Drug Index - WARNING: This contains graphic and possibly triggering information on overdose
- Ailish Stein
- Sep 29, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 2, 2020
Here is a list of drugs mentioned in the play, possible side effects, intended effects, and medical ties. All are in alphabetical order, and source links are posted below as well as in the Sources tab on the home page. Drug interactions will be in a separate document.
Alcohol - Depressant recreational drug. Slows down the messages from the brain to the body. Alcohol affects people differently based on weight, height, overall health, and frequency of consumption.
Intended Side Effects: Feeling relaxed, increased confidence, and disinhibition
Possible Side Effects: Trouble concentrating, confusion, dizziness, clumsiness, blurred vision, memory loss, nausea, vomiting, coma, death
Amphetamines - Prescription stimulant that is used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Recreationally, it is used as a study aid, to stay awake, and suppress appetite. Trade names include: Adderall, Concerta, Dexedrine, Focalin, Metadate, Methylin, and Ritalin. Street names include: Bennies, Black Beauties, Crank, Ice, Speed, and Uppers. Specifically, "Ice" is crystallized methamphetamine (Meth), and is smoked. All other amphetamines are orally consumed or injected.
Intended Effects: Staying alert, weight loss and suppressed appetite
Possible Side Effects: Similar to cocaine but with slower onset and longer duration, increased body temperature, blood pressure and pulse rates, insomnia, loss of appetite, physical exhaustion. Chronic abuse produces a psychosis that resembles schizophrenia: paranoia, hallucinations, violent and erratic behavior. Overdose can be fatal.
Benzodiazepines - Prescription depressant that produces sedation, induces sleep, relieves anxiety, and prevents seizures. Prescribed in pills, syrup, or injectable preparation. Trade names include Valium, Xanax, Restoril, Ativan, and Klonopin. Street names include: Benzos, Downers, Nerve Pills, and Tranks. Typically used orally, or crushed and snorted.
Intended Side Effects: Euphoric feeling, calming, vivid dreams
Possible Side Effects: Disturbing dreams, amnesia, hostility, irritability, fatal overdose. Symptoms of overdose are shallow breathing, clammy skin, dilated pupils, weak and rapid pulse, or coma.
Cocaine - An alkaloid ester extracted from the leaves of the coca plant. The base for cocaine is called crack, and looks like small, irregularly shaped white rocks. Cocaine is a white powder made of crushed crack rocks. Street names include: Coca, Coke, Crack, Crank, Flake, Rock, Snow, and Soda Cot. It is used by snorting, dissolving in water and injecting and crack can be smoked.
Intended Effects: Intense euphoric "rush", painlessness, relaxation
Possible Side Effects: Tolerance builds quickly with each successive use, cardiac arrhythmias, increased blood pressure and heart rate, restlessness, insomnia, panic, anxiety, paranoia, loss of appetite, stroke, cardiac arrest, convulsion, a crash that induces depression, physical and mental exhaustion, sleep, and dehydration (sometimes for days), and death.
Ecstasy (MDMA) - Known as a party drug, comes in pill or powder form and will have a variety of logos or symbols imprinted into the pill. Street names include: Adam, Beans, Biscuit, Clarity, Disco Biscuit, E, Eve, Go, Hug Drug, Lover's Speed, MDMA, Peace, STP, X, XTC. Used by swallowing gel capsules (Molly), Pills or Tablets, snorting powder, mixing with liquid and drinking, or smoked occasionally.
Intended Effects: Euphoria, empathy, released inhibitions
Possible Side Effects: Increased motor activity, alertness, increased blood pressure and heart rate, muscle tension, tremors, teeth clenching, nausea, sweating, chills, blurred vision, confusion, anxiety, depression, paranoia, severe dehydration, hyperthermia (sharp increase in body temperature) that can lead to liver, kidney, and cardiovascular failure, death
Heroin - An opiate (narcotic) drug processed from morphine and extracted from certain poppy plants. Heroin comes in a white or brownish powder, or a black sticky substance known as "black tar heroin". It is often "cut" with other drugs or substances such as sugar or powdered milk. The user is unaware of how much heroin they are actually consuming, increasing the likelihood of overdose. Street names include: Big H, Black Tar, Chiva, Hell Dust, Horse, Smack, and Thunder. It is used by injecting into the bloodstream, smoked, or snorted. High purity heroin is snorted or smoked.
Intended Effects: Initial rush of euphoria, followed by twilight state of sleep and wakefulness
Possible Side Effects: Drowsiness, respiratory depression, constricted pupils, nausea, a warm flushing of the skin, dry mouth, and heavy extremities. Signs of overdose include: slow and shallow breathing, blue lips, clammy skin, convulsions, coma, and possible death
Ketamine - General, short-acting anesthetic with hallucinogenic effects. Street names include: Special K, Cat Valium, Kit Kat, K, Super Acid, Super K, Purple, Jet, Vitamin K. It is injected or mixed in drinks if in liquid form, and in powder form it is snorted or smoked.
Intended Effects: Hallucinogenic for 30-60 minutes, induces feelings of relaxation and painlessness
Possible Side Effects: Distorts sights and sounds, immobility, amnesia, body feels out of control, agitation, depression, unconsciousness, hallucinations, and flashbacks
Lorazepam - See Benzodiazepine
Marijuana - Mind-altering psychoactive drug. Dry, shredded, green/brown mix of flowers, stems, leaves, and seeds from the cannabis sativa plant. THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannibinol) is the main ingredient that produces the psychoactive effect. Classified as addictive (lol). Street names include: Aunt Mary, BC bud, Chronic, Dope, Gangster, Ganja, Grass, Hash, Herb, Joint, Mary Jane, Mota, Pot, Reefer, Sinsemilla, Smoke, Skunk, Weed, Yerba. It is smoked as a cigarette or in a pipe, bong, blunt, or joint, mixed with food (edibles), or brewed as tea.
Intended Side Effects: Relaxation, disinhibition, increased sociability
Possible Side Effects: Increased appetite, sedation, effects memory and learning, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, hallucinations, impaired judgement, reduced coordination, distorted perception, decreased blood pressure, increased heart rate, dizziness, nausea, confusion, anxiety, paranoia, drowsiness, respiratory ailments.
Methadone - A synthetic opioid prescribed for detoxification and maintenance of an opioid addiction, or as a pain reliever for moderate to severe pain. Trade names include Methadose and Dolphine. It is available in pill, tablet, or liquid form. Street Names include: Amidone, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Fizzies, Maria, Pastora, Salvia, Street Methadone, Water
Intended Effects:
Possible Side Effects: Very Addictive, itchy skin, nausea, sweating. Overdose effects include shallow breathing, stomach spasms, clammy skin, convulsions, weak pulse, coma, and death
Speed - See Amphetamine.
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