Commonly Abused Drugs

Visit NIDA at www.drugabuse.gov

Substances: Category and Name Examples of Commercial and Street Names DEA Schedule*/ How Administered** Acute Effects/Health Risks 

 Increased blood pressure and heart rate/chronic lung disease; cardiovascular disease; 

Nicotine Found in cigarettes, cigars, bidis, and smokeless tobacco Not scheduled/smoked, snorted, chewed stroke; cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, cervix, 

(snuff, spit tobacco, chew) kidney, bladder, and acute myeloid leukemia; adverse pregnancy outcomes; addiction

 In low doses, euphoria, mild stimulation, relaxation, lowered inhibitions; in higher doses, 

Alcohol (ethyl alcohol) Found in liquor, beer, and wine Not scheduled/swallowed drowsiness, slurred speech, nausea, emotional volatility, loss of coordination, visual 

distortions, impaired memory, sexual dysfunction, loss of consciousness/ increased risk 

of injuries, violence, fetal damage (in pregnant women); depression; neurologic 

deficits; hypertension; liver and heart disease; addiction; fatal overdose

 Euphoria; relaxation; slowed reaction time; distorted sensory perception; impaired

Marijuana Blunt, dope, ganja, grass, herb, joint, bud, Mary Jane, pot, reefer, green, trees, I/smoked, swallowed balance and coordination; increased heart rate and appetite; impaired learning,

smoke, sinsemilla, skunk, weed memory; anxiety; panic attacks; psychosis/cough; frequent respiratory infections; 

Hashish Boom, gangster, hash, hash oil, hemp I/smoked, swallowed possible mental health decline; addiction

 Euphoria; drowsiness; impaired coordination; dizziness; confusion; nausea; sedation;

Heroin Diacetylmorphine: smack, horse, brown sugar, dope, H, junk, skag, skunk, white I/injected, smoked, snorted feeling of heaviness in the body; slowed or arrested breathing/constipation; 

horse, China white; cheese (with OTC cold medicine and antihistamine) endocarditis; hepatitis; HIV; addiction; fatal overdose

Opium Laudanum, paregoric: big O, black stuff, block, gum, hop II, III, V/swallowed, smoked

 Increased heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, metabolism; feelings of

Cocaine Cocaine hydrochloride: blow, bump, C, candy, Charlie, coke, crack, flake, rock, II/snorted, smoked, injected exhilaration; increased energy, mental alertness; tremors; reduced appetite; irritability; 

snow, toot anxiety; panic; paranoia; violent behavior; psychosis/weight loss; insomnia; cardiac or 

Amphetamine Biphetamine, Dexedrine: bennies, black beauties, crosses, hearts, LA turnaround, II/swallowed, snorted, smoked, injected cardiovascular complications; stroke; seizures; addiction

speed, truck drivers, uppers Also, for cocaine—nasal damage from snorting

Methamphetamine Desoxyn: meth, ice, crank, chalk, crystal, fire, glass, go fast, speed II/swallowed, snorted, smoked, injected Also, for methamphetamine—severe dental problems 

 MDMA—mild hallucinogenic effects; increased tactile sensitivity, empathic feelings; 

MDMA Ecstasy, Adam, clarity, Eve, lover’s speed, peace, uppers I/swallowed, snorted, injected lowered inhibition; anxiety; chills; sweating; teeth clenching; muscle cramping/

(methylenedioxymethamphetamine) sleep disturbances; depression; impaired memory; hyperthermia; addiction 

Flunitrazepam*** Rohypnol: forget-me pill, Mexican Valium, R2, roach, Roche, roofies, roofinol, IV/swallowed, snorted Flunitrazepam—sedation; muscle relaxation; confusion; memory loss; dizziness; 

rope, rophies impaired coordination/addiction

GHB*** Gamma-hydroxybutyrate: G, Georgia home boy, grievous bodily harm, liquid I/swallowed GHB—drowsiness; nausea; headache; disorientation; loss of coordination; memory loss/

ecstasy, soap, scoop, goop, liquid X unconsciousness; seizures; coma

 Feelings of being separate from one’s body and environment; impaired motor 

Ketamine Ketalar SV: cat Valium, K, Special K, vitamin K III/injected, snorted, smoked function/anxiety; tremors; numbness; memory loss; nausea 

