LSD, commonly known as acid, belongs to the family of drugs known as hallucinogens. Some other members of this family are MDA, PCP , mescaline and psilocybin. LSD is a potent hallucinogen; an amount of pure LSD the size of an aspirin would be enough for 3000 doses. Odorless, colorless and tasteless, the fine white powder is sold in capsules or as tablets. It can also be absorbed into blotter paper, sugar cubes, gum, candy, cookies, or even postage stamps.
LSD was a popular drug in the 1960s. Although, it is less widely used today, it is still a potent drug whose dangerous effects are not completely understood.
LSD acts on the central nervous system. Sight, taste and hearing are affected. The user can have visual and auditory hallucinations. Emotions are also affected. Users often feel euphoria.
Effects usually begin with in a few minutes and can last up to 12 hours.
Physical signs are increased blood pressure, fever, dilated pupils, rapid heart beat, tremors, nausea, chills and numbness.
The user might have trouble remembering events immediately prior to taking LSD, while vividly remembering distant events. Trivial matters seem to take on new importance, making the person feel like they are going through some "magical" experience.
Sometimes the effects are especially uncomfortable and frightening. Calm reassurance can minimize these so called "bad trips".
LSD commonly causes a phenomenon known as a flashback. During the flashback, the drugs effects recur spontaneously, even though the person may not have touched LSD for weeks or months. A flashback can happen after as little as one dose, but is more common in regular users. Flashbacks can involve either the visual hallucinations or any other sensory element of the original experience. These episodes are usually brief, lasting only a few minutes or seconds.
Deaths from LSD overdose have never been reported. However, LSD has been implicated in suicides, accidental deaths, murder, and self-inflicted wounds.
When used by expectant mothers, LSD can cause birth defects, or miscarriages.
For people with psychological problems, LSD use can result in prolonged psychotic states.
Some chronic heavy users of LSD show apathy, lack of interest in the future, and low thresholds for frustration. A person who takes regular, high doses of the drug runs the risk of developing chronic psychosis, a condition similar to paranoid schizophrenia.
Tolerance is the body adapting to the presence of a drug. When tolerance to a drug increases, more of the drug is necessary to achieve the same effect. Users of LSD find they need more of the drug to get the same effect. After a while, a larger dose won't have any different effect on a persons mind or feelings, but it will still increase the damaging effects on the body.