Focus Adolescent Services: Club Drugs

Research shows that MDA destroys serotonin-producing neurons in the brain, which play a direct role in regulating aggression, mood, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain. It is probably this action on the serotonin system that gives MDA its purported properties of heightened sexual experience, tranquility, and conviviality.

GHB, gamma-hydroxybutyrate, also known as Grievous Bodily Harm, G, Liquid Ecstasy, Georgia Home Boy, Jib, Blue Nitro, is mainly used by teens and young adults -- often at raves and clubs -- and is also prominent in many gay male communities.

GHB is usually abused either for its intoxicating/sedating/euphoria-inducing properties, or for its growth hormone-releasing effects.

GHB is a central nervous system depressant and its intoxicating effects begin 10 to 20 minutes after the drug is taken. The effects typically last up to 4 hours, depending on the dosage. At higher doses, GHB's sedative effects may result in sleep, coma, or death.

GHB is taken in tablets and capsules, as well as in powder and liquid (clear) forms. It has been increasingly involved in poisonings, overdoses, date rapes, and deaths.

GHB is cleared from the body relatively quickly (in approximately 2 hours). There are no GHB detection tests for use in emergency rooms and many clinicians are unfamiliar with it, so many GHB incidents go undetected.

Ketamine, also known as Special K, K, Vitamin K, Psychedelic Heroin, and Cat Valium, is an anesthetic that can be injected, snorted, or smoked -- often with marijuana or tobacco products.

It has been approved for both human and animal use in medical settings since 1970. About 90 percent of the ketamine sold legally today is intended for veterinary use.

Large doses cause reactions similar to those associated with use of phencyclidine (PCP), such as dream-like states and altered perceptions or hallucinations. At higher doses, ketamine can cause delirium, amnesia, impaired motor function, high blood pressure, depression, and potentially fatal respiratory problems.

Low-dose intoxication from ketamine results in impaired attention, learning ability, and memory.

Rohypnol, also known as Roofies, Rophies, Roche, and Forget-me Pill, belongs to the class of drugs known as benzodiazepines (which include Valium, Halcion, Xanax, and Versed). Rohypnol is not approved for prescription use in the United States, although it is used in many countries as a treatment for insomnia, as a sedative, and as a pre-surgery anesthetic.

Rohypnol is tasteless and odorless, and it dissolves easily in carbonated beverages. The sedative and toxic effects of Rohypnol become more pronounced if taken with alcohol. Even without alcohol, a dose of Rohypnol as small as 1 mg can impair a user for 8 to 12 hours.

Although Rohypnol is usually taken orally, there are reports that it can be ground up and snorted.

The drug can cause profound "anterograde amnesia" -- that is, individuals may not remember events they experienced while under the effects of the drug. It has been used in sexual assaults and date rapes, as well as robberies.

Other adverse effects associated with Rohypnol include decreased blood pressure, drowsiness, visual disturbances, dizziness, confusion, gastrointestinal disturbances, and urinary retention.

LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide), also known as Acid, Boomers, and Yellow Sunshines, is a hallucinogen, inducing abnormal sensory perceptions.

The effects of LSD are unpredictable depending on the amount taken, the surroundings in which the drug is used, and the user's personality, mood, and expectations.

LSD is sold on blotter paper with cartoon characters and other pictures, in gelatin squares known as windowpane, on sugar cubes, or microdots (tablets). The term "candy-flipping" has been associated with mixing LSD and Ecstasy at the same time.

Typically, a user feels the effects of LSD 30 to 90 minutes after taking it. The physical effects include dilated pupils, elevated body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth, and tremors. LSD users also report numbness, weakness, trembling, and nausea.

There are two long-term disorders sometimes associated with LSD -- persistent psychosis and 'flashbacks' (hallucinogen persisting perception disorder).

Information provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1-888-NIH-NIDA.

BACK TO: Ecstasy

More Information on Club Drugs

Amphetamine-Related Psychiatric Disorders ~ Amphetamine-related psychiatric disorders are conditions resulting from intoxication or long-term use of amphetamines or amphetamine derivatives. Such disorders can also be experienced during the withdrawal period from amphetamines. The disorders are often self-limiting after cessation, though, in some patients, psychiatric symptoms may last several weeks after discontinuation. Some individuals experience paranoia during withdrawal as well as during sustained use.

