Addiction Resource
Canada

Other Drugs

Many psychoactive drugs have addiction potential; in particular, substances that have any of the following effects are likely to be highly addictive:

  • Producing euphoria, happiness, or unrealistic positive thoughts;
  • Reducing or eliminating anxiety, depression, or negative thoughts;
  • Unnaturally increasing energy, motivation, or drive;
  • Unrealistically elevating self-confidence, or estimation of one’s competence or capabilities.

Many prescription medications can be addictive, such as the following:

  • Opioid painkillers such as
    • Vicodin (hydrocodone) and
    • Oxycontin (oxycodone);
  • Benzodiazepines prescribed to treat anxiety disorders such as
    • Klonopin (clonazepam),
    • Valium (diazepam), and
    • Xanax (alprazolam);
  • Stimulants prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or narcolepsy such as
    • Adderal (amphetamine) and
    • Ritalin (methylphenidate).

Many illegal drugs can also be addictive, such as the following:

  • Heroin (opiate);
  • Stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine;
  • Sedatives such as ketamine.

Illegal drugs are are inherently harmful to your health in numerous and diverse ways, including damage to your brain, heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. Even worse, there has recently been an increasing incidence of illegal drugs containing fentanyl. Since the active dose of fentanyl is very small, this has resulted in a rising number of deaths from accidental overdose by people who are unknowingly consuming fentanyl.