the most commonly abused legal drugs, the Benzodiazepines
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| Chemical Name | Street or Common Name |
| Buprenorphine | Buprenex |
| Butalbital | Butisol |
| Butorphanol Tartrate | Stadol, Torbugesic, Torbutrol |
| Carisoprodol | Soma, Dan's, D's, Dance |
| Chloral hydrate | NocTec, Micky Finn, Knock-out drops |
| Clenbuterol | no common name |
| Dimethyltryptamine | DMT, Business Man's Lunch |
| Hydrocodone | Vicodin, Lorcet, Lorcet Plus, Lortab. |
| Hydromorphone | Dilaudid |
| Glutethimide | Doriden, "loads" |
| Meperidine | Demerol |
| Meprobamate | Equanil, Miltown, Deprol |
| Methylphenidate | Ritalin |
| Napbuphine | Nubain |
| Oxycodone | Percocet, Percodan |
| Pentazocine | Talwin, Talwin Nx, T's, Blues |
| Propoxyphene | Darvon, Darvocet |
| Tramadol | Ultram |
| Zolpidem | Ambien |
| Diet Drugs | |
| Anabolic Steroids | |
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Hydrocodone products:
|
| In the top 20 controlled substances of abuse, excluding the benzodiazepines which are so widely abused, hydrocodone is the highest ranked licit drug. It is an analog of codeine but is six times more potent. By mouth it is also six times more potent than morphine, in terms of equivalent mg amounts. A 5-10 mg oral dose of hydrocodone is equivalent to a 30-60 mg oral dose of morphine in terms of pain relief. |
| Oxycodone: Percocet, Percodan |
| Oxycodone is a synthetic opioid analgesic for moderate to moderately severe pain. Similar to hydrocodone, it is more potent and has a greater abuse potential. It can cause drowsiness, confusion, nausea, vomiting, miosis, and perhaps decrease heart rate and blood pressure. It too possesses euphoric effects. |
| Hydromorphone: Dilaudid 4mg |
| Hydromorphone is occasionally called "drugstore heroin," it continues to be the most abused form of hydromorphone and it not difficult to find on the streets despite the high prices. Street prices range from $25 in St. Louis to $40-$60 in Louisville and $35-$50 in Los Angeles. It sells for 75 cents at the pharmacy. According to a January 1997 LA Times article about the arrest by state and federal agents of an LA doctor for her involvement in a large narcotics ring that obtained thousands of fraudulent prescriptions for this drug. The doctor, plus three other doctors under investigation at the time, had written about 8,100 prescriptions for Dilaudid for more than 800,000 doses from 1993 to 1996. It is six to eight times more powerful than morphine. This is a cancer-level pain killer, and is also indicated for heart attacks, surgeries and trauma. Levorphanol (Levo-Dromoran) is a similar opiate agonist. |
| Carisoprodol: Soma |
| Carisoprodol is another widely abused prescription drug used for relief of pain, muscle spasms and limited mobility associated with painful skeletomuscular conditions. This drug is being diverted, trafficked and abused. It is commonly abused in combo with narcotics analgesics such as codeine or hydrocodone products. According to the abusers, Soma plus Vicodin equals heroin. It is only controlled in a few states and California is not one of them. It is not controlled federally either. This is the most frequently encountered pharmaceutical currently at the U.S. Mexican border and is often counterfeited. In fact, its volume was nearly three times greater than the number two pharmaceutical, diazepam, in a survey done in early 1998 at the San Ysidro Point of Entry. Soma is a growing problem in California, especially in the San Francisco area. It is typically used by polydrug abusers in combo with such drugs as Tylenol #3 or #4 (Tylenol and Codeine). Street prices vary from $1-12 per tablet. Street names of "DAN's", "D's" or "Dance" come from the imprint code "DAN5513" from the generic pharmaceutical manufacturer, Danbury Pharmaceuticals. |
| Buprenorphine: Buprenex |
