Drugs

University is the first place a lot of young people are exposed to and experiment with drugs.

The law puts illegal drugs into one of three categories - A, B and C - according to the harm they can do to you. Class A is the most harmful.

CLASS A DRUGS: These include cocaine, crack, ecstacy, heroin, LSD and magic mushrooms (when they are prepared). They are the most harmful drugs and carry the heaviest penalties. It is illegal to have, give away or deal in Class A drugs.

CLASS B DRUGS: These include speed (amphetamines). Any Class B drug prepared for injection will be treated as Class A. It is illegal to have, give away or deal in Class B drugs.

CLASS C DRUGS: These include cannabis, GHB, anabolic steroids and tranquillisers such as valium. It is illegal to have, give away or deal in Class C drugs, and to grow cannabis plants.

The reality is that drugs are unpredictable. The effects can vary wildly from one person to another, with factors like where a person is, who they're with and their general state of mind all influencing the experience.

But as unpredictable as drugs are - one thing's for sure, the more people know about them the better. So, the Guru has given you a straight-up guide to some of the most common recreational drugs on the market today.

CANNABIS

The most widely used illegal drug in Britain. It's a naturally occurring drug made from parts of the cannabis plant. It's a sedative and mild hallucinogen that makes some people feel chilled out and others feel sick. It's not very expensive and widely available.

Cannabis comes in different forms. Hash is a blacky-brown lump made from the resin of the plant. It's quite often squidgey. Grass or weed is the dried leaves of the plant. It looks like tightly packed dried garden herbs.

Most people mix cannabis up with tobacco and smoke it as a spliff or a joint. Some people put it in a pipe. Others make tea with it or stick it in food like cakes.

COCAINE

Cocaine and crack are both stimulants with powerful, but short-lived effects. The big difference is that crack is much stronger and more addictive than cocaine.

Coke is a white powder that's usually divided into lines on a smooth surface and snorted up the nose with a rolled up tenner or a straw. It can be smoked and is sometimes made into a solution and injected. A gram of coke generally costs between £40 and £60.

ECSTASY

The original designer drug. Ecstasy shot to fame in the early 90's as the rave culture took off and clubbers took it to stay awake and dance for hours. An estimated 500,000 people take it every weekend.

There's a lot of controversy about the long term side effects of E. Some evidence suggests it can damage the brain causing long term problems.

Pure Ecstasy is a white crystalline powder known to chemists as MDMA. Ecstasy sold on the street is usually in tablet form although it's getting more common to see it sold as powder. E's come in all sorts of colours and some of them have pictures or logos stamped into them. They are usually swallowed although some people do smoke or snort them.

The effects take about half an hour to kick in and tend to last between 3 to 6 hours, followed by a gradual comedown. It's the drug of choice for many clubbers and 4% of 16-25 year olds have taken some in the last 3 months.

People have been known to take another E because they haven't come up. The danger is both E's kick in and you have a double dose to deal with.They cost between £3 and £8 each depending on the type of pill you buy and where you live.

MAGIC MUSHROOMS

Magic Mushrooms are mushrooms which grow in the wild that produce similar effects to LSD when you eat them. There are two main types and they are both very different.

The most common form is a species called psilocybe, the other more potent variety is amanita muscaria. There are deadly poisonous species of amanitas. If you don't know what you're doing, don't take them.

Psilcybin mushrooms are small and tan coloured and bruise blue when they're touched. Amanita Muscaria are more like the red and white spotted toadstools you see in fairytale books.

After picking, they're both either eaten raw or dried out and stored. Most people take between 1-5 grams.

FRANK

0800 77 66 00

www.talktofrank.com

National Drugs Helpline 0113 245 3588

Free confidential phone service that offers advice on any drugs related issue