Tobacco (smoke, chew, snuff) was used by 50% of males and 42% of females during the past year. Those students who might be classified as “regular users” (three times a week or more frequently) include 21% of males and 19% of females; both of these gender differences are statistically significant. Noteworthy is the fact that tobacco usage rates have dropped significantly since 1999 ;not only are fewer students using tobacco products, but also, those who use three times a week or more often have declined significantly.

Marijuana is a dry, shredded green/brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, it usually is smoked as a cigarette (joint, nail), or in a pipe (bong).

Along with craving, withdrawal symptoms can make it hard for long-term marijuana smokers to stop using the drug. People trying to quit report irritability, difficulty sleeping, and anxiety. They also display increased aggression on psychological tests, peaking approximately 1 week after they last used the drug. Marijuana users displayed overall poorer school performance, spent less time on homework, and had more school absenteeism than non-users.

Cocaine is an alkaloid found in leaves of the South American shrub Erythroxylon coca. It is a powerfully reinforcing psychostimulant. Cocaine may be snorted as a powder, converted to a liquid form for injection with a needle, or processed into a crystal form to be smoked. There are many different effects from using cocaine.

Physical effects of cocaine use include constricted peripheral blood vessels, dilated pupils, and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Some users of cocaine report feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. The age range 18-25 has the highest rate current cocaine use rate than any other age group. Men have a higher user rate than women.

Cocaine quiz at http://partentingteens.about.com/cs/cocainecrack/l/blquizcrack.htm

On the rise among college students is taking the hallucinogen known as “shrooms.” Psilocybin, or "magic", mushrooms, have been used for centuries by the Native American culture. Found in a variety of environments, this drug usually produces similar effects a LSD, but not as strong. They are usually purchased in their dried out form, but students are also storing them in their freezers in a frozen state. Side effects from taking shrooms include: sleeplessness, poor perception of time and distance, high emotions, rapid heartbeat, sweating, blurred vision, and etc.

MDMA (ecstasy), Rohypnol, GHB, and ketamine are among the drugs used by teens and young adults who are part of a nightclub, bar, rave, or trance scene. The tasteless and odorless depressants Rohypnol and GHB are often used in the commission of sexual assaults due to their ability to sedate and intoxicate unsuspecting victims.

"X," "Adam," and "MDMA" are slang names for Ecstasy, which is a stimulant and a hallucinogen. Young people may use Ecstasy to improve their moods or get energy to keep dancing; however, chronic abuse of Ecstasy appears to damage the brain's ability to think and regulate emotion, memory, sleep, and pain.

"G," "Liquid Ecstasy," "Georgia Home Boy" or Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) may be made in homes by using recipes with common ingredients. At lower doses, GHB can relax the user, but, as the dose increases, the sedative effects may result in sleep and eventual coma or death.

"Roofie" or "Roche" (Rohypnol) is tasteless and odorless. It mixes easily in carbonated beverages. Rohypnol may cause individuals under the influence of the drug to forget what happened. Other effects include low blood pressure, drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, and stomach upset.

"Special K" or "K" (Ketamine) is an anesthetic. Use of a small amount of ketamine results in loss of attention span, learning ability, and memory. At higher doses, ketamine can cause delirium, amnesia, high blood pressure, depression, and severe breathing problems.

"Speed," "Ice," "Chalk," "Meth" (Methamphetamine) is often made in home laboratories. Methamphetamine use can cause serious health concerns, including memory loss, aggression, violence, psychotic behavior, and heart problems.

"Acid" or Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) may cause unpredictable behavior depending on the amount taken, where the drug is used, and on the user's personality. A user might feel the following effects: numbness, weakness, nausea, increased heart rate.

Resources

• Drugs, Alcohol & Virginia College Students: Report of Findings 2000
• Marijuana Use By Adolescents, W B. Apple, Jour of Orgonomy V 29 no.
• Drug Enforcement Administration, Club Drugs: An Update, September 2001
• The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• The National Drug Intelligence Center