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Drugs Commonly Used by Teens and Children

By Emily Battaglia

According to a report by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), a key component of preventing and treating teen drug addiction is to educate people about the most common illicit drugs used by teens and children, as well as how to identify them, signs of use, and the effects. This article contains information on four types of drugs that are commonly used by teens: hallucinogens, heroin, inhalants, and methamphetamines.

Several types of drugs fall under the category of hallucinogens. The three main substances are LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin. LSD is also known by various street names such as acid, blotter, boomers, cubes, microdot, and yellow sunshine. Mescaline is also known as buttons, cactus, mesc, and peyote. Psilocybin is often referred as magic mushroom, purple passion, shrooms, and PCP.

Hallucinogens may be snorted, smoked, or ingested in pill form, as a powder or as syrup. Hallucinogens can cause users to behave unpredictably, including erratic and violent behavior. Users commonly experience injuries, which are sometimes serious or fatal. Signs and effects of using hallucinogens include shallow breathing, elevated heart rate and blood pressure, reduced sensitivity to touch or pain (which can result in injuries), convulsions, coma, and heart and lung failure. Hallucinogens also produce psychological effects including depression, anxiety, paranoia, and flashbacks.

Heroin is one of the most potent and most addictive drugs. Heroin is also known as lady, white girl, horse, black tar, brown sugar, smack, good, H, and junk. Heroin usually looks like a white or brown powder or a black sticky substance. Users of heroin often exhibit flu-like symptoms, including watery eyes, runny nose, and reduced appetite. Heroin use is strongly linked with a myriad of negative outcomes including addiction; increased risk for contracting HIV and hepatitis B and hepatitis C; collapsed veins; bacterial infections; skins infections; infections of heart lining and valves; arthritis; overdose; and death.

Inhalants represent a unique threat because they are generally household items that are easily obtained in the home or at local stores. Inhalants include paint thinners, gasoline, glue, butane, propane, aerosol propellants, nitrous oxide, and more. Inhalants are also referred to as laughing gas, poppers, snappers, whippets, whipped cream, and rush. Signs of inhalant use include chemical odors on the user’s breath or clothing; paint or stains on the user’s body; hidden empty spray or solvent cans; and drunk or sloppy appearance, including slurred speech, nausea, inattentiveness, and lack of coordination. Users may experience lack of appetite, irritability, depression, and sudden death, as well as damage to the brain, lungs, nerves, liver, kidneys, and bones.

The most well-known form of methamphetamines is crystal meth, also known as meth. However, there are other forms of the drug. Methamphetamines are commonly referred to as meth, ice (crystallized), batu, glass, crystals, crystal-meth, speed, and chalk. Methamphetamines can be snorted, injected, smoked, or taken orally. Effects of methamphetamine use include heart palpitations, blurred vision, violent behavior, hallucinations, and aggression. Methamphetamines are extremely addictive, particularly crystal meth (a.k.a. meth or ice). Methamphetamines can cause damage to the brain, lungs, liver, and heart. Users may also experience memory loss, psychotic behavior, and increased risk of unsafe sexual behavior.