Club Drugs ~ Information and resources from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Club Drugs (MDMA/Ecstasy, Rohypnol, GHB, Ketamine) ~ Facts and figures.

Club drugs sending more youths to hospitals ~ It was found that people 25-years-and-under make up 80% of Ecstasy emergencies and 60% of those involving GHB.

DanceSafe ~ Promotes health and safety within the rave and nightclub community.

Date Rape Drugs ~ Because of the effects of these drugs, victims may be physically helpless, unable to refuse sex, and can't remember what happened. The drugs often have no color, smell, or taste and are easily added to flavored drinks without the victim's knowledge. There are at least three date rape drugs: GHB, Rohypnol, Ketamine.

The Death of the Party: All the Rave, GHB's Hazards Go Unheeded ~ By powerfully and rapidly depressing the central nervous system, GHB can produce an intoxicated feeling that has earned it a reputation as a pleasure enhancer for thrill-seeking youngsters. But its side effects can range from nausea and vomiting to delusions, depression, vertigo, hallucinations, seizures, difficulty breathing, slowed heart rate, low blood pressure, amnesia, and coma.

Drug-Facilitated Rape: Looking for the Missing Pieces (pdf) ~ Populations most at risk are middle-schoolers, high school and college students.

Ecstasy and Other Club Drugs, Date Rape Drugs ~ Rohypnol and other similar drugs are prescribed as sleeping pills, but when in the hands of a sex abuser, can put both women and men in extreme danger.

Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate (GHB) ~ Since about 1990, GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate) has been abused in the U.S. for its euphoric, sedative, and anabolic (body building) effects. It is a central nervous system depressant that was widely available over-the-counter in health food stores during the 1980s and until 1992. It was purchased largely by body builders to aid in fat reduction and muscle building. Street names include "liquid ecstasy," "soap," "easy lay," "vita-G," and "Georgia home boy."

Hallucinogens ~ Comprehensive article that includes information and photographs of LSD, Ecstasy, peyote, PCP, ketamine, psilocybin.

Ketamine ~ Information from DanceSafe.org.

Ketamine Guide ~ Effects, dosage, dangers, addiction and tolerance, mixing with other drugs, drug tests, and legality in the US and UK.

LSD ~ Information from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

LSD and the CIA ~ Before Timothy Leary and Ken Kesey, the CIA used marijuana and LSD in an effort to create mind-control drugs. This initially sober research turned into a drugfest wherein CIA operatives conducted studies with a state-run bordello and surreptitiously slipped things into each other's drinks, making surprise acid trips an occupational hazard of working at the CIA.

LSD Guide ~ Effects, psychedelic effects, dangers, addiction and tolerance, mixing with other drugs, drug tests, legality in the US and UK.

Project GHB ~ Information about the risks of overdose, sexual assault, addiction, and death of GHB. Project GHB now includes Ecstasy (MDMA) and Ketamine (Special K), and a special section on Prescription and Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, as well as a forum for rape, overdose and addiction victims and their families to share their stories and forewarn others.

Rape Drugs: An Overview ~ Includes signs of being drugged, what to do if you have been drugged, and how to protect yourself and your friends.

Rohypnol, The Date Rape Drug ~ Teen use of Rohypnol is increasing. The most common pattern of use is by teenagers and young adults as an alcohol extender in an attempt to create a dramatic "high" most often in combination with beer, or as a drug to incapacitate a victim before a sexual assault.

The Ultimate Bad Trip ~ The most common problem is a bad trip: a feeling of intense fear about being in a scary experience that you can't control, and lasts for hours. LSD is very unpredictable: A person can have an enjoyable trip one time, and a scary one the next time. There is some evidence that LSD can trigger a psychotic episode in someone who is already schizophrenic, or it can trigger the first episode in someone who is going in that direction.

Use of 'Date Rape' Drug Surges ~ Unlike Ecstasy or cocaine, GHB gives users no sense of euphoria. The slightly bitter liquid puts users in a dreamy stupor, or worse, a coma that can kill them.