The Truth about LSD
LSD is a Scheduled I controlled substance.
LSD, AKA"acid," is odorless, colorless, and has a slightly bitter
taste and is usually taken by mouth. Often LSD is added to
absorbent paper, such as blotter paper, and divided into small,
decorated squares, with each square representing one dose.
Health
Hazards
Physical Psychological short-term effects. The effects of LSD
are unpredictable. They depend on the amount taken; the user's
personality, mood, and expectations; and the surroundings in which
the drug is used. Usually, the user feels the first effects of the
drug 30 to 90 minutes after taking it. The physical effects include
dilated pupils, higher body temperature, increased heart rate and
blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry
mouth, and tremors.
Sensations and feelings change much more dramatically than the
physical signs. The user may feel several different emotions at
once or swing rapidly from one emotion to another. If taken in a
large enough dose, the drug produces delusions and visual
hallucinations. The user's sense of time and self changes.
Sensations may seem to "cross over," giving the user the feeling of
hearing colors and seeing sounds. These changes can be frightening
and can cause panic.
LSD trips are long - typically they begin to clear after about 12
hours. Some users experience severe, terrifying thoughts and
feelings, fear of losing control, fear of insanity and death, and
despair while using LSD. In some cases, fatal accidents have
occurred during states of LSD intoxication.
Flashbacks. Many LSD users experience flashbacks, recurrence of
certain aspects of a person's experience, without the user having
taken the drug again. A flashback occurs suddenly, often without
warning, and may occur within a few days or more than a year after
LSD use. Flashbacks usually occur in people who use hallucinogens
chronically or have an underlying personality problem; however,
otherwise healthy people who use LSD occasionally may also have
flashbacks. Bad trips and flashbacks are only part of the risks of
LSD use. LSD users may manifest relatively long-lasting psychoses,
such as schizophrenia or severe depression. It is difficult to
determine the extent and mechanism of the LSD involvement in these
illnesses.
