Guidance issued as a tool for law enforcement, practitioners, and the public
JUNE 28 (PHILADELPHIA) – Gary Tuggle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division, announced today the release of the 2017 edition of Drugs of Abuse, A DEA Resource Guide.
The Drugs of Abuse guide is released on a periodic basis and designed to be a reliable resource on the most commonly abused and misused drugs in the United States. The guide provides important science-based information about the harms and consequences of drug use, describing a drug’s effects on the body and mind, overdose potential, origin, legal status, and other key factors. The 2017 edition updates the 2015 Drugs of Abuse publication with the most current information on new and emerging trends in drug misuse and abuse, including fentanyl, other opioids, and synthetic drugs.
As education plays a critical role in preventing substance abuse, this comprehensive guide is intended as a tool not just for medical practitioners and law enforcement officials, but also for educators, families, and communities. Drugs of Abuse also offers a list of additional drug education and prevention resources, including the DEA websites: www.DEA.gov, www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com for parents, www.justthinktwice.com for teens, and www.operationprevention.com for teachers.
“This resource guide provides readers with simple and easy to understand information about narcotics, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and steroids,” said Tuggle. “In the midst of the current opioid and heroin crisis, it is more important now than ever for the public to know what these and other drugs look like as well as understand how they are abused.”
To view the 2017 Drugs of Abuse resource guide, visit https://go.usa.gov/xN7Qm.