PCP and analogs Phencyclidine: angel dust, boat, hog, love boat, peace pill I, II/swallowed, smoked, injected Also, for ketamine— analgesia; impaired memory; delirium; respiratory depression

Salvia divinorum Salvia, Shepherdess’s Herb, Maria Pastora, magic mint, Sally-D Not scheduled/chewed, swallowed, smoked and arrest; death

Dextromethorphan (DXM) Found in some cough and cold medications: Robotripping, Robo, Triple C Not scheduled/swallowed Also, for PCP and analogs—analgesia; psychosis; aggression; violence; slurred

 speech; loss of coordination; hallucinations

Also, for DXM—euphoria; slurred speech; confusion; dizziness; distorted visual 

perceptions

Altered states of perception and feeling; hallucinations; nausea

LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide: acid, blotter, cubes, microdot, yellow sunshine, I/swallowed, absorbed through mouth tissues Also, for LSD and mescaline—increased body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure;

blue heaven loss of appetite; sweating; sleeplessness; numbness; dizziness; weakness; tremors; 

Mescaline Buttons, cactus, mesc, peyote I/swallowed, smoked impulsive behavior; rapid shifts in emotion

Psilocybin Magic mushrooms, purple passion, shrooms, little smoke I/swallowed Also, for LSD—Flashbacks, Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder

 Also, for psilocybin—nervousness; paranoia; panic

 Steroids—no intoxication effects/hypertension; blood clotting and cholesterol changes; 

Anabolic steroids Anadrol, Oxandrin, Durabolin, Depo-Testosterone, Equipoise: roids, juice, III/injected, swallowed, applied to skin liver cysts; hostility and aggression; acne; in adolescents––premature stoppage of growth; 

gym candy, pumpers in males––prostate cancer, reduced sperm production, shrunken testicles, breast 

Inhalants Solvents (paint thinners, gasoline, glues); gases (butane, propane, aerosol Not scheduled/inhaled through nose or mouth enlargement; in females––menstrual irregularities, development of beard and other

propellants, nitrous oxide); nitrites (isoamyl, isobutyl, cyclohexyl): laughing masculine characteristics

gas, poppers, snappers, whippets Inhalants (varies by chemical)—stimulation; loss of inhibition; headache; nausea or

 vomiting; slurred speech; loss of motor coordination; wheezing/cramps; muscle 

weakness; depression; memory impairment; damage to cardiovascular and nervous 

systems; unconsciousness; sudden death

Tobacco

National Institutes of Health

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

NIH... Turning Discovery Into Health

Alcohol

Cannabinoids

Opioids

Stimulants

Club Drugs

Dissociative Drugs

Hallucinogens

Other Compounds
Substances: Category and Name Examples of Commercial and Street Names DEA Schedule*/ How Administered** Acute Effects/Health Risks 

CNS Depressants 

Stimulants For more information on prescription medications, please visit http://www.nida.nih.gov/DrugPages/PrescripDrugsChart.html.

Opioid Pain Relievers 

* Schedule I and II drugs have a high potential for abuse. They require greater storage security and have a quota on manufacturing, among other restrictions. Schedule I drugs are available for research only and have no approved medical use; Schedule II drugs are available 

only by prescription (unrefillable) and require a form for ordering. Schedule III and IV drugs are available by prescription, may have five refills in 6 months, and may be ordered orally. Some Schedule V drugs are available over the counter.

** Some of the health risks are directly related to the route of drug administration. For example, injection drug use can increase the risk of infection through needle contamination with staphylococci, HIV, hepatitis, and other organisms.

*** Associated with sexual assaults. 

Order NIDA publications from DrugPubs: 

1-877-643-2644 or 1-240-645-0228 (TTY/TDD)

Revised March 2011

Reprinted April 2012

1. Addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and 

behavior. Drugs alter the brain’s structure and how it functions, resulting in changes that 

persist long after drug use has ceased. This may help explain why abusers are at risk for 

relapse even after long periods of abstinence. 

2. No single treatment is appropriate for everyone. Matching treatment settings, 

interventions, and services to an individual’s particular problems and needs is critical to 

his or her ultimate success. 

