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Other Types of Drugs

While the vast majority of students who choose to use substances of any kind use alcohol alone (Stanford Survey Data, 2019), it is important to be aware of other types of drugs, their effects, their risks, and the current landscape of drugs that cannot be obtained through licensed pharmacies (illicit drugs).

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Return to Alcohol & Drug Info

Are you looking for further harm reduction resources?

Santa Clara County offers harm reduction supplies (e.g. Naloxone, Fentanyl Testing Strips, condoms and supplies for safer sex, syringe access and disposal, etc.) and training at many locations throughout the county. Explore their website for more details.

Visit the Santa Clara County Harm Reduction Website

Drug Categories

Each drug category below has different properties and therefore there are varying levels of risks associated with each of them. However, any drug that has been obtained from the illicit market, shares a collective risk of being laced with potent, synthetic opioids (e.g. fentanyl) that cause fatal overdoses. 

In 2011 the CDC declared an opioid epidemic in relation to dramatic increases in the misuse of prescription opioids. Since then, the illicit drug market has also changed drastically with alarming rates of counterfeit prescription opioid pills laced with more potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

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Drug Types

Quick Links

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines (BZD, BDZ, BZs), sometimes called "benzos", are a class of psychoactive drugs whose core chemical structure is the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring. As depressants—drugs which lower brain activity—they are prescribed to treat conditions such as anxiety, insomnia, and seizures. The first benzodiazepine, chlordiazepoxide (Librium), was discovered accidentally by Leo Sternbach in 1955 and was made available in 1960 by Hoffmann–La Roche, which soon followed with diazepam (Valium) in 1963. By 1977, benzodiazepines were the most prescribed medications globally; the introduction of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), among other factors, decreased rates of prescription, but they remain frequently used worldwide.

Cannabis

Cannabis (marijuana , pot, etc.) is the most widely used illegal substance in the world today. It's also the most controversial. According to the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 96.8 million (40.2%) Americans ages 12 and older have tried marijuana at least once during their lifetimes. About 25.5 million (10.6%) people reported past year marijuana use, and 14.6 million (6.1%) people reported past month use.

Additional Information

College students use marijuana at higher rates than the U.S. population generally. The Harvard School of Public Health, which has surveyed U.S. college students extensively every other year since 1989, reports that approximately 47% of U.S. college students have tried pot at least once. About 30% report past year use, and 17% report past month use.

Cannabis/Marijuana Basics

  • How Marijuana Works: HowStuffWorks, a reliable online source for clear, unbiased explanations, offers a lively, in-depth description of marijuana the plant and marijuana the drug. Learn more.
  • Marijuana vs. Alcohol: Which is Really Worse for Your Health? The question of whether alcohol or marijuana is worse for health is being debated once again, this time, sparked by comments that President Barack Obama made in a recent interview with The New Yorker magazine.

Marijuana Politics

  • National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws: NORML: NORML is a nonprofit lobby organization that intends to provide a voice for Americans who oppose marijuana prohibition. NORML supports a policy of decriminalization, the removal of all criminal penalties for the private possession and responsible use of marijuana by adults, including cultivation for personal use, and casual nonprofit transfers of small amounts.
  • Marijuana Policy Project (MPP): MPP's stated purpose is to develop and promote policies to minimize the harm associated with marijuana. They support research, policy development, lobbying, and educational initiatives.

Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids

Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have also been found in a wide variety of non-opioid drugs on the illicit market across the country such as counterfeit benzodiazepine pills (e.g. Xanax, Ativan, etc.), cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA and even cannabis. The majority of overdose related deaths in the United States today are due to synthetic opioids found in a variety of drugs. Drugs from any source other than a licenced pharmacy or licenced clinic are at risk for being laced. 

Hallucinogens & Psychedelics

Hallucinogens are a large class of psychoactive drugs that can produce altered states of consciousness characterized by major alterations in thought, mood, and perception, among other changes. Most hallucinogens can be categorized as psychedelics, dissociatives, or deliriants. Psychedelics are a class of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips"). This causes specific psychological, visual, and auditory changes, and often a substantially altered state of consciousness. The "classical" psychedelics, the psychedelics with the largest scientific and cultural influence, are mescaline, LSD, psilocybin, and DMT

Hookah

Hookah, often promoted as being safer than cigarette smoking, has no scientific evidence to support this claim. A hookah is a water pipe used to smoke flavored tobacco heated with charcoal, the smoke passes through water in the hookah before inhaled from a mouthpiece. Typically smoked in groups, the mouthpiece is passed from person-to-person. A hookah session typically lasts about 1 hour.

