Which Drugs Harm Your Body The Most?
Although all addictive chemicals are harmful and dangerous for your health, you must keep in mind that some substances are more harmful than others. In this article we’ll tell you which drugs will harm your body the most.
Which drugs harm your body the most?
Undoubtedly, all drugs are dangerous for your health. However, there are some drugs that harm your body more than others. Let’s take a look at the drugs that cause harm to the human body:
1. Cocaine
It’s one of the most well-known drugs. Its stimulating effects include, energy boosts, euphoria, fast thinking (although it’s not usually clear thinking)… and of course, a strong dependence.
You’ll also need to increase the dosage over time, since your body will become accustomed to its effects very quickly. Moreover, you’ll always need to consume more cocaine each time you use it, to get the same or stronger effects. Cocaine increases the chances of dying from an overdose or a heart attack, because it accelerates your metabolism and heartbeat.
2. Heroin
Although people believe it’s a ‘modern drug’, doctors used heroin at the beginning of the 19th century as an analgesic. The countries where people use heroin the most are: Mexico, Portugal, Russia and the United States. It’s an injected drug, therefore, many of the harmful effects it has are related to wound infections and gangrene.
Heroin is one of the most harmful drugs for your body because it causes muscle weakness, insomnia, chills, gum inflammation, low immune system and blood damage. It’s really addictive: one out of four people that have tried it, can’t stop consuming it. And as if this wasn’t enough, it’s quite affordable, costing about the same as a drink in a bar.
3. Nicotine
When we talk about drugs, we don’t usually consider cigarettes in the same way. Although the main ingredient is plant-derived, the biggest health problem comes from the chemicals -such as nicotine– that are added in the production process. These chemicals are really addictive, both physically and psychologically.
Smoking is one of the biggest killers in the world. It can cause lung, larynx and mouth cancer. Because it’s a ‘legal’ drug that you can buy in many stores, it’s readily available.
4. Crack
When cocaine is produced, some ‘waste’ or leftovers remain, and these have even worse effects than the main drug. The ‘crust’ that remains in the spoons that they use to make cocaine, is known as crack (because of the noise it makes when it’s taken off the spoon). It’s really cheap, so it’s generally consumed in certain social groups.
Its main short-term effects are hallucinations. Also, just like cocaine, crack causes dependence and people that consume it increase their doses in a very short time. It also causes permanent damage to the liver, as well as triggering mental disorders and cardiac hemorrhages.
5. Methamphetamine
Although for many people methamphetamine is the blue drug that appeared in the popular, Breaking Bad series, people have been using it for several decades. Indeed, during the Second World War, troops consumed ‘crystal meth’ as a means to stay awake for several days.
Later in the 1970s, people used it to help with weight loss, and when it became illegal, it entered the global black market where millions of doses are sold each year. Short-term side effects are anxiety and insomnia. In the long run, it can cause brain and blood damage.
6. Alcohol
We could place alcohol at the ‘same level’ as cigarettes on this list, because it’s legal and very easy to obtain, either from a store or a bar. Believe it or not, it’s one of the drugs responsible for damaging your body the most, even though its effects don’t show up immediately.
Alcoholic drinks are culturally accepted and appear in the media as synonymous of a certain ‘status’ or ‘fun times’. However, it causes many problems. The liver is the most affected organ from drinking alcohol, since it has to make a huge effort to eliminate it from your body.