3.1 Introduction

Whether heroin or Ecstasy, most drugs provoke debate. But they also raise questions as only a few people have any real knowledge of drugs. These halftruths make many people afraid of drugs but have precisely the opposite effect on others. The drug user himself enjoys the I rush' and will never forget his first trip leading into paradise with a mellow 'high or at full overdrive. His parents much rather remember his first tooth, when their child was not addicted to drugs but merely hooked on dinky toys.

Question: If drugs are so dangerous and reprehensible, why do people start using them? No one likes to risk an overdose or enjoys being addicted. Just as few people use drugs because they like to get into trouble with the law. Therefore, people do not take their first shot or snort their first line because they are tired of life, but because they are curious, bored, or simply want to belong. But they also use - and this sometimes is forgotten - because the drug makes them feel good. Or, as Renton said about the effects of heroin in the controversial movie 'Trainspotting': "Multiply your best orgasm by 1000 and you're still nowhere near."

This chapter deals with various kinds of drugs without examining the health risks. (These will be dealt with extensively in the following chapter). Here, we restrict ourselves to the drugs themselves. What do they look like? Where do they come from? How are they used? And how do they work? F rom a 'bag of smack' to a line of coke'let's talk about drugs.