The Facts About Hookah

  • Gram for gram, Hookah smoke contains more tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide than cigarette smoke
  • Besides increasing your risk of cancer, the nicotine in Hookah smoke can cause yellow teeth, wrinkles, and erectile dysfunction
  • Secondhand smoke from Hookah poses a risk for nonsmokers
  • An hour of Hookah smoking delivers as much carbon monoxide to the user as a pack of cigarettes
  • Transmission of many communicable diseases includes hepatitis, tuberculosis and meningitis from the hookah mouthpiece
  • Irritation caused by the mouthpiece may give hookah users an even higher risk of cancers in the mouth than seen in cigarette smokers

References

Predatory Club and Party Drugs

Sometimes drugs are misused as predatory drugs to facilitate sexual assault. It should be noted that alcohol is the most commonly used drug by predators to incapacitate victims and facilitate sexual violence. However, Rohypnol, GHB, and Ketamine are powerful drugs that are sometimes added to alcohol to render individuals incapacitated with a single drink.

Some Key Concerns

Except for alcohol, these drugs are essentially colorless, tasteless, and odorless. "Predators" add drugs to beverages and the person ingests them unknowingly. Person ingesting drug is unable to resist and/or remember being assaulted. 

Common Drug Types

GHB (Gamma Hydroxybutyrate)

Street names for GHB include G, liquid ecstasy, Grievous Bodily Harm, gib, soap, scoop, and nitro.

  • Side Effects: Euphoria, dizziness, excessive salivation, abnormally low heart rate, hypothermia, and amnesia, overdose can lead to seizures, coma, and death.
  • Withdrawal Symptoms: Anxiety, insomnia, tremor, and in severe cases, psychoses that do not respond well to treatment.
  • Abuse and Dependency: Chronic use may result in dependency.
Ketamine

Ketamine street names include K, special K, super K, vitamin K, kit-kat, keets, super acid, jet, and cat valium.

  • Side Effects: Cause bizarre thoughts and hallucinations, confusion, memory loss, delirium, and experience rapid heartbeat, heart palpitations, elevated blood pressure, and slow or "stop and start" breathing. "Flashbacks" or visual disturbances can appear days or weeks after ingestion.
  • Abuse and Dependency: Some chronic users become addicted and exhibit severe withdrawal symptoms that require medically supervised detoxification.

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Rohypnol (Flunitrazepam)

Rohypnol, is a potent, quick acting sedative. Street names include Mexican Valium, circles, roofies, la rocha, roche, rophies, R2, rope, and forget-me pill.

  • Side Effects: Higher doses produce anterograde amnesia (a form of memory loss where new events are not transferred to long-term memory), lack of muscle control, and loss of consciousness, reduced blood pressure, dizziness, confusion, visual disturbances, urinary retention, or aggressive behavior.
    • When mixed with alcohol or other sedating drugs, Rohypnol can incapacitate victims, prevent them from resisting sexual assault, and be lethal.
  • Abuse and Dependency: Chronic use can produce dependence. Withdrawal symptoms include headache, tension, anxiety, restlessness, muscle pain, sensitivity to light, numbness and tingling of the extremities, and seizures.

What Are the Signs/Symptoms of Being Drugged?

GHB and Rohypnol are depressants and therefore the signs and symptoms are very similar to being heavily intoxicated (weakness, fatigue, slurred speech, loss of motor coordination, and visual impairment). These drugs begin to impact the person within 15-30 minutes of consumption. If someone appears to be far more intoxicated than they should be for how much they drank, and the onset of these symptoms is severe and sudden, they may have been drugged. Ketamine, while not a depressant, alters perception, and may cause hallucinations and heart palpitations.

How Can We, As a Community, Prevent Druggings On Campus?

Stanford strives to embody a culture of care and we can all do our part to prevent these acts of harm. As a group hosting events, there are several things you might consider to reduce risk of contaminated drinks:

  • Have a single point of beverage service at your event so that you may closely monitor the alcohol and other non-alcoholic beverages.
  • As much as possible, serve canned, single serving beverages (e.g. 12-ounce can of beer, five-ounce can of wine, canned sodas, and bottled water).
  • While hard alcohol is prohibited at registered events, remember that any mixed beverages served at events (e.g. homemade non-alcoholic punch) should be made to order and not pre-poured.
  • Any beverage (alcoholic or not) that is in a large container with the potential for tampering should be closely monitored by the bartender/sober monitor.
  • Have a sober monitor/bartender attending to the beverage service AT ALL TIMES.
  • Do not allow guests to bring in outside sources of alcohol.
  • If you believe that the alcohol or EANABS at your event have been tampered with, first remove all suspected beverages, next notify the RD on call, and notify the Stanford Department of Public Safety (DPS) to get further instructions.

