CLUB DRUGSBY: Meghan Brown

10-21-2014

WHAT ARE ‘CLUB DRUGS’

The term ‘club drugs’ refers to drugs made by underground chemists and sold to young adults and adolescence to enhance their social settings. These designer drugs are most often used in intense party scenes, like raves, dance clubs, and even bars.

These drugs have unpredictable ingredients, all sorts of cheap chemicals are used to manufacture the product. There are so many contaminations and combinations with the different products that is makes it difficult to determine toxicity, consequences, and symptoms. With these drugs you never no what sort of cocktail is being delivered with what to expect as an experience.

‘Club Drugs’ come in a variety of ways, pills, caplets, powder, crystals, and even liquid (for injecting or drinking). Most of them look similar to each other especially because they are usually colorless, odorless, and tasteless. This is why the it’s hard to distinguish which drug is which and acknowledge what effects it will cause.

It is not uncommon for young people to purchase a drug that they didn’t necessarily want or is mixed with substances they didn’t even know about.

According to the FBI, there are 6 main ‘club drugs’ active within our society today, I will tell you about all them!

#1 METHYLENEDIOXYMETHAMPHETAMINE (MDMA)What You Might Not Know:

• Ecstasy was first seen used in psychiatric patients but because of it’s hallucinogenic effects it has now made it on the mainstream drug market.

• “Club kinds” often chew of pacifiers to counteract teeth grinding, a common side effect of ecstasy

Street Names: Ecstasy ,E, X, XTC, Adam, Clarity, Lover’s Speed, peace, Uppers, Molly

Administered: This drug is usually taken orally, in a tablet or capsule form BUT it can be snorted as well as injected. The tablets are usually colorful and come imprinted with a popular label on it like Gucci or even in the shape of a celebrity.

How It Works: Ecstasy has become so popular at events because of it’s stimulant properties. It causes the body to constrict blood flow in the veins and arteries, this Increases heart rate and blood pressure as well as pupil dilation with sweating. The effects of the drug begin about 15-60 minutes after ingestion and lasts between 3-6 hours. Then the individual is able to dance for hours along with having enhanced feelings of emotional closeness with others combined with the ‘everything is going to be alright’ sense.

Harmful Effects: The high of this drug can cause an increase chance in dehydration, hypertension, heart orkidney failure, and increased body temperature. Long-term effects can include confusion, depression, sleep problems, decrease in appetite, anxiety, paranoia, loss of memory , mood instability, cognitive impairment, increased impulsivity, or even psychosis.

#2 GAMMA-HYDOXYBUTYRATE (GHB) What You Might Not Know:

• GHB is a central nervous system depressant that was approved by the FDA to treat symptoms of narcolepsy. Those taking the drug for narcolepsy are strictly monitored by the FDA.

• GHB already exists in the brain at a very low amount compared to that of what is contained in a club drug.

• This drug is commonly known as a ‘date rape’ drug, the ability to mixed unknowingly with beverages it is frequently used in sexual assault cases. Their ability to sedate and incapacitate unsuspecting victims prevents the victim from fighting back.

• High school kids have been reported taking this drug as an alternate to alcohol because it leaves no odor for parents to detect and the effects are usually gone by the time they go home

Street Names: Easy lay, Georgia home boy, liquid X, liquid ecstasy, liquid E, grievous body harm, Gib, G-riffic, natural sleep-500, gamma-oh, cherry meth, scoop, soap, salty water, organic Quaalude, fantasy, sodium oxybate, somatomax, and gamma hydrate

Administered: Usually in a clear liquid form that can be mixed with other liquids like alcohol. It is less frequently seen in white powder, tablet or capsule and taken orally.

How It Works: The sedative and euphoric effects begin up to 10-20 minutes after ingestion. That is when the heart rate drops down and breathing slows. The individual will most likely feel drowsiness, forgetfulness, and loss of muscle tone to seizure andcoma like states. This coma can lasts 1 – 2 hours and the drug up to 6 hours,with full recovery within 8 hours.

