Many people are afraid of drugs. This fear of the unknown often leaves little room for common sense and all the more space for panic. All of this also makes thinking and talking about drugs extra difficult.
Given that everyone will come into contact with drugs, drug use or drug-related problems at some point in their lives, it is good to take a sober attitude. The best way to achieve this is to learn as much as possible about drugs, where they come from, who uses them, why people use them, what risks are involved and how problems can be prevented. These pages provide general information on drugs. On the other pages in this website, more specific information is presented per substance.
When a particular substance is considered a drug? Different answers exist for this question. Sometimes as starting points are taken the effects of the substance, sometimes - what the law says about the substance.
Concerning the effects, the drug is a substance, whose use changes the functioning of the brain and therefore influences the psychological, emotional and physical state of the person.
Concerning the law, in the Bulgarian legislation the substances which are connected with the drugs, are separated in two groups:
A substance is a drug when it affects the brain in such a way that psychological and physical effects occur. The effects can be stimulating, anaesthetizing or hallucinogenic.
Stimulants
With these substances, the user gets the feeling of having more energy and being more alert. Examples are such stimulants as cocaine and amphetamines (‘speed’) but also tobacco and coffee.
Anaesthetics
With these substances, the user enters into a sleepy stupor. As a result of the calming and relaxing effects, life’s sharp edges disappear. Examples of anaesthetics are heroine and other opiates but also alcohol and sedatives.
Hallucinogens
The user of these substances sees and experiences the world very differently. Examples of mind-altering substances are LSD, hash, weed, mushrooms and other hallucinogens.
The distinctions drawn on the basis of the effects of substances are not always sharp. Some substances can have a mixed effect. XTC, for example, is stimulating but also changes perceptions. Hash and weed — depending on the dosage and the situation — can have a mind-altering effect but also a numbing effect.
The division of the drugs on soft and hard in Bulgaria is used only informally. According to our legislation the drugs are divided in two groups: substances with high degree of risk for the public health because of the harm effect of their abuse, forbidden for application in the human and veterinary medicine, and substances with a high degree of risk, applicable in the human and veterinary medicine.
The concepts of soft and hard drugs are included in the legislation of other countries, for example The Netherlands. According to their law, the hard drugs are more dangerous than the soft drugs and this is mentioned in the severity of the punishment.
According to the Bulgarian understanding soft drugs are hash and weed (cannabis), and hard drugs – all the rest psychoactive substances. In the reality the line between soft and hard drugs is not easy to set up. There are soft drug users, who use so much that their use could be called “hard”. The opposite situation is also possible, even though “soft” use of hard drugs couldn’t be held up by most of the users.
In the Holland law sedatives and tranquillizers are an exception, nor soft, neither hard drugs. Despite that, the fact that they are usually prescribed by a doctor shouldn’t excuse the wide spreading abuse with these substances.
Alcohol and nicotine are psychoactive substances, which aren’t forbidden by the law and aren’t related to the categories of soft and hard drugs. In spite of their wide social acceptance, they are as harmful and risky as the hard drugs.
The use of drugs is not a recent phenomenon. The oldest signs of drug use date from 7000 years ago although it is widely suspected that there have always been people who use drugs. Many drugs come directly from nature. Hash and weed come from the hemp (cannabis) plant. Strong mind-altering substances can be found in the peyote cactus and certain types of mushrooms. Cocaine is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. Opium, which is the basis for morphine and heroine, is a product of the poppy plant. Since the beginning of the nineteenth century, the active compounds in an increasing number of these natural products have been identified. Many of the active compounds can now be ‘imitated’ in the laboratory. There are also, however, drugs which have actually been ‘discovered’ in the laboratory itself. Examples of these are LSD, XTC and benzodiazepines such as Diazepam.
Sometimes drugs appear to pop up out of nowhere. Their use will often then occur for some time within a closed circle. When the use of such drug starts to spread, considerable commotion can occur as no one knows exactly where it comes from or the possible risks of using the drug. A new drug can also become a ‘hype’. Some of these trends will blow over, but others may stay and the media plays a major role in this.
Despite a very strict approach towards the production and trafficking of drugs, the presence of illegal drugs cannot be prevented altogether. A country cannot be hermetically closed off. Some drugs are made, moreover, in Bulgaria as well – mostly cannabis and its products, as well as synthetic drugs like amphetamines or XTC, which could be prepared in lab conditions everywhere in the world. Probably poppy could also be cultivated in Bulgaria, but the production of heroine is more difficult than the production of the drugs of the new millennium – the synthetic drugs.
