Alcohol, drugs and their effects

• There is no 'one size fits all' effect of any substance
  
  
• Effects will depend on an individual's make up, mood, physical tolerance, what other substances have been taken, beliefs about the substance, and many other factors
  
  
• Alcohol and drugs, whether legal or illegal, affect many different parts of a person's physiology as the body breaks down and processes the substance(s)
  
• The short term effects are felt by a person as a result of their impact on the body's central nervous system (CNS)
  
  
• Substances are often put into groups depending on their similar biological effects on the CNS. These groups are:
  • Drugs that depress the CNS, eg alcohol, tranquilisers, solvents and gases
  • Drugs that stimulate the CNS, eg speed, cocaine, crack-cocaine, ecstasy, caffeine, tobacco
  • Drugs that alter perceptual function (hallucinogens), eg LSD/Acid, magic mushrooms, cannabis
  • Drugs that reduce pain, eg heroin, opium, methadone, codeine
    
    
• People may use substances in a variety of ways, eg smoking, injecting, snorting. The chosen route of administration will also have an impact on how an individual experiences the effects
  
  
• The important thing to remember is that the client is the expert on the effects of their substance use
  
  
• You cannot be an expert in someone else's substance use
  
  
• ASK them to tell you what effect(s) their substance use has on them
  
• There are many comprehensive and useful websites that can help with details of substances and their effects. See below for the links.
  
  

Introduction | Polysubstance use | Assessing substance use | How to assess
Overdose awareness | Websites