Club Drugs: Just the Facts What are club drugs? Although tobacco and alcohol are the most common substances found on the club scene, other substances such as Ecstasy, Herbal Ecstasy, Rohypnol, GHB, Ketamine, and LSD have gained popularity with young people in recent years. Typically, night clubs, bars, parties, and raves attract teenagers, college students, and young adults who may risk their health in the interest of a good time. Raves are a form of dance and recreation that is held in a clandestine location with fast-paced high-volume music, a variety of high-tech entertainment, and often, the use of drugs. These club drugs are attractive to youth for their cheap, intoxicating highs, which they mistakenly believe to be safe. Unfortunately, most partygoers do not realize the dangers of using club drugs. Once more, combinations of any of these drugs with alcohol can lead to unexpected adverse reactions and death.

ECSTASY

What is Ecstasy and how is it used? Ecstasy or MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a stimulant that combines the properties of methamphetamine or "speed" with mind-altering or hallucinogenic properties. Considered the most commonly used designer drug, Ecstasy is a close derivative of methamphetamine and can be described as a hallucinogenic stimulant. Designer drugs are illicit variations of other drugs. Because of many different recipes used to manufacture Ecstasy, deaths have been caused by some other substances inadvertently created during production, such as PMA (paramethamphetamine). Ecstasy is illegal, and is classified as a Schedule 1 under the Controlled Substance Abuse Act. Known on the street as Adam, X-TC, Clarity, Essence, Stacy, Lover’s Speed, Eve, etc., Ecstasy is most often found in tablet, capsule, or powder form and is usually consumed orally, although it can also be injected. Ecstasy is sometimes packaged in capsules or generic tablets to imitate prescription drugs with the average dose costing anywhere from $7 to $30 per pill. Ecstasy can be combined with methadone, LSD, opiates (such as heroin or Fentanyl,) with strong anesthetics such as Ketamine. What are Ecstasy’s effects? An Ecstasy high can last from 6 to 24 hours, with the average "trip" lasting approximately three to four hours. At moderate doses, Ecstasy is reported to cause euphoria, feelings of well-being, enhanced mental or emotional clarity, anxiety, or paranoia. Heavier doses can cause hallucinations, sensations of lightness and floating, depression, paranoid thinking, and violent, irrational behavior. Physical reactions can include the following symptoms: loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, increased heart rate and blood pressure, muscle tension, faintness, chills, sweating, tremors, reduced appetite, insomnia, convulsions, and a loss of control over voluntary body movements. Some reactions have been reported to persist from one to 14 days after taking Ecstasy. Individuals who are pregnant, have a heart condition, are epileptic, or have high blood pressure are at high risk of adverse reactions. In addition, users are at particular risk of heat exhaustion and dehydration with physical exertion, particularly when Ecstasy is taken in a dance-party setting. Deaths have occurred because users don’t drink enough water and become overheated.

HERBAL ECSTASY

Is Herbal Ecstasy a safe, natural alternative? No. Although not currently classified as a controlled substance, Herbal Ecstasy is a drug composed of ephedrine (ma huang) or pseudoephedrine and caffeine (kola nut), stimulants that closely simulate the effects of Ecstasy. Sold in tablet form, Herbal Ecstasy is known as Cloud 9, Herbal Bliss, Ritual Spirit, Herbal X, GWM, Rave Energy, Ultimate Xphoria, and X. There is no quality control over the manufacture of these products, and problems arise because the amounts of ephedrine and caffeine in the pills vary widely. Over 800 reports of adverse reactions such as high blood pressure, seizures, heart attacks, strokes, and death have been reported to federal authorities. Because of these reactions, the Food and Drug Adminis-tration (FDA) is considering placing restrictions on the drug.

