Recreational drug use

Recreational drug use is the use of one or more psychoactive drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness, either for pleasure or for some other casual purpose or pastime.^[1] When a psychoactive drug enters the user's body, it induces an intoxicating effect.^[1] Recreational drugs are commonly divided into three categories: depressants (drugs that induce a feeling of relaxation and calmness), stimulants (drugs that induce a sense of energy and alertness), and hallucinogens (drugs that induce perceptual distortions such as hallucination).^[2]

In popular practice, recreational drug use is generally tolerated as a social behaviour,^[1] rather than perceived as the medical condition of self-medication.^[3] However, drug use and drug addiction are severely stigmatized everywhere in the world.^[4]^[5]^[6] Many people also use prescribed and controlled depressants such as opioids, opiates, and benzodiazepines.^[2] What controlled substances are considered generally unlawful to possess varies by country, but usually includes cannabis, cocaine, opioids, MDMA, amphetamine, methamphetamine, psychedelics, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates. As of 2015, it is estimated that about 5% of people worldwide aged 15 to 65 (158 million to 351 million) had used controlled drugs at least once.^[7]

Common recreational drugs include caffeine, commonly found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, and chocolate; alcohol, commonly found in beer, wine, cocktails, and distilled spirits; nicotine, commonly found in tobacco, tobacco-based products, and electronic cigarettes; cannabis and hashish (with legality of possession varying inter/intra-nationally); and the controlled substances listed as controlled drugs in the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961) and the Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971) of the United Nations (UN).^[8] Since the early 2000s, the European Union (EU) has developed several comprehensive and multidisciplinary strategies as part of its drug policy in order to prevent the diffusion of recreational drug use and abuse among the European population and raise public awareness on the adverse effects of drugs among all member states of the European Union, as well as conjoined efforts with European law enforcement agencies, such as Europol and EMCDDA, in order to counter organized crime and illegal drug trade in Europe.^[8]^[9]^[10]

: Most drinking alcohol is ethanol, CH
₃CH
₂OH. Drinking alcohol creates intoxication, relaxation and lowered inhibitions. It is produced by the fermentation of sugars by yeasts to create wine, beer, and distilled liquor (e.g., vodka, rum, gin, etc.). In most areas of the world, it is legal for those over a certain age (18 in most countries). It is an IARC Group 1 carcinogen and a teratogen.^[68] Alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening.^[69]

Alcohol

: Used recreationally to provide alertness and a sense of energy. Prescribed for ADHD, narcolepsy, depression, and weight loss. A potent central nervous system stimulant, in the 1940s and 50s methamphetamine was used by Axis and Allied troops in World War II, and, later on, other armies, and by Japanese factory workers. It increases muscle strength and fatigue resistance and improves reaction time.^[70] Methamphetamine use can be neurotoxic, which means it damages dopamine neurons.^[71] As a result of this brain damage, chronic use can lead to post acute withdrawal syndrome.^[72]

Amphetamines

: Often found in coffee, black tea, energy drinks, some soft drinks (e.g., Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Mountain Dew, among others), and chocolate. It is the world's most widely consumed psychoactive drug, but has only mild dependence liability for long-term users.^[73]

Caffeine

: Its common forms include marijuana and hashish, which are smoked, vaporized or eaten. It contains at least 85 cannabinoids. The primary psychoactive component is THC, which mimics the neurotransmitter anandamide, named after the Hindu ananda, "joy, bliss, delight". When cannabis is eaten, THC metabolized into 11-OH-THC, this molecule is the primary psychoactive coumpound of edible forms of cannabis. THC and 11-OH-THC are partial agonist at CB1 and CB2 receptors of the endocannabinoid system.

Cannabis

: It is available as a white powder, which is insufflated ("sniffed" into the nostrils) or converted into a solution with water and injected.^[5] A popular derivative, crack cocaine is typically smoked. When transformed into its freebase form, crack, the cocaine vapour may be inhaled directly. This is thought to increase bioavailability, but has also been found to be toxic, due to the production of methylecgonidine during pyrolysis.^[74]^[75]^[76]

Cocaine

: Commonly known as ecstasy, it is a common club drug in the rave scene.

MDMA

: An anesthetic used legally by paramedics and doctors in emergency situations for its dissociative and analgesic qualities and illegally in the club drug scene.

Ketamine

: A liquid drug mixture made when mixing cough syrup, sweets, soft drinks and codeine. It originated in the 1990s in Houston. Ever since then, this drug usage has grown and is often used at parties and in the trap music scene. Many people would get a drowsy feeling when consuming this drug.

Lean

: A popular ergoline derivative, that was first synthesized in 1938 by Albert Hofmann. However, he failed to notice its psychedelic effects until 1943.^[77] It's a serotonergic psychedelic (partial agonist at serotonin receptors, particularly the 5-HT2A subtypes) like psilocin, mescaline and DMT. But LSD is unique because it is also a partial agonist of dopamine and norepinephrine receptors, particularly the D2R subtypes. LSD (d-Lysergic Acid Diethylamide) is a molecule of the lysergamide family, a subclass of the tryptamine family. In the 1950s, it was used in psychological therapy, and, covertly, by the CIA in Project MKULTRA, in which the drug was administered to unwitting US and Canadian citizens. It played a central role in 1960s 'counter-culture', and was banned in October 1968 by US President Lyndon B Johnson.^[78]^[79]

LSD

: legally used by dentists as an anxiolytic and anaesthetic, it is also used recreationally by users who obtain it from whipped cream canisters (whippets or whip-its) (see inhalant), as it causes perceptual effects, a "high" and at higher doses, hallucinations.

Nitrous oxide

and opioids: Available by prescription for pain relief. Commonly used opioids include oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, fentanyl, heroin, methadone, and morphine. Opioids have a high potential for addiction and have the ability to induce severe physical withdrawal symptoms upon cessation of frequent use. Heroin can be smoked, insufflated, or turned into a solution with water and injected.^[5] Percocet is a prescription opioid containing oxycodone and acetaminophen.

Opiates

: This hallucinogenic drug was an important drug in the psychedelic scene. Until 1963, when it was chemically analysed by Albert Hofmann, it was completely unknown to modern science that Psilocybe semilanceata ("Liberty Cap", common throughout Europe) contains psilocybin, a hallucinogen previously identified only in species native to Mexico, Asia, and North America.^[80]

Psilocybin mushrooms

: Nicotiana tabacum. Nicotine is the key drug contained in tobacco leaves, which are either smoked, chewed or snuffed. It contains nicotine, which crosses the blood–brain barrier in 10–20 seconds. It mimics the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain and the neuromuscular junction. The neuronal forms of the receptor are present both post-synaptically (involved in classical neurotransmission) and pre-synaptically, where they can influence the release of multiple neurotransmitters.^[81]

Tobacco

: barbiturates, benzodiazepines (e.g. alprazolam, diazepam, etc.)(commonly prescribed for anxiety disorders; known to cause dementia and post acute withdrawal syndrome)

Tranquilizers

"": slang term that generally refers to substituted cathinones such as Mephedrone and Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), but not always

Bath salts

– primary ingredient in ayahuasca, can also be smoked (inhalation causes a brief effect lasting usually 5 to 15 minutes).^[82]^[83]

DMT

: This hallucinogen contains mescaline, native to southwestern Texas and Mexico. Echinopsis pachanoi is a faster growing cactus containing mescaline.^[84]

Peyote

: This hallucinogenic Mexican herb in the mint family; not considered recreational, most likely due to the nature of the hallucinations (legal in some jurisdictions)

Salvia divinorum

: "Spice", "K2", JWH-018, AM-2201

Synthetic cannabis

: A popular club drug in the 1970s. No longer prescribed or manufactured in many countries but remains popular in South Africa.^[85]^[86]

Quaaludes

The following substances are commonly used recreationally:^[67]

: all intoxicative inhalants (see below) that are gases or solvent vapours that are inhaled through the trachea, as the name suggests

inhalation

: also known as "snorting", or "sniffing", this method involves the user placing a powder in the nostrils and breathing in through the nose, so that the drug is absorbed by the mucous membranes. Drugs that are "snorted", or "sniffed", include powdered amphetamines, cocaine, heroin, ketamine, MDMA, and snuff tobacco.

insufflation

(see also the article Skin popping): injection of drug into the third lowest layer of skin.

Subcutaneous injection

: injection of drug into a muscle.

Intramuscular injection

(see also the article Drug injection): the user injects a solution of water and the drug into a vein, or less commonly, into the tissue.^[5] Drugs that are injected include morphine and heroin,^[5] less commonly other opioids. Stimulants like cocaine or methamphetamine may also be injected.^[5] In rare cases, users inject other drugs.

intravenous injection

oral intake: caffeine, ethanol, cannabis edibles, psilocybin mushrooms, , poppy tea, laudanum, GHB, ecstasy pills with MDMA or various other substances (mainly stimulants and psychedelics), prescription and over-the-counter drugs (ADHD and narcolepsy medications, benzodiazepines, anxiolytics, sedatives, cough suppressants, morphine, codeine, opioids and others)

coca tea

: substances diffuse into the blood through tissues under the tongue. Many psychoactive drugs can be or have been specifically designed for sublingual administration, including barbiturates, benzodiazepines,^[87] opioid analgesics with poor gastrointestinal bioavailability, LSD blotters, coca leaves, some hallucinogens. This route of administration is activated when chewing some forms of smokeless tobacco (e.g. dipping tobacco, snus).

sublingual

: administering into the rectum, most water-soluble drugs can be used this way.

intrarectal

(see also the section below): tobacco, cannabis, opium, crystal meth, phencyclidine, crack cocaine, and heroin (diamorphine as freebase) known as chasing the dragon.

smoking

transdermal patches with prescription drugs: e.g. (Daytrana) and fentanyl.^[88]^[89]^[90]^[91]

methylphenidate

Drugs are often associated with a particular route of administration. Many drugs can be consumed in more than one way. For example, marijuana can be swallowed like food or smoked, and cocaine can be "sniffed" in the nostrils, injected, or, with various modifications, smoked.

Many drugs are taken through various routes. Intravenous route is the most efficient, but also one of the most dangerous. Nasal, rectal, inhalation and smoking are safer. The oral route is one of the safest and most comfortable, but of little bioavailability.

Barbiturates

Benzodiazepines

(drinking alcohol; ethyl alcohol)

Ethanol

Nonbenzodiazepines

carisoprodol

tobacco

cannabis

salvia divinorum

opium

and other Solanaceae (formerly smoked to treat asthma)

datura

possibly other plants (see the section below)

Plants:

Substances (also not necessarily psychoactive plants smoked within them):

coffee

(caffeine in tea is sometimes called theine) – also contains theanine

tea

(caffeine in guarana is sometimes called guaranine)

guarana

(caffeine in yerba mate is sometimes called mateine)

yerba mate

cocoa

kola

Minimally psychoactive plants which contain mainly caffeine and theobromine:

Most known psychoactive plants:

Solanaceae plants—contain atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine:

Cacti with mescaline:

Other plants:

Fungi:

Psychoactive animals:

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