Street name: Weed/Pot

How drug is used: Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette called a joint or a nail, or in a pipe or a bong.

Short-term effects:Loss of coordination and distortions in the sense of time, vision and hearing, sleepiness, reddening of the eyes, increased appetite and relaxed muscles. Heart rate can speed up. In fact, in the first hour of smoking marijuana, a user’s risk of a heart attack could increase fivefold. School performance is reduced through impaired memory and lessened ability to solve problems.

Long-term effects: Long-term use can cause psychotic symptoms. It can also damage the lungs and the heart, worsen the symptoms of bronchitis and cause coughing and wheezing. It may reduce the body’s ability to fight lung infections and illness.

Street name: Booze

How drug is used: Some people say they drink alcohol to "drown their sorrows" after a bad breakup, job loss, or other major life stress. Alcohol does have a sedative effect on the brain. A few beers or glasses of wine can seem to relieve anxiety and make you feel more relaxed and calm.

Short-term effects: A relaxing effect, Reduced tension, Lowered inhibitions, Poor concentration, Slow reflexes, Slow reaction time, Reduced coordination, Slower brain activity, Sensations and perceptions that are less clear

Long-term effects: Disrupts normal brain development; Liver damage and cirrhosis of the liver; Brain cells die, decreasing brain mass; Stomach and intestinal ulcers and destroyed organs; Blood pressure increases, causing heart disease, heart attack, or strokes, Male sperm production decreases; Lower levels of iron and vitamin B, causing anemia; Alcoholism; Death and Fetal alcohol syndrome in unborn children.

Street name: Coke

How drug is used: The powdered form of cocaine is either inhaled through the nose (snorted), where it is absorbed through the nasal tissue, or dissolved in water and injected into the bloodstream.

Short-term effects: Crack causes a short-lived, intense high that is immediately followed by the opposite—intense depression, edginess and a craving for more of the drug. People who use it often don’t eat or sleep properly. They can experience greatly increased heart rate, muscle spasms and convulsions. The drug can make people feel paranoid, angry, hostile and anxious—even when they aren’t high.

Long-term effects: Long-term effects from use of crack cocaine include severe damage to the heart, liver and kidneys. Users are more likely to have infectious diseases.

Street name: Magic Mushrooms

How drug is used: Usually taken orally, psilocybin is found in dried or fresh mushrooms or as a powder in capsules. It is sometimes brewed into a tea. Typical doses range from 4 to 10 milligrams, but are hard to control because the active amount of hallucinogens in mushrooms differ widely according to the genus, strength, and condition (fresh or dried) of the mushrooms.

Short-term effects: Lightheadedness or dizziness, Numbness of the tongue, lips, or mouth, Shivering or sweating, Nausea, Anxiety

Long-term effects: Some users experience such extremely unpleasant hallucinations that the fear of that experience remains with them for life. Users with a history of mental illness should not take hallucinogens, including psilocybin, because they can trigger or aggravate conditions like schizophrenia, mania, or depression.

Street name: Meth

How drug is used: Usually crystal meth is smoked in glass pipes, similar to how crack cocaine is used.

Short-term effects: Negative effects can include disturbed sleep patterns, hyperactivity, nausea, delusions of power, increased aggressiveness and irritability. Can cause decreased hunger and bring on weight loss. In higher doses has a greater “rush,” followed by increased agitation and sometimes violence. Other effects can include insomnia, confusion, hallucinations, anxiety and paranoia. Can cause convulsions leading to death.

Long-term effects:Increased heart rate and blood pressure, damage to blood vessels in the brain, leading to strokes or irregular heart beat and cardiovascular (involving the heart and blood vessels) collapse or death. Can cause liver, kidney and lung damage. Users may suffer brain damage, including memory impairment and an increasing inability to grasp abstract thoughts. Those who recover are usually subject to memory gaps and extreme mood swings.