3. Treatment needs to be readily available. Because drug-addicted individuals may be 

uncertain about entering treatment, taking advantage of available services the moment 

people are ready for treatment is critical. Potential patients can be lost if treatment is not 

immediately available or readily accessible.

4. Effective treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her 

drug abuse. To be effective, treatment must address the individual’s drug abuse and any 

associated medical, psychological, social, vocational, and legal problems. 

5. Remaining in treatment for an adequate period of time is critical. The appropriate 

duration for an individual depends on the type and degree of his or her problems and 

needs. Research indicates that most addicted individuals need at least 3 months in 

treatment to significantly reduce or stop their drug use and that the best outcomes occur 

with longer durations of treatment. 

6. Counseling—individual and/or group—and other behavioral therapies are the most 

commonly used forms of drug abuse treatment. Behavioral therapies vary in their 

focus and may involve addressing a patient’s motivations to change, building skills to 

resist drug use, replacing drug-using activities with constructive and rewarding activities, 

improving problemsolving skills, and facilitating better interpersonal relationships. 

7. Medications are an important element of treatment for many patients, especially 

when combined with counseling and other behavioral therapies. For example, 

methadone and buprenorphine are effective in helping individuals addicted to heroin 

or other opioids stabilize their lives and reduce their illicit drug use. Also, for persons 

addicted to nicotine, a nicotine replacement product (nicotine patches or gum) or an oral 

medication (buproprion or varenicline), can be an effective component of treatment when 

part of a comprehensive behavioral treatment program.

8. An individual’s treatment and services plan must be assessed continually and 

modified as necessary to ensure it meets his or her changing needs. A patient may 

require varying combinations of services and treatment components during the course 

of treatment and recovery. In addition to counseling or psychotherapy, a patient may 

Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment

More than three decades of scientific research show that treatment can help drug-addicted individuals stop drug use, avoid relapse and 

successfully recover their lives. Based on this research, 13 fundamental principles that characterize effective drug abuse treatment have 

been developed. These principles are detailed in NIDA’s Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide. The guide 

also describes different types of science-based treatments and provides answers to commonly asked questions.

require medication, medical services, family therapy, parenting instruction, vocational 

rehabilitation and/or social and legal services. For many patients, a continuing care 

approach provides the best results, with treatment intensity varying according to a 

person’s changing needs.

9. Many drug-addicted individuals also have other mental disorders. Because drug 

abuse and addiction—both of which are mental disorders—often co-occur with other 

mental illnesses, patients presenting with one condition should be assessed for the 

other(s). And when these problems co-occur, treatment should address both (or all), 

including the use of medications as appropriate.

10. Medically assisted detoxification is only the first stage of addiction treatment 

and by itself does little to change long-term drug abuse. Although medically 

assisted detoxification can safely manage the acute physical symptoms of withdrawal, 

detoxification alone is rarely sufficient to help addicted individuals achieve long-term 

abstinence. Thus, patients should be encouraged to continue drug treatment following 

detoxification. 

11. Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective. Sanctions or enticements 

from family, employment settings, and/or the criminal justice system can significantly 

increase treatment entry, retention rates, and the ultimate success of drug treatment 

interventions.

12. Drug use during treatment must be monitored continuously, as lapses during 

treatment do occur. Knowing their drug use is being monitored can be a powerful 

incentive for patients and can help them withstand urges to use drugs. Monitoring also 

provides an early indication of a return to drug use, signaling a possible need to adjust an 

individual’s treatment plan to better meet his or her needs.

13. Treatment programs should assess patients for the presence of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis 

B and C, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases, as well as provide targeted 

risk-reduction counseling to help patients modify or change behaviors that place 

them at risk of contracting or spreading infectious diseases. Targeted counseling 

specifically focused on reducing infectious disease risk can help patients further reduce 

or avoid substance-related and other high-risk behaviors. Treatment providers should 

encourage and support HIV screening and inform patients that highly active antiretroviral 

therapy (HAART) has proven effective in combating HIV, including among drug-abusing 

populations.

Prescription Medications

This chart may be reprinted. Citation of the source is appreciated.