ROHYPNOL

What is Rohypnol? Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) is a strong sedative which is manufactured and distributed by Hoffman-La Roche. A member of the benzodiazepine family which includes drugs such as Librium, Xanax, and Valium, Rohypnol is about ten times the strength of Valium. Typically, Rohypnol is smuggled into Texas from the Mexican pharmacias; supplies in Florida come from Latin America. Street prices in Texas range from $1 to $5 per pill. Slang terms for Rohypnol include Roach, Roche (ro-shay), Roofies, Run-Trip-and-Fall, R-2, Mexican Valium, Ropynol, Rib, and Rope. In Texas, to be under the influence of Rohypnol is "to get roached." How is Rohypnol used? Rohypnol is manufactured as small, white tablets with "Roche" inscribed on one side with an encircled "1" or "2" indicating a 1 mg or 2 mg dose. These tablet markings are commonly found on other Roche pharmaceuticals, and a pattern of abusing any drug made by Roche (Valium, Klonopin/Clonopin, Rivotril) has also developed. Rohypnol is usually taken orally, although there are reports that it has been ground up and snorted. Rohypnol is illegal in the United States, and it can draw significant penalties for the possession and sale of the drug. What are Rohypnol’s effects? After taking Rohypnol, the user may feel intoxicated, then sleepy - a feeling that may last up to eight hours. Users under the influence may exhibit slurred speech, impaired judgment, and difficulty walking. Rohypnol can cause deep sedation, respiratory distress, blackouts that can last up to 24 hours, and amnesia where users forget events experienced while under the influence. In some cases, the drug has paradoxical effects and causes users to become aggressive. The potential for overdose or death can occur, especially when mixed with other drugs like alcohol.

GHB

What is GHB? GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) was once sold in health food stores as a performance enhancing additive to body builder formulas. Although rumored that GHB stimulates muscle growth, this claim has never been proven. GHB is a central nervous system depressant that is abused for its intoxicating effects. In 1990, the FDA banned the used of GHB except under the supervision of a physician because of many reports of severe, uncontrollable side effects. Slang terms for GHB include Grievous Bodily Harm, Easy Lay, Gook, Gamma 10, Liquid X, Liquid E, Liquid G, Georgia Home Boy, Soap, Scoop, Salty Water, Somatomax, G-riffick, Cherry Meth, Fantasy, Organic Quaalude, Nature’s Quaalude, and Zonked. How is GHB used? GHB is consumed orally in capsule form or as a grainy, white to sandy-colored powder. Powdered GHB is often dissolved in liquids like water or alcoholic beverages and then consumed. However, it is most frequently sold as a slightly salty, clear liquid in small bottles where users pay by the capful or by the teaspoon. Most GHB is created in clandestine laboratories where purity and quality cannot be guaranteed. Often substituted for Ecstasy, another club drug, a capful may cost the user $3 to $5 per dose. GHB is also used as a sedative to come down off stimulants like ephedrine, Ecstasy, speed, or cocaine. What are GHB’s effects? GHB produces intoxication followed by deep sedation. Once ingested, the drug will begin to take effect in 15 minutes to an hour, lasting one to three hours. GHB can cause nausea, vomiting, delusions, depression, vertigo, visual disturbances, seizures, respiratory distress, loss of consciousness, amnesia, and coma. When combined with alcohol and other drugs, the potential for deadly overdoses escalates rapidly. Numerous overdoses in Texas and nationwide have required emergency room treatment.

KETAMINE

What is Special K or Ketamine? Ketamine (ketamine hydrochloride) is primarily used in veterinary medicine, and its use as a surgical anesthetic in humans is limited. Most supplies found on the street are diverted from legitimate sources. On the club scene, Ketamine can be found in liquid form or as a white powder that is snorted or smoked with marijuana or tobacco products. A combination of Ketamine and cocaine is called "CK." Other slang terms are Special K, Vitamin K, New Ecstasy, Psychedelic Heroin, Ketalar, Ketaject, and Super-K. What are Ketamine’s effects? Users experience profound hallucinations and visual distortions similar to the effects of PCP. They call these effects "K-Land." A larger dose can produce a more frightening experience called a "K-hole" or an "out-of-body, near-death experience." They may also experience a loss of senses, sense of time, and identity which can last anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. Ketamine can cause delirium, amnesia, impaired motor function, high blood pressure, depression, recurrent flashbacks, and potentially fatal respiratory problems.