| Buprenorphine is a semisynthetic narcotic derived from thebaine and is 25 to 50 times more potent than morphine. An injectable buprenorphine hydrochloride formulation marketed in the U.S. is a federal Schedule V. While this version has limited distribution/use and limited abuse and diversion to date, there is concern that once a sublingual version is approved (there is a New Drug Application on file), abuse will increase. It produces constriction of pupils, respiratory depression, reduction in psychomotor performance, alterations in mood, including feeling high, euphoric, lightheaded, nauseous, sleep and sluggish. This narcotics agonist/antagonist has opiate like effects when used alone, but will reverse the effects of other opiates and cause withdrawal in opiate dependant persons. This drug should not be substituted for other opiates in dependant patients. Experience in other countries indicate that its abuse potential among addicts in substantial, especially with introduction of sublingual dosage. Administration by IV doesn't usually provide a rush, but gives several hours of opioid euphoric experience. In combo with benzodiazepines, this drug gives the full range of effects (rush and euphoria). In France in 1997 there were at least 14 deaths attributed to this drug combination (benzodiazepines and buprenorphine). |
| Butorphanol Tartrate: Stadol |
| Butorphanol Tartrate is an opioid agonist-antagonist analgesic and a prescription drug. It is marketed as Stadol for humans for moderate to serious pain (migraines). It is also used for horses and dogs as Torbugesic or Torbutrol. Since introduced as a nasal spray, abuse has increased. It is highly addictive and is associated with more than 41 deaths. It is NOT controlled in most states, including California. |
| Pentazocine: Talwin, Talwin Nx |
| Pentazocine is a narcotic pain reliever, similar to morphine, but only one-half to one-sixth as potent. It may be used with tripelennamine tablets to make an IV mixture used by opiate addicts since its effects are purported to be similar to IV heroin. Used in combo with an antihistamine and tripelennamine, its street names are "T's" or "Blues". |
| Methylphenidate: Ritalin |
| Methylphenidate is a cerebral stimulant which produces pharmacological effects similar to cocaine and amphetamine. It is used primarily to treat attention-deficient & hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children; it is being used more in adults for attention problems as well. The U.S. produces and consumes about 80-85 percent of the total world production of this drug. This rapid growth of production and consumption in the U.S. contrasts with patterns in elsewhere. The DEA believes it is being diverted, trafficked and abused. Pemoline (Cylert) is another cerebral stimulant with similar uses that can also be abused. |
| Tramadol: Ultram |
| Introduced in 1995, no control was recommended based on review of its uncontrolled use in 40 other countries. However, once released in the U.S., abuse became readily apparent. It is addictive. It is a "non-narcotic" pain reliever. Large doses can interfere with ability to breathe, especially if taken with alcohol. People dependant on narcotics may experience drug withdrawal symptoms if they take Ultram. This central acting synthetic analgesic, opiate-type pain reliever has affinity, although low, for opiate receptors and has other mechanisms of function as well. |
| Zolpidem: Ambien |
| Marketed only since 1993, Zolpidem is a fast-rising licit drug of abuse, ranking 14th among the top 20 drugs of abuse in 1996. It is non-benzodiazepine sedative that works in the brain much the same as a benzodiazepine does but has little muscle-relaxing or anti-seizure effect. It is for short term use and should not be taken for more than seven to ten days. It should not be taken with other CNS depressants. It is a hypnotic for short-term management of insomnia. It has been used in at least one rape case. |
| Butalbital: Butisol |
| The fourth most frequently encountered pharmaceutical at the U.S.-Mexican border and a drug that is often counterfeited. Butalbital is a barbiturate and is one ingredient of Fiorinal (prescribed for relief of migraines and other pain). It is a respiratory depressant. This hypnotic is for anxiety and pre-operative sedation. Euphoria, excitement and confusion may precede the sedation effect. It is addictive. There is also pentobarbital (Nembutal), another barb, and talbutal (Lotusate). |
| Napbuphine: Nubain |
| another opiate agonist/antagonist, similar to butorphanol, buprenorphine and pentazocine. Napbuphine blocks the effects of normal doses of opiates given after nalbuphine and will reverse the effects of opiates given prior to nalbuphine and cause opiate withdrawal in opiate dependant persons. Potency is equivalent to morphine. This product is intended for IV, IM or SQ injection. |
| DMT (Dimethyltryptamine) |
