Health ministry of republic of moldova the university of medicine and pharmacy nicolae testemiţanu

Stimulants
produce physiological and mental arousal and include 
drugs as mild as caffeine and nicotine or as powerful as cocaine and 
amphetamines. 
Cocaine,
once an ingredient in Coca Cola, is today ille-
gal, although it is becoming increasingly popular in middle-class Ame-
rica. It can be “snorted”, smoked, or injected. It produces euphoria. 
Users report that it improves performance, although users overestimate 
their abilities. Since energy is expended without replenishing the source, 
when the drug effects wear off the user “crashes” with exhaustion. Chro-
nic use damages the mucous membranes and can generally poison the 
system. Large doses can produce hallucinations and even death. One 
especially horrifying hallucination is the sensation of bugs crawling 
under one’s skin. A new form, called “crack”, is exceptionally powerful, 
producing a rush within seconds of being smoked. 
The 
amphetamines
, such as 
Dexadrine 
and 
Benzedrine
, were once 
prescribed to help people stay awake or lose weight. Extended use of 
amphetamines leads to tolerance. With increasingly larger doses needed 
to produce the same euphoria. Overuse can lead to paranoia, meanin-
gless wandering of thought, and periods of depression when the drug 
wears off. Heavy users show symptoms similar to those of schizophre-
nia. Amphetamine abuse can cause brain damage. 
Hallucinogens 
have been extracted from plants and used since 
earliest human history. 
Marijuana and hashish 
are often called minor 
hallucinogens because of the mildness of their effects compared to the 
major hallucinogens, which include mescaline, LSD, and PCP. 
LSD (
lysergic acid diethylamide
) is much stronger than natural 
hallucinogens such as psilocybin and mescaline. LSD blocks the effects 
of serotonin (a neurotransmitter), but other drugs block serotonin with 
similar effect. It produces a series of hallucinations and feelings of 
increased awareness and knowledge. In fact, LSD impairs thinking 

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ability as measured by performance on simple tasks. Panic reactions 
sometimes occur. 
PCP (
phencyclidine
), also called 
angel dust,
is another powerful 
hallucinogen. It tends to produce depersonalization, mental confusion, 
insomnia, delusions and hallucinations, and the urge to act violently. 
PCP molecules bind to receptor sites in the limbic system, but resear-
chers do not yet understand exactly how the drug works.