Harmful Effects: Tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal reactions have been tired to this drug. Respiratory depression can be severe enough to require life support on a ventilator or breathing machine until the effects of the drug wears off.

#3 METHAMPHETAMINE

What You Might Not Know:

• The inhaled or ingested powder eliminates the use of a needle, is longer lasting, and is often odorless, colorless, and tasteless.

• Usually appears as a white or yellow product easily created in amateur laboratories

• This is a HIGHLY addictive drug and withdrawal can be most painful

Street Names: Speed, Ice, Chalk, Meth, Crystal, Crank, Fire, Glass

Administered: This drug is usually converted into a powder that can be inhaled, injected, or ingested. When the drug is sold in ‘ice’ form it is usually smoked or injected.

How It Works: When the drug first enters the system a rush of nostalgia comes over the user, and after that a display of agitation and this can lead to dangerous behavior. “Tweaking” is the term related to the outlandish actions of a person on this drug. The drug also leads the user to use excited speech, increased physical activity, psychotic episodes, delusions, hallucinations, paranoia and loss of appetite. This high can last up to 20 hours while heavy users can stay awake for days.

Harmful Effects: Besides the obvious physical risk that a person on this drug can do to themselves while on it, there are many long term health effects. These include: heart attacks, stroke, weight loss, malnutrition, fluid buildup in lungs, and death. This drug can cause mental impairment because of the cell damage in the brain.

#4 KETAMINEWhat You Might Not Know:

• An injectable dissociative anesthetic used primarily by veterinarians and in hospital for sedation and pain relief.

• Reactions similar to those of PCP, a hallucinatory drug

• Ketamine is sometimes use to sooth the crash left behind by cocaine or amphetamine binges.

• This drugs nickname for an overdoes is called, falling into the ‘K-hole’

• Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic, so called because it distorts perceptions of sight and sound and produces feelings of detachment from the environment and self

Street Names: Special K, K, vitamin K, Cat Valium, and fort dodge

Administered: Most often, Ketamine is inhaled, but it can also be injected into muscle or fat. It is also produced as a white powder or clear liquid that can be snorted or smoked with Marijuana or other tobacco products.

How It Works: This drug produces a dream-like state. Ketamine increases blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tone, and salivation. Effects begin in minutes and lasts up to an hour depending on the tolerance and dosage amount. It causes impaired attention, learning and memory function while in a large dose it can cause delirium, amnesia, impaired motor functions, high blood pressure, and depression.

Harmful Effects: Ketamine can cause ‘emergence reaction’ that consists of nightmares, floating sensation, visual and hearing disturbances, out-of-body experiences (which is a long term effect), agitation, and confusion that can last up to a day after taking the drug. Usually the user is not asleep during these effects and can completely recall them afterwards.

#5 ROHYPNOL What You Might Not Know:

• It is a benzodiazepine (chemically similar to sedative-hypnotic drugs such as Valium or Xanax), but it is not approved for medical use in this country, and its importation is banned.

• A potent benzodiazepine (a class of tranquilizing agents)

• Effects are worsened by alcohol

Street Names: Mexican Valium, circles, roofies, la rocha, roche, R2, rope, and forget-me pill

Administered: This drug is also a tasteless and odorless sedative as well as easily mixable with carbonated beverages. Therefore, another commonly used drug for date rape. This drug can be produced as a pill and usually is taken orally, but can be ground up and snorted.

How It Works: Rohypnol in low doses is a sedative and muscle relaxant. In higher doses, it can cause lack of muscle control, amnesia, loss of inhibitions, and loss of consciousness. Sedation occurs within 30 minutes after ingestion, with peak effects at two hours. “As little as 1 mg can impair an individual for eight to 12 hours”.

Harmful Effects: Harmful effects include: low blood pressure, dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, amnesia, visual disturbances, inability to urinate fully, and aggressive behavior.

