Classification: General Sedative
Commercial Names: Nembutal, Seconal, Amytal
Common Names/Nicknames: Barb(s), red(s), red bird, phennies, tooies, yellows, yellow jackets, goofballs
Active Compound: Phenobarbital, pentobarbital, secobarbital, amobarbital, and other barbiturates
Found in: Synthesized barbiturates
Mode of Consumption: Ingestion, injection
DEA Scheduling/Legal Status (in US): Schedule II, III, or IV depending on particular drug, legal with restrictions ranging from prescription to registration
Effects:
Relaxation, reduced anxiety, drowsiness, slurred speech.
Risks:
Light-headedness, vertigo, impaired muscle coordination, memory impairment, impaired learning, anxiety, nightmares, respiratory depression, hostility, rage
Dangerous Drug Combinations:
Potentially fatal combination with alcohol, benzodiazepines, methaqualone, inhalants, and other respiratory depressants.
Special Considerations:
Relatively low risk for overdose.
And remember, if somebody may need help, play it safe and call for medical assistance.
“Students may bring an intoxicated or drug-impaired friend to University Health Services or to a hospital, or seek assistance from College residential life staff or HUPD, and by doing this, neither they nor the friend will face disciplinary action from the College for having used or provided alcohol or drugs.”
The Amnesty Policy
Harvard College Student Handbook
Sources:
Buzzed: The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy (Third Edition), by Cynthia Kuhn, Scott Swartzwelder, and Wilkie Wilson. Published 2008 by W. W. Norton & Company.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institute of Health (NIH) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
http://www.nida.nih.gov/DrugPages/
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), part of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Erowid Organization