DIFFERENT WAYS OF USING DRUGS

There are the 5 ways of using drugs and all of them come with some risks.

Some just have more than others:

injecting

• The drug reaches the brain almost immediately. This greatly increases the chance of overdose. Also if anything has been mixed with the drug it gets in to the body undiluted.
  
  
• If you keep injecting into the same area it can lead to damaged veins. It can also lead to thrombosis and abscesses.
  
  
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• If you use a lot you will keep having to find places to inject in to. Some users use the eye as this is the only place left.
  
  
• Sharing or using dirty needles can lead to infections and things like hepatitis and HIV.
  
  
• There is also the danger of hitting an artery. This means you could bleed to death.
  
  

SNORTING

• The drug is snorted up through a tube or straight up the nose.
  
  
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• The drug is absorbed through the blood vessels in the nose.
  
  
• The blood vessels get damaged as the drug kills them off and the powder rubs at the inside of the nose.
  
  
• The nose bleeds and is sore.
  
  
• Eventually it can lead to the middle of the nose (septum) being eaten away so you just have one big gap in the centre of your nose.

SmokING

There are different ways of smoking drugs:

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• Tobacco is smoked in a cigarette or pipe. You can also smoke cigars.
  
  
• Drug (cannabis or heroin) is mixed with tobacco and rolled in to a cigarette, a small piece of cardboard (a roach) is placed at one end to stop the end blocking up. This is known as a spliff or joint.
  
  
• Heroin is placed in a line(s) on silver foil. This is known as chasing the dragon due to the heroin wiggling when it’s heated.
  
  
• The heat of the smoke can be over 300 degrees in temperature when you use a bong or pipe. This can cause damage to the lungs and throat.
  
  
• Many drugs are toxic and have chemicals that can cause various diseases such as cancer.