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Health Effects of Specific Drugs

Khat

Khat (pronounced “cot”) is a stimulant drug derived from a shrub (Catha edulis) that is native to East Africa and southern Arabia. The khat plant itself is not scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act; however, because one of the mind-altering chemicals found in it, cathinone, is a Schedule I drug (a controlled substance with no recognized therapeutic use), the Federal Government considers Khat use illegal.

How Is Khat Used?

Leaves of the khat shrub are typically chewed and held in the cheek, like chewing tobacco, to release their stimulant chemicals.

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El khat

El khat es una droga estimulante deri­vada de un arbusto (Catha edulis) nativo del África oriental y del sur de Arabia. Aunque la planta del khat en sí no está listada en la Ley sobre Sustancias Con­troladas, la catinona, uno de sus compo­nentes químicos que altera la mente, sí está entre las drogas de la Categoría I (sus­tancia controlada que no está reconocida para uso terapéutico), por lo que el go­bierno federal considera su uso ilegal.

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Inhalants

Definition

Although other abused drugs can be inhaled, the term inhalants is reserved for the wide variety of substances—including solvents, aerosols, gases, and nitrites—that are rarely, if ever, taken via any other route of administration. (See below for a list of examples.)

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Stimulant ADHD Medications - Methylphenidate and Amphetamines

Stimulant medications (e.g., methylphenidate and amphetamines) are often prescribed to treat individuals diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequently displayed and more severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development. This pattern of behavior usually becomes evident in the preschool or early elementary years, and the median age of onset of ADHD symptoms is 7 years.

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