#6 LYSERGIC ACID DIETHYLAMIDE (LSD) What You Might Not Know:

• The most widely used hallucinogenic drug

• Odorless and colorless with a slightly bitter taste

• Hallucinogen that causes distortions in sensory perception like seeing vivid image, sounds, and feel sensations.

Street Names: Acid, boomers, yellow sunshine blotter, or dots.

Administered: LSD can be taken orally in a colored tablet or in a capsule. It can also appear in a clear liquid, or most commonly on a blotter paper. Most often, LSD is licked off blotter paper or taken by mouth. But the gelatin and liquid forms can be put in the eyes.

How It Works: LSD takes effect within 30 to 40 minutes after ingestion. The LSD experience or “trip” often lasts up to 12 hours. During this time the pupils dilate, body temperature increases, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, and dry mouth. Changes in sensations and feelings occur along with delusions with visual hallucinations topped off by a loss of time. There is no certain way to determine how a person will react on LSD, it depends on the amount taken, the person’s personality, mood, expectation, and environment.

Harmful Effects: A ‘bad trip’ can cause terrifying thoughts and visions that can haunt a person days and even weeks after this ‘bad trip’. It can cause persistent psychosis and flashbacks to those negative visions.

WHY DO PEOPLE USE CLUB DRUGS?

People choose to take ecstasy because it makes them feel loving and affectionate. It also intensifies the senses, like touch. This stimulus drug allows for people to stay on the dance floor and feel open to meet new people if they weren’t before.

Methamphetamine is a form of speed which means it is primarily used to increase a person’s energy level. Because of this it can also help people experience a sense of euphoria and heightened self-confidence.

GHB is sometimes used as a substitute for alcohol for reasons I listed before, it is easy for kids to sneak by their parents and teachers. It can produce the same relaxed, sociable feeling a person would get from having a few drinks without the chance

of getting caught and penalized.

Ketamine is a chosen drug for some because of how it makes them feel detached from their body and environment.

Rohypnol is used when people want to become very relaxed or intoxicated because the drug creates drowsiness.

QUOTE

“Club drugs are most often used in association to having fun with friends or even by oneself. But they are also used by people wanting to temporarily escape hard times or

problems in their daily lives. Some people come to rely on club drugs as a way of coping with stress, depression, boredom or a difficult situation.”

This quote jumped out at me because it had the realization that people don’t do drugs repeatedly because they like to, it’s to escape a reality. Drug issues, especially club drugs, have only been on the rise in adolescence and young adults in the last few years. The last few years have been riddled with economic crisis and environmental disasters. It makes sense that there are people looking for a way out of their situation.

PREVENTION!

For people (usually adolescence or young adult because these drugs appear and are searched out most often by this demographic) who have not yet done these drugs but have access to them there are important preventative measures!

• Limit access to these drugs, meaning don’t hang out with the crowd who you know sells drugs or frequently uses

• Teaching the individual how to recognize and avoid drugs in a nightclub or other party settings

• Educated on the effects and risks of using these drugs

• Feel open to come to family and other trusted members of their lives with any problems they are having that may influence them to take a drug to ‘get away’

FAST FACTS ABOUT CLUB DRUGS

• 7% of the general population have used ecstasy or other club drugs at least once in their lives. Only 1% used these drugs in the last year.

• Young people have the higher rates of club drug use than other populations. (In Vancouver, about 35% of youth have experimented with ecstasy and almost 20% have used methamphetamine. Less than 10% have used GHB and ketamine.)

• About 25% of gay men have used methamphetamine.

WORKS CITED

• http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/club-drugs-ghb-ketamine-rohypnol, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Last Updated: JULY 2010

• http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=33597, Illinois Department of Human Services

• http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/factsheet/ecstasy-and-other-club-drugs, HeretoHelp: Mental Health and Substance Use Information You Can Trust

• http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/clubdrugs, Federal Bureau of Investigation

• http://www.emedicinehealth.com/club_drugs/article_em.htm#club_drugs_introduction, emedicinehelp, Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD