What are Hallucinogens? Hallucinogens –intense mood-changing drugs which often come with erratic psychological effects –Cause hallucinations –PCP, peyote, psilocybin Lysergic-acid diethylamide (LSD) –One of the most common illegal hallucinogens –manufactured from lysergic acid, a fungus that grows on grain

What is LSD? Classified under –Hallucinogens –Hypnotics –Sedatives Sold in tablets, capsules, liquid form, and sometimes absorbed into paper or common food products Odorless

Addictive? LSD does not cause physical dependence like most drugs –May cause psychological dependence Addiction potential: 16.7 %

Slang Names Acid microdots purple haze blotters Fry Yellow Sunshine Battery Acid Back Breaker blaze tab dose gel pyramids trips Superman Loony Toons

History Albert Hofmann was working for a pharmaceutical company in 1938 when he first created LSD Researched ergot fungus that infected many people in the Middle Ages Lysergic acid came from the ergot fungus and Hofmann studied the acid and created new types of medicines After a lot of research, Hofmann created lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD He thought the new drug would make breathing easier, scientific tests show no positive results

History (continued) Five years later, Hofmann decided to research LSD again, and accidently got some on his finger He felt dizzy, saw colors and felt like he was in a dream After, he does himself again with a higher dosage of LSD and became delirious However, the doctor could not find anything wrong with Hofmann except his dilated eyes It was concluded that LSD was one of first drugs created to create a massive effect in small doses

Body Systems Affected Nervous system –Cerebral cortex: the area associated with mood and perception –Locus Ceruleus: receives signals from the body and detects external stimuli Circulatory system –Increases heart rate and blood pressure Sensory system –Senses become affected –Sensations become highly sensitive –May cause synesthesia

Long Term Effects Flashbacks Damage to vision Mood swings Trouble communicating Trouble thinking Delusions Difficulty recognizing reality Schizophrenia Depression Anxiety Panic attacks Suicidal thoughts and feelings

Short Term Effects Increased blood pressure and heart rate Tremors (shaking of the body) Loss of appetite Dry mouth Sweating Nausea Dizziness Numbness Senses seem to mix –See music –Taste colors –Hear visual stimuli

Entrance to Body Taken orally –Pills –Sugar cubes, candies, cookies –Colored tablets –Liquor –Bread –Backs of postage stamps Injected Gelatin and liquid placed in the eye

Medical Uses It has been banned, and many feel that it has no medical purpose Some claim it is useful –helps cure migraines and cluster headaches due to the disoriented state LSD results in –helps alcoholics Therapists sometimes take it to understand the experiences of schizophrenics.

Common among… Individuals of all ages 20.2 million U.S. residents age 12 and older have used LSD before 8% of high school seniors have used the drug

Mortality Rate No reported deaths with the reason being LSD overdose Causes many deaths because of “bad trips” –Suicide attempts –Accidental murders –Fatal self-inflicted wounds

Physiological Effects Objects become colorful A “halo” may seem to appear above other people’s heads Hallucinations Erratic mood changes Change in thinking –False sense of time –Memory loss –Changes in one’s view of himself Some users experience severe, terrifying feelings of desolation, fear of losing control, or fear of insanity and death

Resources NJ-STOPS –Speak one-on-one with a counselor who provides information, advice and support –Design a personalized program to quit –Receive services for three to six months, based on personal need –Call six days a week Wayne Counseling and Family Services Center –1022 Hamburg Turnpike Wayne, NJ – –Website:

Is it illegal? LSD was made illegal to possess in 1968 and has been available on the “black market” since then. Illegal to manufacture, buy, possess, process, and distribute Illegal under the Controlled Substance Act

Interesting Facts LSD users can experience flashbacks, which are when the original drug's effects suddenly reoccur up to a year after the initial use. The CIA used to drug people with LSD to investigate its potential use as an interrogation tool. You can be sent to jail for 5 years for owning just one gram of LSD The song,, by The Beatles is rumored to describe an LSD trip. Lucy in the Sky with DiamondsLucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Lucy In The Sky with Diamonds Picture yourself in a boat on a river, With tangerine trees and marmalade skies. Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly, A girl with kaleidoscope eyes. Cellophane flowers of yellow and green, Towering over your head. Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes, And she's Lucy in the sky with diamonds, Lucy in the sky with diamonds, Lucy in the sky with diamonds, Ah... Ah... gone. Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain, Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies. Everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers, That grow so incredibly high. Newspaper taxis appear on the shore, Waiting to take you away. Climb in the back with your head in the clouds, And you're gone. Picture yourself on a train in a station, With plasticine porters with looking glass ties. Suddenly someone is there at the turnstile, The girl with kaleidoscope eyes.

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