How recreational drugs harm your health
'Drug use remains a recurring risk, with new types bringing new health concerns' — ER24.
“Drugs are a major concern for us and the risk is increasing – especially among younger people,” said Geoff Boulton, Advanced Life Support practitioner and Branch Manager at ER24 Johannesburg Central.
As Geoff explained, drugs can have a wide range of short- and long-term effects.
“The main problem, we find, is that while drug users might start off experimenting with small doses, they soon escalate – to both larger doses and more dangerous types of drugs.”
• Drug use: an emergency waiting to happen
“Drugs can seriously incapacitate a person, and quickly. You can go from looking and feeling absolutely normal to unconsciousness in minutes. And in that scenario, there is very little that bystanders can do to help without expert medical assistance.”
Geoff said many drugs – especially those that fall into the category of depressants – affect a person’s breathing.
“Respiratory depression is a real danger, as it can lead to respiratory failure and eventually respiratory arrest. This is especially prevalent in patients who have been using heroin.”
• The different kinds of drugs:
Recreational drugs are classified according to the way they affect the body, and depressants, hallucinogens and stimulants all have an impact on how you think, feel and act.
Depressants include alcohol, cannabis, gamma-hydroxybutyrate (also referred to as GHB), heroin, morphine, codeine, and some tranquillisers.
Hallucinogens include ketamine (sometimes referred to as KET), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), phencyclidine (aka PCP or Angel Dust), magic mushrooms, and cannabis.
Stimulants include nicotine, amphetamines, cocaine, and 3.4 methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (Ecstacy)
The first and best thing to do if you suspect someone has overdosed, is call 084 124. It’s that simple. Waiting will only put the patient’s life at risk.”
He added that any drug overdose requires immediate expert emergency medical assistance.
As Geoff explained, when ER24 medics arrive at the scene of a suspected overdose, they will monitor the patient’s airway, breathing and circulatory function, before transporting the patient to the nearest hospital for further treatment.
“For some types of drug overdoses (e.g. opioids like heroin), there are specific antidotes that can be administered by the paramedic that could be life-saving.”