A drug which has a person ‘in its power’ but against the person’s will simply does not exist. Drug use is always first and foremost a choice on the part of the user. Frequently, however, users do not really know what they are getting into simply because they do not know enough about the characteristics of the drug and the risks of the drug.
Such a lack of knowledge is particularly the case when someone uses for the first time. Many people do this when they are young, for example, to go along with others, come across tough, test boundaries, fulfil their curiosity, do away with boredom or just for the excitement because it really isn’t allowed. Trends also play a role here.
Whether or not someone continues to use depends upon the person but also upon the environment. When the direct environment — namely, the circle of friends — accepts or rejects a particular type of use, this often has considerable influence. However, rejection of drug use by another may not always lead to the desired result, namely stopping. Rejection can also prompt the other to seek a different environment — an environment where such drug use is accepted.
Drug use is a phenomenon which does not limit itself to a particular group or class; it occurs in all layers of society. The same holds for drug addiction.
The different types of drugs are typically used under different circumstances. Some users may limit themselves to one type of drug; other users may use different types of drugs depending on the situation or the mood they are in:
Those who use drugs choose to do this. When use leads to abuse, the original reason often does not play such a large role anymore. It may be that drug use has become a manner for someone to escape from reality. Still one step further is no talk of a choice: the user has become dependent on the drug. It is not the case that someone automatically progresses from one stage of use to the next. Such progression depends upon the substance, the person him/herself and the situation in which the person finds him/herself. While many people think this to be the case, it is also not the case that all those who use drugs get addicted. Many users of soft drugs, for example, stop after experimenting for awhile.
When it comes to drug addiction, a distinction can be made between physical and psychological dependence.
One can speak of physical dependence when the body protests to stopped usage of the drug. Withdrawal symptoms occur. Another physical aspect of drug addiction is tolerance. This means that the user needs increased amounts of a substance to feel the same effect. Physical dependence and tolerance are caused by the drug itself. There are drugs which bring both phenomena with them but also drugs for which neither of the phenomena occur.
Psychological dependence means that the user has the idea that he or she can no longer function without use of the drug. Psychological dependence thus depends more upon the user than the substance itself.
The ease with which someone ‘gets addicted’ depends upon a variety of factors. Many people who use drugs for the first time do so to experiment and thus out of curiosity or because they are looking for a special feeling.
Whether or not someone continues to use after initial use depends upon, among other things, the effects of the drug and the sensitivity of the individual to the effects of the drug. The motives for taking the drug may also play a role in this: Someone who uses because he or she is feeling rotten is more at risk for problematic use than someone who uses out of curiosity and/or while feeling good.
No drug whatsoever leads to addiction after a single use. It is therefore not the case that one can maliciously put ‘something’ in a person’s drink, for instance, and create an addiction. While many people believe in the possibility of ‘making someone addicted,’ dealers never try to win clients in such a manner. Such an approach simply does not work. Dealers, moreover, would never distribute their precious goods in such a manner — namely for free.
It is difficult to draw conclusions about the risk of dependency specific drugs. The one user can quickly develop a psychological dependence on hash while the other user experiences no problems whatsoever. The one user can be crazy about a particular substance while the other user is not so crazy about it or crazy about some other substance. It is nevertheless known that certain drugs lead to fewer addiction problems than others. A clear increase has manifested itself during the past few years, but according to the statistics the number of people running into problems due to the use of hash or weed is considerably lower than the number of people running into problems due to the use of heroine.
At the same time, just a small part of the users of marijuana search for specialized help in comparison to the users of heroine, and this influences the statistics as well.
It is also not the case that the use of soft drugs automatically leads to the use of hard drugs.
In the information provided on the different substances here, the risk of dependency is also described among other things.
The use of drugs is like playing with fire: There are always risks involved. Among the risks is the danger of physical and/or psychological dependence. The more specific risks of the different drug types are outlined elsewhere in this website. In the present section, the risks which hold for virtually all drugs are described.
Short-term risks
To an important extent, the effect of a drug depends upon the condition and mood of the user at the point which the substance is taken. Many drugs magnify the current mood and can therefore have effects which are different from what the user expected. Discontent can turn into deep melancholy; anxiety can turn into panic. A drug can also ‘not agree’ with someone physically, which can lead to nausea, vomiting and sickness.
The use of drugs is particularly dangerous for people who are psychologically vulnerable, people with cardiovascular problems, people with mental health problems and pregnant women. Women who are breast feeding should realize that they can pass the active compound in a drug onto a baby via the milk which is drunk.
A risk of certain drugs is overdose or the consumption of a lethal amount. Some users intentionally take a high dosage. What happens more frequently, however, is that something other than what the user expects is consumed. That is, a pill or powder does not contain what the seller claims. Quality control does not exist for illegal drugs. Users can also take different drugs together with effects which are often unpredictable and sometimes lethal.
