DEPRESSANTS Flashcards
Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines are depressant drugs. Which means they slow down the messages travelling between the brain and the body. They don’t necessarily make a person feel depressed. Other depressants include alcohol, cannabis and heroin.
Benzodiazepines also are minor tranquillisers, usually prescribed by doctors to relieve stress and anxiety and to help people sleep.
They can also be used to treat alcohol withdrawal and epilepsy.
Benzodiazepines are usually a pill or tablet in varying colours and shapes.
Other Names: Benzos, tranx, sleepers, downers, pills, xannies, serras (Serepax®), moggies (Mogadon®), normies (Normison®)
Alcohol
Alcohol is a depressant drug, which means it slows down the messages travelling between the brain and body.
Alcohol is a colourless fermented or brewed liquid made from ethanol and flavoured water.
Other Names: Booze, grog, piss, liquor, charge, plonk, bevvies, nip.
GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate)
GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate) is a depressant drug, which means it slows down messages travelling between the brain and body.
GHB/GBL usually comes as a colourless, odourless, bitter or salty liquid, often sold in small bottles or vials. It can also come as a bright blue liquid known as ‘blue nitro’, and less commonly as a crystal powder.
Other Names: G, fantasy, grievous bodily harm (GBH), juice, liquid ecstasy, liquid E, liquid X, Georgia Home Boy, soap, scoop, cherry meth, blue nitro, fishies, Fanta, Frank.
Kava
Kava is a depressant drug, which means it slows down the messages travelling between the brain and the body. Kava is made from the root or stump of the kava (Piper methysticum) shrub.
Kava comes in different forms including:
brownish-coloured drink
brown powder
capsules
extracts
drops.
Other Names: Kava kava, kawa, waka, lewena, yaqona, grog (Fiji), sakau (Pohnpei), ‘awa (Hawaii), ‘ava (Samoa) and wati (New Guinea)
