Drug Enforcement Administration

"Throughout the drug discovery process, pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, research institutions, and other organizations publish their studies in scientific journals, books and patents. This information exchange, which is essential to the legitimate scientific enterprise, can be, and is, used by clandestine chemists who duplicate the technical sophistication used by the research community to manufacture and market a seemingly endless variety of analogs of so-called designer drugs." The term "designer drug" is a colloquial term that references substances with properties and effects similar to those of stimulant, depressant, hallucinogenic or narcotic drugs but that are chemically modified to evade control as an illicit drug. Although news reports tend to portray the appearance of these substances as a new trend, designer drugs have been in the illicit marketplace for decades. The distinction of today's designer drugs is the substantial volume and endless variety of designer drugs easily available to the public and the organized, extensive distribution networks utilized by designer drug traffickers. Since the 1970s, domestic clandestine chemists have attempted to manipulate the molecular structures of controlled substances to create synthetic drugs that would have the same pharmacologic properties of a controlled drug, but not expose the chemist or distributor to criminal violations under the Federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) or similar state statutes. Since these drugs are created in a clandestine laboratory, no manufacturing standards or safety and efficacy studies, such as those required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with

The abuse of drugs is not a harmless personaldecision: there are real, long-lasting, anddevastating outcomes for those who abusedrugs and for their families, friends, and communities. And for some, the outcome may be lethal. With the knowledge contained in this edition, you can make smart choices for yourself, and help others avoid the tragedy that inevitably comes from drug abuse and addiction. Whether you purchase drugs from a pharmacy, or you get them from a friend, knowing the truth about them will help you understand the dangers they pose. Measured in American lives, health, safety, andresources, this cost is enormous: More young Americans die from drugs thansuicides, firearms, or school violence; The use of illicit drugs, and the non-medical use of prescription drugs, directly led to the death of 38,000 Americans in 2006, nearly as many who died in automobile accidents; The only disease that affects more people thansubstance abuse in America today is heart disease; Substance abuse is the single largest contributor to crime in the United States; In the latest year measured, the direct cost of drug abuse was estimated at $52 billion, with indirect costs of $128 billion. I believe none of this is necessary, and that with accurate, honest information about drugs, more Americans will make the right choices. Drugs of Abuse is designed to be a reliable resource on the most popularly abused drugs. This publication delivers clear, scientific information about drugs in a factual, straightforward way, combined with scores of precise photographs shot to scale. We believe that Drugs of Abuse fulfills an important educational need in our society. Around the world and across the nation, the dedicated men and women of the DEA are working hard to investigate and arrest the traffickers of dangerous drugs, such as those described here. They help keep our schools and neighborhoods safe and secure. But just as important, they are working hard to educate America's youth, their parents, and their teachers about the very real dangers of illegal drugs. Drugs of Abuse is an important step in that direction.

The abuse of drugs is not a harmless personaldecision: there are real, long-lasting, anddevastating outcomes for those who abusedrugs and for their families, friends, and communities. And for some, the outcome may be lethal. With the knowledge contained in this edition, you can make smart choices for yourself, and help others avoid the tragedy that inevitably comes from drug abuse and addiction. Whether you purchase drugs from a pharmacy, or you get them from a friend, knowing the truth about them will help you understand the dangers they pose. Measured in American lives, health, safety, andresources, this cost is enormous: More young Americans die from drugs thansuicides, firearms, or school violence; The use of illicit drugs, and the non-medical use of prescription drugs, directly led to the death of 38,000 Americans in 2006, nearly as many who died in automobile accidents; The only disease that affects more people thansubstance abuse in America today is heart disease; Substance abuse is the single largest contributor to crime in the United States; In the latest year measured, the direct cost of drug abuse was estimated at $52 billion, with indirect costs of $128 billion. I believe none of this is necessary, and that with accurate, honest information about drugs, more Americans will make the right choices. Drugs of Abuse is designed to be a reliable resource on the most popularly abused drugs. This publication delivers clear, scientific information about drugs in a factual, straightforward way, combined with scores of precise photographs shot to scale. We believe that Drugs of Abuse fulfills an important educational need in our society. Around the world and across the nation, the dedicated men and women of the DEA are working hard to investigate and arrest the traffickers of dangerous drugs, such as those described here. They help keep our schools and neighborhoods safe and secure. But just as important, they are working hard to educate America's youth, their parents, and their teachers about the very real dangers of illegal drugs. Drugs of Abuse is an important step in that direction.