• to escape boredom and loneliness;
• to meet a romantic/sexual partner;
• to celebrate special occasions or to live up parties;
• to feel accepted or simply because others are doing it; and
• to relieve nervousness, stress, anger, sadness, fear or other negative emotions.

1. Preoccupation - thinking or talking about drinking when the person should be concerned about other matters.  Preoccupation with the experience of "getting high" is a hallmark of alcohol dependency.

• Pregnant or nursing women.
• Anyone using sedative-hypnotic drugs such as tranquilizers, sleeping pills, or painkillers. Seek the advice of a pharmacist or physician before using alcohol with all over-the-counter and prescription medications.
• Anyone with a personal history of alcohol or other drug abuse problems

Cocaine
Street names: coke, blow, nose candy
What is it? A white powder stimulant extracted from the leaves of the cocoa plant.
How is it taken? It's snorted or dissolved in water and injected.
What are the short-term effects? It increases energy; makes the heart beat faster; and makes you feel mentally "clear" for the duration of the high, which is anywhere from 15 - 30 minutes. Afterwards, the user can feel fatigue and insomnia from increased heart rate.
What are the long-term effects/dangers? Addiction; destruction of the nasal passages (if snorted); lung damage (if smoked); paranoia; aggression; depression; heart attack; and death.

Ecstacy
Street names: MDMA, XTC, Adam, Clarity & Lover's Speed
What is it? MDMA is a stimulant. It is a chemical substance that combines methamphetamines with hallucinogenic properties. Because it is a combination of different illicit drugs. You never know whether it is laced with something more toxic.
How is it taken? It is available in tablet, capsule or powder form. It can be packaged to imitate prescription drugs.
What are the short-term effects? Gives the feeling of alertness and an energized euphoria. Some users experience a warm state of "empathy" for others. Increases heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. Ecstacy's effects can last up to 24 hours. It produces a sense of jitteriness at high doses.
What are the long-term effects/dangers? Muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching, nausea, blurred vision, rapid eye movement, faintness, and chills or sweating, depression, sleep problems, severe anxiety, and paranoia. MDMA has caused a number of deaths when used in conjunction with high levels of physical activity. MDMA damages the parts of the brain used for learning and memory. Ecstacy also causes the breakdown of neurons containing dopamine, leading to neurological damage similar to that seen in Parkinson's disease - a lack of coordination and tremors.

Amphetamines
Street names: Speed, uppers, bennies, dexies.
What is it? A stimulant in tablet or pill form.
How is it taken? They're inhaled, injected or swallowed.
What are the short-term effects? Increased heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature; increased talkativeness; reduced appetite; visual and auditory hallucinations.
What are the long-term effects/dangers? Addiction; because they suppress your appetite they can result in malnutrition; can cause paranoid psychosis.

Heroin
Street names: Smack, dope, junk, brown sugar, thunder, hell dust, Big H, horse.
What is it? An opiate narcotic that is made from morphine (which is made from the poppy seed), it's a bitter-tasting white to dark brown powder.
How is it taken? Injected, smoked or snorted.
What are the short-term effects? Gives a feeling, at first, of euphoria; limits the body's perception of pain; also creates a warm flushing of the skin; dry mouth; heavy extremities; constipation and slowed breathing. The high lasts about 15 minutes, followed by several hours of being "on the nod," feeling alternately awake and drowsy.
What are the long-term effects/dangers? Addiction; complications from shooting up (collapsed veins, Hepatitis C, HIV, and AIDS); infection of the heart lining; and liver disease. Withdrawal symptoms include diarrhea and vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps (called "cold turkey"), uncontrollable kicking (known as "kicking the habit"), insomnia, muscle and bone pain. Withdrawal can set in within a few hours after the last use, peaks between 2-3 days later, and can last up to a week.

L S D
Street names: Acid, sugar cubes, trips
What is it? An hallucinogen that comes in collared tablets, blotter paper, clear liquid, or squares of gelatin.
How is it taken? Its taken orally; droplets of the gelatin or liquid can be taken through the eyes.
What are the short-term effects? Depends on the amounts taken and the user's mood; increased heart rate and blood pressure; feeling different emotions all at once or in quick succession; can produce delusions and hallucinations - user may "cross over" and "hear" colors and "see" sounds, which can cause the user to panic.
What are the long-term effects/dangers? Flash backs of the experience days or even years after the LSD use.

Methamphetamine
Street names: Crystal meth, crank, glass, ice
What is it? An addictive stimulant, it's a crystal-like powder that is usually white or yellow depending on the purity; can also come in rock form.
How is it taken? Injected, snorted, smoked, or swallowed.
What are the short-term effects? Increased activity level; suppressed appetite; a rush or "flash" feeling of well being when smoked or injected; a high when snorted or swallowed.
What are the long-term effects/dangers? Tolerance comes quickly and user needs more meth to get the same high, forcing user to go on binges that last for days. Long- term users experience depression, anxiety, fatigue, paranoia, aggression, insomnia, hallucinations (especially "bugs under the skin"), delusions, sometimes suicidal or homicidal thoughts.

P C P
Street names: Angel dust
What is it? An anesthetic drug that's a tan-to-brown powder or gummy substance. It's often added to other drugs such as pot, LSD, or methamphetamine and is taken inadvertently with those drugs. It also comes in tablets or capsules.
How is it taken? Injected, snorted, smoked, or swallowed.
What are the short-term effects? Feelings similar to alcohol intoxication; hallucinations; anxiety; disorientation; paranoia; and violent behavior.
What are the long-term effects/dangers? Memory loss; weight loss; depression; and loss of motor skills.

Steroids
Street names: Juice, rhoids
What is it? Manufactured testosterone-like drugs.
How is it taken? Swallowed in tablets or liquid; or injected. Users take them in patterns called "cycling", which means they take them over a specific period of time, stop then start taking them again instead of continuously using them.
What are the short-term effects? Increases muscle mass, strength, and endurance, but can also cause liver tumors, jaundice, water retention, high blood pressure; some users show bad judgment because the drugs make them feel invincible.
What are the long-term effects/dangers? Hypertension; high cholesterol; stunted growth; heart damage; women experience irreversible deepening of the voice and masculinization of genitalia; men experience shrinking of testicles and impotence.