This Appendix contains details of the drugs most commonly encountered at sea. Included within each description is a reference to the degree of addiction. Drug dependence can take various forms such as:

Physical Addiction

This is defined by the World Health Organisation as: "a state that shows itself by physical disturbances when the amount of a drug in the body is markedly reduced. The disturbances form a withdrawal or absence syndrome composed of psychosomatic and mental symptoms and signs which are characteristic for each drug type". In the case of physical addiction the body develops a craving for the drug, withdrawal symptoms occur when the drug is withheld and some of the symptoms are physically visible in the form of excessive sweating, a constant desire for liquids, scratching, twitching of muscles, irritability, diarrhoea, muscle spasms and in extreme cases, coma and death.

Psychological Addiction

The World Health Organisation defines this as: "a condition in which the drug promotes a feeling of satisfaction and a drive to repeat the consumption of a drug in order to induce pleasure or avoid discomfort". In this case the mind develops a dependence on the drug although there may be no physical dependence. Withdrawal symptoms are not as pronounced as in physical addiction but there may still be irritability, fits of anger, fixation on taking a further dosage, irrational behaviour, feelings of victimisation etc.

Environmental Addiction

This can occur when the addict becomes accustomed to a particular lifestyle. Social meetings or meeting places have been conducive to environmental addiction and provide opportunities for both addicts and pushers. If drugs circulate in particular places the addict has a permanent source and the pusher a constant market.

Bodily Tolerance

When physical addiction occurs the body requires progressively larger doses of the drug to achieve the same level of intoxication or 'high'. The quicker this increase is noted the higher the body tolerance is said to be.