drugs can cross the placenta or pass through breast milk and so affect the unborn baby. Heavy and sustained use of some drugs can increase the risk of complications in pregnancy and birth.
The use of some drugs while breastfeeding can reduce milk supply or affect the baby.
See your doctor or other health professional if you are taking or planning to take any substances while pregnant or breastfeeding, including prescribed or over-the-counter medications.
Drugs and social problems
All areas of a person's life can be affected by drug use.
Family, work and personal problems may be related to drug use. Family and friends may become frustrated if the person using drugs does not recognise that their drug use is causing problems and/or does not seek help. Financial problems may cause conflict if the cost of drug use means there is not enough money left for bills, food and clothing.
Work or school problems may occur if a person takes increased sick days. Drug use may affect a person's ability to respond appropriately to a given situation, think clearly and maintain attention (so increasing the risk of an accident). It can cause physical symptoms such as blurred vision, cramps and nausea.
Legal and health problems can also add to the strain on personal, financial and work relationships.
Drugs and the law
Each state and territory has laws governing the manufacture, possession, distribution and use of drugs, both legal and illegal. Drug laws in Australia distinguish between those who use drugs and those who supply or traffic drugs. The main types of offences related to illegal drugs are: use, possession, cultivation and trafficking.
Penalties can include fines and/or imprisonment, depending on the offence. In Victoria and some other states, the police and courts have introduced a number of schemes in relation to drug offences. These divert people from the criminal justice system into education, treatment or other support services.
It is illegal to drive under the influence of any drug. Breaking this law carries penalties including disqualification from driving, fines and/or imprisonment.
Some states in Australia, including Victoria, have introduced random roadside drug testing for some illicit drugs.
More on laws.
Reducing the risks
Australian drug policy is based on harm minimisation. This is about reducing drug-related harm to both the community and individual drug users.
Harm minimisation strategies range from encouraging "non-use" through to providing the means for people who use drugs to use them with reduced risks.
What to do in a crisis
If someone overdoses or has an adverse reaction while using drugs it is very important that they receive professional help as soon as possible. A quick response can save their life.
- Call an ambulance. Dial 000. Don't delay because you think you or the person might get into trouble. Ambulance officers are not obliged to involve the police.
- Stay with the person until the ambulance arrives. Find out if anyone at the scene knows mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
- Ensure the person has adequate air by keeping crowds back and opening windows. Loosen tight clothing.
- If the person is unconscious, don’t leave them on their back—they could choke. Turn them on their side and into the recovery position. Gently tilt their head back so their tongue does not block the airway.
- If the person has stopped breathing, give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. If there is no pulse, apply CPR.
- Provide the ambulance officers with as much information as you can—how much of the drug was taken, how long ago, and any pre-existing medical conditions.
- Plan to know what to do in a crisis.
More information