In addition, individuals can also utilize strategies that may reduce the risk of being drugged. Again, an impacted party is never at fault for being victimized by someone acting with malicious intent. With that said, we want to equip you with strategies for how to look out for yourself and your friends. You might consider the following:

  • Do not take a drink that has already been opened.
  • Order your own drinks and watch them being made/poured. Avoid drinks from pre-poured/pre-mixed sources.
  • Do not leave your drink unattended to come back to later.
  • Predatory drugs are very powerful and can incapacitate someone after one drink. Tell your friends what your drink limit is for the night so they can identify if your level of intoxication is not consistent with the amount you have had to drink; tell someone if you start to feel much more intoxicated than you expected/would expect given the amount you have consumed.
  • If you notice suspicious behavior including someone lingering around the beverage service area, and/or adding unknown powders, liquids, or tablets to drinks, report this immediately to the hosting group and ask that it remove the alcohol.

What To Do If You Think You Have Been Drugged

We highly encourage anyone who suspects that they or a friend have been drugged to review the following:.

  1. You should seek medical treatment as soon as possible and disclose this information to your health care provider so that the health care provider is able to provide the best possible care. Be aware that drugging is a form of violence that can trigger mandatory reporting to law enforcement in California. As is the case with an individual who has been sexually assaulted, a victim is not required to provide a statement to law enforcement. It is important to note that involving law enforcement enables evidence (namely a blood or urine sample) to be collected and retained in accordance with procedures that are admissible in court should you want to pursue a criminal case.
  2. Evidence collection is a separate process from the collection of a blood or urine sample by a health care provider for the purpose of a medical evaluation and treatment. DPS has the ability to submit samples collected as evidence in a criminal investigation to a certified crime lab. The crime lab can test for hundreds of potential drugs. In comparison, many emergency departments do not routinely screen for predatory drugs. Further, emergency departments typically screen for a much smaller sample of drugs compared to what a crime lab can test.
  3. Because predatory drugs are rapidly metabolized, it is strongly recommended that individuals involve law enforcement and provide a sample for evidence purposes within 12 hours after ingestion. Some of the predatory drugs are metabolized at an even faster rate, so it is recommended that a sample is provided to law enforcement in a way that meets evidentiary standards as soon as possible.
  4. During a forensic exam (if one chooses to have one) of an individual who has been sexually assaulted, a trained SART nurse will collect blood and urine samples. These samples are transferred to law enforcement in a way that has been formalized and is admissible in court. The samples will be tested by the crime lab when a victim chooses to pursue a criminal investigation.
  5. Students who report to Stanford DPS that they may have been drugged will receive outreach from their residence deans and sometimes the Office of Substance Use Programs, Education & Resources and/or the SHARE Title IX Office. These resources are meant to provide support for individuals.

Resources

Confidential Resources
Non-Confidential Resources

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Prescription Opioid Drugs

Prescription opioid drugs have contributed to advances in the treatment of acute pain when used appropriately. However, opioid prescription drugs can pose serious risks and side effects including increased risks of opioid use disorder, overdoses, and death. 

Non-Medical Prescription Drug Use

Non-medical prescription drug use is the use of a prescription drug for anything other than the drug's intended purpose. Some examples of non-medical prescription drug use are:

  • Taking a friend's prescription pill when you yourself have not be prescribed the medication
  • Taking your own prescription, but taking dosage differently than prescribed
  • Taking a prescription just as previously prescribed, but it was obtained from an illicit market rather than a licensed pharmacy
  • Taking your own prescription "leftovers" from a prior prescription when they are no longer medically needed.

Why Non-Medical Prescription Drug Use?

Individuals receive non-medical prescription drugs from various sources, most commonly from friends and family. Other common sources include purchasing from a friend/relative, drug dealer, or on the Internet using a physician's prescription.

In 2011 the CDC declared an opioid epidemic in relation to dramatic increases in the misuse of prescription opioids. Since then the illicit drug market has also changed drastically with alarming rates of counterfeit prescription pills laced with synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have been found in a wide variety of non-opioid drugs on the illicit market across the country - these are largely responsible for the majority of overdose related deaths in the United States. Drugs from any source other than a licenced pharmacy or licenced clinic are at risk for being laced. The relatively low cost, perceived safety, ease of access, and anticipated positive effects contribute to reasons students use non-medical prescription opioid drugs.

