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Psychological Effects of Drugs

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Psychological Effects of Street Drugs
Krystal Colosimo
Mohawk Valley Community College

Abstract
This paper explores the psychological effects of street drugs, classified as legal, illegal and controlled substances. The legal drugs that I cover are caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. The illegal are marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and heroin. I will also discuss controlled substances, but mainly in reference to prescription pills. I discuss the short-term and long-term effects of all the drugs I cover as well as withdrawal symptoms. I will close with drug abuse treatment help and support and follow with my conclusion.

Psychological Effects of Street Drugs
A street drug is defined as any substance taken for nonmedical purposes. They can be legal or illegal and are comprised of amphetamines, barbiturates, opiates, psychoactive drugs and as well as natural sources. A drug is a chemical substance that has known biological effects on humans. For this paper I will be discussing drugs under the three categories of being legal, illegal and controlled substances. The most common legal drugs I will discuss are caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. The more common illegal drugs that I will discuss are marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and heroin. There are numerous controlled substances as well and it is defined as a drug or chemical that is regulated by the government. For controlled substances I will only be covering prescription pills.
Legal Drugs
Caffeine is a central nervous stimulant that can change drowsiness to alertness. According to (doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsm086) “It is the most widely consumed stimulant in the US and perhaps the world”. Many beverages contain caffeine such as coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks. It is used mainly to restore mental alertness during drowsiness or fatigue and produces clearer flow of

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