Barbiturates WHAT ARE BARBITURATES? What is their effect on the mind? Barbiturates are depressants that produce a wide Barbiturates cause: spectrum of central nervous system depression • Mild euphoria, lack of restraint, relief of anxiety, and from mild sedation to coma. They also have been sleepiness used as sedatives, hypnotics, anesthetics, and anticonvulsants. Higher doses cause: Barbiturates are classified as: • Impairment of memory, judgment, and coordination; • Ultrashort, Short, Intermediate, Long-acting irritability; and paranoid and suicidal ideation • Tolerance develops quickly and larger doses are then WHAT IS THEIR ORIGIN? needed to produce the same effect, increasing the Barbiturates were first introduced for medical use danger of an overdose. in the 1900s, and today, few substances are in medical use. What is their effect on the body? Barbiturates slow down the central nervous What are common street names? system and cause sleepiness. Common street names include: • Barbs, Block Busters, Christmas Trees, Goof Balls, What are their overdose effects? Pinks, Red Devils, Reds & Blues, and Yellow Jackets Effects of overdose include: • Central nervous system depression, decreased What do they look like? respiration, increased heart rate, decreased blood Barbiturates come in a variety of multicolored pills pressure, decreased urine production, decreased body and tablets. Users prefer the short-acting and temperature, coma, and possible death intermediate barbiturates such as Amytal® and Seconal®. Which drugs cause similar effects? Drugs with similar effects include: How are they abused? • Alcohol, benzodiazepines like Valium® and Xanax®, Barbiturates are abused by swallowing a pill or tranquilizers, sleeping pills, Rohypnol®, and GHB injecting a liquid form. Barbiturates are generally abused to reduce anxiety, decrease inhibitions, What is their legal status in the United States? and treat unwanted effects of illicit drugs. Barbiturates are Schedule II, III, and IV Barbiturates can be extremely dangerous depressants under the Controlled Substances because overdoses can occur easily and lead to Act. death. .