Below Is a List of Other Common Reasons for Misuse
  • To party or experiment
  • Alleviate temporary symptoms of physical pain, anxiety, panic attacks or depression
  • Means to relax
  • Counteract effects of other drugs (e.g. stimulants) and/or to counteract withdrawal symptoms (hallucinations, stomach a muscle cramping, tremor, and intense pain)
  • Treat longer-term insomnia or alleviate worsening symptoms of underlying mental health symptoms

Steroids

Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids are manufactured substances related to the male sex hormone Testosterone. They may be prescribed by a doctor to rebuild tissues weakened by injury or disease, to assist in regaining or maintaining weight after illness, and to aid recovery from breast cancer and osteoporosis in women. Steroids are abused in an attempt to enhance athletic performance and improve physical appearance and can be taken in pill form, injected, or rubbed on the skin in the form of gels or creams.

The Facts About Steroids

  • Major, irreversible side effects can result from hormonal imbalances caused by steroids:
    • In Men: testicular shrinking, breast development, and severe acne
    • In Women: facial hair, menstrual changes, and deepened voice
  • Steroids can cause psychiatric dysfunctions such as increased aggression, extreme mood swings, and depressed mood
  • Long term side effects:
    • High blood pressure
    • Cardiovascular disease
    • Liver and kidney damage
  • Possession of illegally obtained steroids carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a minimum $1,000 fine.

For More Information

Stimulants

Stimulants are a class of drug also commonly known as "uppers". They stimulate the nervous system. Common stimulants include caffeine, a widely used drug largely known to keep people alert and awake. Stimulants also include some prescription drugs that treat Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which affect attention span, impulse control, self-discipline, and hyperactivity in the case of ADHD. 

Additional Information

These prescription drugs include Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta. Sometimes these drugs are misused as"study drugs" with the intent of increasing concentration and stamina. The term is most often associated with the illegal use of Ritalin®, Adderall®, Concerta® by people who oftentimes acquire them illegally. Other stimulants include cocaine and methamphetamine, both classified by the FDA as illicit substances with no medical benefit. While these stimulants all have a common underlying effect of stimulating the nervous system, they have varying properties which can make some of them more dangerous and risky than others, and some of them more addictive than others.  

Prescription stimulants are one such sub-category that is commonly abused. Non-medical prescription drug use is the use of over-the-counter (OTC) or a prescription drug for anything other than the drug's intended purpose, by someone other than the intended recipient, and in a dosage other than prescribed.

National Data on Stimulants

  • Alcohol, tobacco, caffeine and marijuana continue to be the drugs of choice on college campuses
  • Demographics of those most at-risk: male, Caucasian, fraternity and sorority-affiliated, highly competitive academic cultures, four-year institutions, those with higher family incomes, and those with lower and declining GPAs.
  • Full-time college students who used Adderall non-medically in the past year were more likely to have used other drugs.
  • Of those who received non-medical stimulant prescription drugs, 58% of college students got them from their peers, were 8 times more likely to use marijuana, and 4 times more likely to binge drink.
  • 68% of college students got diverted stimulant medications from their peers, of which they were 24 times more likely to use marijuana and 7 times more likely to binge drink.
  • Approximately 50% of college students prescribed stimulant medication for ADHD are approached to divert their medication to others.

Risks Associated with Obtaining and Misusing Prescription Stimulants

Non-medical prescription stimulant drugs are obtained from various sources, most commonly from friends and family. Other common sources include purchasing from a friend/relative, drug dealer, or on the Internet using a physician's prescription. Unfortunately, students who think they may be buying so called "study drugs" from a drug dealer, the internet or any illicit market, may be at significant risk for buying laced counterfeit drugs. In 2011 the CDC declared an opioid epidemic in relation to dramatic increases in the misuse of prescription opioids. Since then the illicit drug market has also changed drastically with alarming rates of counterfeit prescription pills of all kinds laced with synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have been found in a wide variety of non-opioid drugs on the illicit market across the country - these synthetic opioids are largely responsible for the majority of overdose related deaths in the United States. Drugs from any source other than a licenced pharmacy or licenced clinic are at risk for being laced. More facts on Fentanyl from the DEA can be found here.

What Do Prescription Stimulants Do?