| DMT is a hallucinogen that comes in capsule, liquid or pill form and is ingested, injected, smoked or snorted. Also called the "business man's lunch," because of it's short duration, it elevates pulse, body temperature and blood pressure and may cause bizarre behavior, flashbacks, intense trips, psychosis, violence and perhaps death. |
| Meperidine: Demerol |
| Meperidine is a narcotic that comes in liquid, tablets or white powder and in ingested, injected or snorted. This drug has a "trip" duration of 4 to 6 hours and lowers pulse, blood pressure and body temperature and causes depressed reflexes, drowsiness, dry mouth and euphoria. |
| Propoxyphene: Darvon, Darvocet |
| Propoxyphene is an opiate agonist related to methadone but substantially less potent. It is for mild to moderate pain. Drowsiness, dizziness, visual disturbances, nausea are common side effects. May also decrease pulse and blood pressure, along with respiratory depression. Euphoric effects are less than codeine, but it can be addictive. |
| Chloral hydrate: Noctec, the original "Mickey Finn" |
| Chloral hydrate is a sedative hypnotic which has CNS depressant effects similar to barbiturates. It is for short-term treatment of insomnia and is a mild sedative. It is addictive with prolonged use. Its sedative effects are greatly enhanced by combo with alcohol, thus its use in sexual assaults. |
Diet drugs
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| Sibutramine (Meridia)ăthe obesity drug expected to replace the "fen-phen" market since fenfluramine was removed from the market in 1997, is an amphetamine analogue pharmacologically similar to other anorectic agents that produce central nervous system stimulation and amphetamine-like effects in humans and animals. Relatively new, the abuse factor will become evident in time. Any vitamin, supplement or dietary "aid" that includes "Ma Huang" or Ephedra is also a stimulant because ephedrine, no matter what you call it, is still a stimulant. |
| Glutethimide: Doriden |
| Glutethimide is a hypnotic with CNS depressant effects similar to barbiturates. It is for short-term treatment of insomnia but has a high abuse potential. Street name is "loads." Glutethimide's effects are greatly enhanced by alcohol. This is an "old" drug and is not seen much now. |
Meprobamate:
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| Meprobamate is a CNS depressant similar to barbiturates that was controlled (Schedule IV) because of abuse. It causes sedation and may produce dependence and withdrawal symptoms. |
| Steroids |
| Steroids were developed in the 1930s to rebuild and prevent the breakdown of body tissues from disease. Steroids are a synthetic version of testosterone which stimulates and maintains the male sexual organs. In males, testosterone is produced by the testes and adrenal gland. In women, testosterone is synthesized in small amounts by both the ovary and adrenal glands. The average adult male naturally produces 2.5 to 11 milligrams of testosterone daily. The average steroid abuser may take more than 100 mg a day, through "stacking" or combining several different brands of steroids. Steroids fool the body into thinking testosterone is being produced. Thinking there is an excess, some bodily functions shut down. Anabolic steroids cause premature closure of endplates of bones, not really stopping bone growth but stopping linear growth, leading to short stature. The excess does lead to shrinking of testicle size because the body sees too much testosterone. There are many other negative side effects, ranging from the superficial to the deadly. Adverse reactions include
Just a few steroid names:
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| Clenbuterol |
| A steroid "alternative," has become popular on the black market. A veterinary drug in other countries,Clenbuterol is not approved in the U.S. for humans or animals. In Spain, 135 people became sick (muscle tremors, fast heart rate, headaches, dizziness, nausea, fever and chills) and that was merely from eating beef liver containing traces of this drug. Little research has been done on humans ingesting the drug directly. Show animals (4-H) have been eliminated from prize winning when they test positive for clenbuterol. It is similar to drugs used for asthma to dilate the bronchial airways. |
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