A drug is any substance other than food that can affect the way your mind and body work. Certain drugs called mind-altering drugs can change the way a person thinks, feels, and acts.

Young people usually use mind-altering drugs, probably because they are not sure of themselves. They feel if they take these drugs they will be accepted by the "in" people. Or some might feel if they take these drugs, they will feel better about themselves. Some of these drugs that children are using are:

• This is a substance found in cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and snuff that is very addicting. People have a lot of trouble when they try to quit smoking cigarettes. The best way to stop is never to start.
• Nicotine is a stimulant and increases the heart rate. This causes the blood vessels to narrow and then the heart has to work harder. The tar found in cigarettes has been proven to cause cancer, usually of the lungs but it can also affect other organs. Cancer is a leading cause of death in the United States today. The D.A.R.E. booklet says that the number of people who die each day from smoking cigarettes is the same as two full jumbo jets crashing without any saved lives.
• Passive smoke is also proven to be dangerous to your health.

• Alcohol is made from the fermenting of fruits, grains, or any food with a high sugar content.
• Alcohol is a depressant that is absorbed into the bloodstream through the stomach and intestines. Abuse of alcohol can cause damage to your internal organs, such as the liver. It is the cause of a large number of deaths or disabilities each year. Drinking alcohol can cause:

• Marijuana is known by a lot of other names, such as grass, pot, weed and reefers. Most people think it is a depressant, because of the lethargy it causes. Its primary active substance is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
• Marijuana produces a state of altered consciousness with feelings of detachment (wanting to be alone) and silliness. Generally, it causes:

• Marijuana isn't a real chemically addictive drug, but you can still become used to its effect. After using it for a long time, you can:

• Cocaine is a highly addicting stimulant . It is made from the leaves of the coca plant. In South America some natives chew the leaves. When mixed with the saliva, cocaine is created. It can be snorted through the nose, smoked when it is changed into crystals, or injected into the body.
• Like all stimulants, cocaine will increase your heart rate, but to dangerous degrees. It has been known to create breathing problems and heart attacks. Also, if you snort cocaine, you can damage the lining in your nose.
• Cocaine can cause you to become confused, unable to think clearly, and short-tempered and moody.
• Since cocaine is so addictive and alters your mind, when people run out of their drug they will do crazy things to get money to buy more. The news is filled with stories about how someone was murdered for drugs.

• Inhalants are any kind of chemical substances that can be inhaled or sniffed to create a personality change (altered behavior). They include glue, paints and thinners, gasoline, substances in any aerosol cans such as PAM.
• The word inhalant itself means that you are putting your lungs in danger. If you use inhalants long enough, you can also cause permanent damage to your liver and other body parts. Just recently a NW Indiana teenager died when he inhaled PAM.
• Inhalants can also be chemically and emotionally addictive.