  • Adderall: Adderall combines four drugs from the amphetamine family.
    • Side Effects: Irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, restlessness or tremor, anxiety or nervousness, headache, dizziness, insomnia, dryness of the mouth or unpleasant taste in the mouth, diarrhea or constipation, impotence or changes in sex drive.
    • Overdose Symptoms: Possible symptoms of overdose include restlessness, tremor, rapid breathing, confusion, hallucinations, panic, aggressiveness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, irregular heartbeat, and seizures.
    • Abuse and Dependency: Like Ritalin, Adderall has potential for abuse and dependence, especially among people who do not have ADHD. Continued use can result in tolerance to the drug, necessitating an increase in dosage to reap the same effects. Once discontinued, withdrawal effects such as depression may occur.
  • Ritalin: Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate, Methylin, and Rubifen, an amphetamine-like prescription stimulant, are commonly used to treat ADHD in children and adults.
    • Side Effects: Insomnia, nervousness, drowsiness, dizziness, headache, blurred vision, tics, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, weight loss, irregular or fast heartbeat, confusion, and liver damage (characterized by yellowing of the skin or eyes, nausea, abdominal pain or discomfort, unusual bleeding or bruising, and severe fatigue).
    • Overdose Symptoms: Agitation, anxiety, tremors, muscle twitches, seizures, confusion, hallucinations, sweating, headache, fast or irregular heartbeat, large pupils, and dryness of the mouth and eyes.
    • Abuse and Dependency: Ritalin has potential for abuse and for physical and psychological dependence, especially among people who do not have ADHD. Continued Ritalin use will result in higher tolerance to the drug and eventually require larger doses to reap the same effects. Once discontinued, withdrawal effects such as depression may occur.

Why Might People Use Non-Medical Prescription Stimulant Drugs?

The relatively low cost, perceived safety, ease of access, and anticipated positive effects contribute to reasons students use non-medical prescription stimulant drugs. However, research shows that use of prescription stimulants off label does not significantly enhance academic performance. Below is a list of other common reasons for misuse (using not as prescribed by a doctor) that pose risk for developing addiction and dependency on these drugs:

  • Extend a night of partying
  • Alleviate temporary symptoms of physical pain, anxiety, panic attacks or depression
  • Means to relax
  • Increase focus or concentration
  • Method to lose weight
  • Counteract effects of other drugs (e.g., marijuana) and/or withdrawal symptoms (hallucinations, stomach a muscle cramping, tremor, and unusual behavior)
  • Treat longer-term insomnia and alleviate worsening symptoms of underlying mental disorder symptoms

Prescription for Success

By far, most students are not misuing prescription stimulants and instead are using various strategies to obtain their academic goals. There are some great resources available depending on your needs. Click one of the links below for additional information:

Email SUPER's associate dean or visit the Office of Substance Use Programs, Education & Resources to schedule an individual consultation to discuss any concerns about drug use.

Tobacco/Nicotine and E-Cigarettes/Vaping

Nicotine is a naturally produced alkaloid in the nightshade family of plants (most predominantly in tobacco and Duboisia hopwoodii) and is widely used recreationallyas a stimulant and anxiolytic. Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus Nicotiana of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. When using an e-cigarette, it is often called "vaping."

More About Smoking and Tobacco Use

For thousands of years, people have smoked or chewed the leaves of the tobacco plant. Even in its early days, people speculated that there might be a link between diseases like cancer and tobacco use.Surveys have shown that the majority of smokers - at least 70% and perhaps as high as 90% - want to stop smoking. However, no more than 20% of those who try to quit succeed for as long as a year. Around 3% succeed using willpower alone. Smokers who have tried to quit before and not succeeded should not be discouraged. Most smokers make several attempts to quit before they finally succeed.

Further Reading

More About Vaping

While nicotine/e-cigarette products and THC vaping products are legal for those over 21 in the state of California, and there are not currently wide reports of laced vaping products to date, there is still an illicit market for nicotine products and THC products that introduce risks associated with obtaining any drug off the illicit market. 

The Benefits of Qutting Smoking 

The first step may be to list reasons to quit smoking. Each individual may have a unique set of reasons that is meaningful to them. Below are a few common reasons to quit smoking.

  • Each breath feels clean and refreshing
  • More stamina, endurance, and confidence
  • More cash in your pocket
  • Clothes don't stink
  • Anxiety level goes way, way down
  • House and car smells good!
  • General health improves
  • Whiter teeth and fresher breath
  • Sharper thinking
  • Don't expose family and friends to secondhand smoke

One of the major barriers to smoking cessation is nicotine withdrawal. It results when a person is nicotine dependent and stops using products with nicotine. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms involve irritability, headache, and craving for cigarettes or other sources of nicotine. Other symptoms include dizziness, drowsiness, sleep disturbances, vivid dreams, mild hallucinations and depression.

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