Information on drugs facts comes from a number of sources, primarily the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Partnership For A Drug-Free America.

Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal drug in the United States. marijuana is a green, brown or greyish mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds and flowers of the hemp plant. Marijuana and other drugs made from the same plant are also known as cannabis. All forms of cannabis are mind-altering and all contain THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active ingredient in marijuana.

Most marijuana users roll loose marijuana into a "joint" - a cigarette, or smoke it in a pipe. Others mix marijuana into foods.

Marijuana's effect on the user depends on the potency of THC it contains. There are stronger forms of marijuana available to kids today than in the 1960s which means stronger effects. There are serious consequences to marijuana use, especially by children, which include impairment of short-term memory, concentration and motor skills, critical for a child's intellectual and social development; greater likelihood of use of another illegal drug such as cocaine or heroin; increased likelihood of having unprotected sex or sex with multiple partners, leaving them at greater risk of pregnancy, AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases; possible long-term physical and psychological dependence and/or slowed reaction time, impaired coordination and decrease attention span, leading to increased highway accidents and fatalities.

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Cocaine is a white powder that is derived from the South American coca plant. Crack is a chemically altered smokeable form of cocaine in the form of pellets or crystalline rocks. Both are highly addictive.

Cocaine can either be snorted or injected and produces a high lasting about 20 minutes. Crack cocaine is smoked with effects lasting about 12 minutes.

Cocaine can increase blood pressure, heart and breathing rates and body temperature and lead to heart attacks, strokes or respiratory failure. Cocaine also lowers the body's resistance and ability to fight infection. Cocaine can also cause violent or paranoid behavior, hallucinations, confusion, anxiety or depression. Once the drug leaves the brain, the user experiences depression, irritability, and fatigue.

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Heroin, a white-to-brownish tar-like substance or powder, is a highly addictive drug derived from morphine. Today, heroin is purer than ever with a lower price.

Heroin can be injected, smoked or inhaled. Heroin users quickly adopt a tolerance for the drug and must use increasing amounts to get the same effects.

Heroin can cause slowed and slurred speech, respiratory depression, an impaired immune system, HIV infection from injection, decreased sexual pleasure, sedation proceeding to coma, reduced appetite, irregular heart rate or blood pressure, or death.

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Methamphetamine, also known as "meth," "speed" or "crank" is a stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system.

Meth can be found in pill form or a powdered form and can be swallowed, snorted, injected or smoked. 

Methamphetamine can increase your heart rate and blood pressure. It can also cause insomnia, increased physical activity or produce symptoms of paranoia. Meth is addictive enabling users to develop a tolerance quickly, needing increasing amounts to get high, and going on longer binges, forcing users to avoid sleep.

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LSD, also called acid," is a hallucinogen - a potent mood-changing drug, which is found in tablets, capsules or liquid form. 

LSD can be swallowed or licked off paper.

Experiences may include panic, confusion, suspicion, anxiety and more. Users can also experience flashbacks after they have stopped using the drug.

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Ecstasy, which is derived from speed and methampethamine, can be found in capsule, tablet, powder or liquid forms.

Ecstasy can be swallowed, snorted, injected or smoked.

Ecstasy, is a synthetic or "designer" drug that acts simultaneously as a stimulant and a hallucinogen, according to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. Ecstasy produces hallucinogenic effects and can affect mood, sleeping and eating habits, thinking processes, aggressive behavior, sexual function, and sensitivity to pain, according to PDFA. The drug can also increase your blood pressure and heart rate. Users who take Ecstasy at raves risk exhaustion and dehydration from a combination of the drug and non-stop dancing, and users have died from heat stroke, according to PDFA.

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Both parents and their children may not be aware of how dangerous inhalants can be. Inhalants are readily available and accessible to children in your own home, in school and on grocery shelves. Some substances are already known such as paint and glue, but there are more than 1,000 products that are very dangerous when inhaled such as typewriter correction fluid, felt tip markers, spray paint, air freshener, butane and even cooking spray.

Inhalants are sniffed or "huffed" to give the user an immediate high. Using inhalants even one time be deadly. 

Sniffing inhalants can cause sudden death, suffocation, hallucinations. 

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Alcohol is the most widely tried drug among teenagers and is the most commonly used and widely abused drug in the country. It is found in beers, wines and hard liquors.

Alcohol is swallowed. It is absorbed by the stomach, enters the bloodstream, going to all tissues. 

Alcohol's effects vary depending on the user's size, weight, age and sex, as well as the amount of food and alcohol consumed. Alcohol can act as a disinhibitor and also produce dizziness, slurred speech, nausea and vomiting. Even at low to moderate doses, alcohol can significantly impair judgment and coordination necessary to safely operate, according to the Partnership for A Drug Free America. Alcohol can also increase aggressiveness, leading to domestic violenceor child abuse. Excessive amounts of alcohol can produce hangovers, with effects such as headache, nausea, thirst, dizziness and fatigue. Long-term effects of large quantities of alcohol can lead to permanent damage to vital organs such as the brain and liver.

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Tobacco can be found in cigarettes, cigars, pipes tobacco and smokeless tobacco.

Tobacco is usually smoked although it can be chewed.

Nicotine is physically and psychologically addictive. A U.S. Surgeon General report concluded that cigarettes and other forms of tobacco are addicting, and that nicotine is the drug in tobacco that causes addiction. The report also stated that smoking was a major cause of stroke and the third-leading cause of death in the United States. Smoking-related heart diseases result in 170,000 deaths annually.

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Steroids are synthetic compounds related to the male sex hormone testosterone. They come in tablet or liquid forms.

Steroids are swallowed or often injected directly into muscles. They are often used illegally by body-builders, long-distance runners and other athletes who claim the steroids give them a competitive advantage or improves their physical appearance, according to the Partnership For A Drug-Free America.

According to PDFA, when used in combination with a program of muscle-building exercise and diet, steroids may contribute to increases in body weight and muscular strength. Steroid users can be affected by more than 70 side effects, including psychological as well as physical reactions, most seriously affecting the liver, cardiovascular and reproductive systems. Steroids can also produce aggressive behavior and interfere with bone growth in young adults.

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The National Institute on Drug Abuse has also established a Web site providing information on anabolic steroids at www.steroidabuse.org.