Drugs influence the perception of reality and the user’s capacity to concentrate. In traffic and at work, drug use thus increases the probability of accidents. Drug use in traffic is also therefore punishable by law. Achievement at school and work can similarly suffer as a result of drug use.
The risks associated with drug use also depend upon the manner of use. Such infectious diseases as HIV (aids) and hepatitis can be spread via the use of hypodermic needles which have already been used by someone else. The continued smoking of cocaine can severely damage the functioning of the lungs.
Long-term risks
In cases of long-term drug use, one often speaks of ‘having’ to use or addiction (physical and/or psychological dependence). The chances of physical and mental damage are large in cases of long-term addiction. Unpleasant physical problems can present themselves. For example, certain organs can function less well as a result of being overburdened.
Psychologically, long-term drug use can cause a form of ‘overheating.’ Users can only think about drugs and lose all contact with reality.
The living habits of the addicted individual can also either limit or magnify the physical and psychological damage. When only the drug is of importance to the individual and both healthy eating and the maintenance of social contacts no longer exist, the user can quickly deteriorate both physically and psychologically.
Everyone will come into contact with the use of drugs at one point in their lives. This may be within the family, in the nightlife circuit, at work, at school or amongst one’s friends. Reacting in an appropriate manner is not an easy task. Warnings or prohibitions generally do not work. A heart-to-heart talk — without prejudice — has, however, been found to work in many cases. In doing this, it should be kept in mind that experimentation generally does not lead to derailment. This is provided the person is not using out of boredom and that he or she is otherwise independent, capable of saying ‘no’ and also knows how to handle setbacks.
When experimentation persists and thus leads to regular and possibly problematic use, it is important that the lines of communication be kept open. Panic or the utterance of threats is useless and may even backfire. One should also have adequate knowledge of drugs as this may allow the communication with the user to proceed as ‘neutrally’ as possible. The present text and those on specific substances elsewhere in this website all contain the latest and most important information known to date. Setting clear boundaries can also be useful when it comes to dealing with the drug use of another.
Talking with people who are really dependent on a drug is not easy. Addicts are often, for instance, masters of denial — at least when it comes to their own use. There are also addicts who know exactly what they are doing and why they are doing it. These individuals will often mention personal factors or societal circumstances as the reasons for their use. In these cases, it is recommended that the help of a professional from a mental health organization or drug rehabilitation centre be called upon. The expert can provide advice or talk directly with the user.
Many parents want to talk to their child about drugs but do not know how to do this. To start with, it is important that one be sufficiently informed. As the slogan of a recent drug prevention campaign goes: ‘If you want them to listen, make sure you have something to say.’ In addition, it is important that the proper perspective be adopted. Two examples of a conversation are presented below. In both cases, the parent is worried about possible drug use on the part of the child. In the first conversation, the parent virtually slams the door on any further communication. In the second conversation, the line of communication is kept open.
Mother: I heard from Caroline’s mother that hash is being smoked at your school. Is that true?
Patricia: Gosh, mom, I don’t know.
Mother: You have not been a part of this, have you?
Patricia: Oh mom, come on …
Mother: Now, I want to know. Have you been a part of this or not? And who has the stuff anyway?
Patricia: How should I know?
Mother: What did you do with last week’s allowance?
Patricia: The same as always. Only I somehow lost a ten during gym. I think it was stolen.
Mother: Yeah, right. I bet you bought some of that junk.
Patricia: Don’t be absurd.
Mother: As long as you realize that I’m going to report you to the police if I ever find out. Even though
I’m your mother.
Patricia: You’re crazy.
Mother: Yeah, that may be the case, but I certainly don’t want a junkie in my house.
Father: I heard that hash is being smoked at your school. Are you doing that as well?
Michael: Now, almost never. Once and awhile on Friday. After school.
Father: Are you a little bit careful?
Michael: What do you mean?
Father: You know you can run into problems doing that.
Michael: Like what?
Father: Well, what am I supposed to do if you get suspended from school, for example.
Michael: Oh, I thought you were talking about the stuff itself.
Father: Now, yeah, I’m sure it won’t kill you. But it seems to me that having a clear head may be better…Of course, people have to decide for themselves.
Michael: As if you always have such a clear head after drinking a beer.
Father: That’s exactly what I mean. I’m not always happy about that.
Michael: But can you really get hooked?
Father: On beer or hash?
Michael: Hash.
Father: Apparently not, but it seems to me that there must be nicer things to spend your allowance on.
Have you been to a film recently or have you started saving for scooter?