LSD

What is LSD? LSD (lysergic acid diethylamid) is a potent hallucinogen derived from lysergic acid. Lysergic acid can be found on ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. Commonly referred to as "acid" on the club scene, a "hit" or dose can be found as tablets, capsules, liquid form, thin squares of gelatin, or absorbed on colorful paper to be licked. Although colorless and odorless, LSD has a slight bitter taste. "Blotter acid," which is absorbent paper soaked in LSD and sold as squares, can be obtained for $4 to $5 for a "high" or "trip" that lasts three to 12 hours. Other slang terms for LSD include Microdot, White Lightning, Blue Heaven, Windowpane, and Sugar Cubes. LSD is a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance with severe penalties for possession and use. What does LSD do? The effects of LSD are wildly unpredictable depending on a variety of factors. The user will begin to feel the effects within 30 to 90 minutes of ingestion and the "high" may last up to 12 hours. Users under the influence will have dilated pupils, increased body temperature, increased heart and blood pressure rates, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth, tremors, and increased perspiration. A "bad trip" could include terrifying thoughts and feelings, fear of losing control, fear of insanity and death, and flashbacks after the fact. Moreover, LSD may reveal long lasting psychological problems, including schizophrenia and severe depression. Chronic users can develop a tolerance to LSD, meaning they must take more of the drug to feel the same effects.

How are people usually introduced to Club Drugs? Many young people are introduced to club drugs on the night club or rave scene by their peers. People often try drugs like Ecstasy, Herbal Ecstasy, Rohypnol, GHB, Ketamine, and LSD because their friends are using them, and they believe these drugs are safe to use. Are adolescents and young adults at risk? One major concern about these club drugs is their widespread use among high school youths, college students, and young adults who frequent night clubs and all-night rave parties. Lured by the availability and intoxicating effects of these drugs, many youths are unaware of the dangers. Rohypnol and GHB, in particular, can cause blackouts and amnesia which place individuals under the influence at risk of sexual assault or other criminal acts. In addition, when young people start using drugs regularly, they often lose interest in school work, which affects academic success as well. Chronic drug use can place students and young adults at risk of dropping out of school or college, loss of employment, and possible encounters with law enforcement. For more information, contact the following sources: Your region’s TCADA Prevention Resource Center. Dial toll-free (888) PRC-TEXX to be connected to the center nearest you. Your local Council on Drug and Alcohol Abuse. Your local public library. Other sources can be found in your phone book under "Drug Abuse." Access reliable information instantly from the Internet from the following sites: The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information’s home page has information on club drugs and other substances of abuse. http://www.health.org The National Institute on Drug Abuse has national statistics and the latest research findings available. http://www.nida.nih.gov The Partnership for a Drug-Free America has a drug database to help parents identify specific drugs, their effects, and drug paraphernalia. http://www.drugfreeamerica.org

Sources

Club Drugs Ecstasy (MDMA)., Rohypnol, Ketamine, and LSD. Drug Free Resource Net, Partnership for a Drug Free America. http://www.drugfreeamerica.org. Club Drugs in Miami. Information for Action, Drug Surveillance News. Miami Upfront, 11 April, 1994. Drugs of Abuse. Washington, DC: Drug Enforcement Administration, 1996. http://www.usdoj.gov Johnson, Jay, and Jane Maxwell. TCADA Dictionary of Slang Terms. Austin, TX: Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, 1997. Kotarba, Joseph. The Rave Scene in Houston, Texas: An Ethnographic Analysis. TCADA Research Briefs. Austin, TX: Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, 1993. Maxwell, Jane. Substance Abuse Trends in Texas: June 1997. TCADA Research Briefs. Austin, TX: Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, 1997. http://www.tcada.state.tx.us/research/trends/jun97/ The Straight Facts About Drugs and Alcohol. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information.

Ecstasy and Herbal Ecstasy Controls are Proposed on Ephedrine Products. Substance Abuse Letter, 17 June 1997. Designer Drugs. NIDA Capsules. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse, June 1986. http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDACapsules/NCIndex.html Drug Abuse and Drug Abuse Research. The Third Triennial Report to Congress from the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1991. Ecstasy. Center for Education and Information on Drugs and Alcohol Information Sheet, No. 22. Center for Education and Information on Drugs and Alcohol, Australia. MDMA (Ecstasy). NIDA Capsules. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse, July 1994. http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDACapsules/NCIndex.html Rohypnol and GHB Customs Acts to Ban "Date Rape" Drug. Treasury News. Office of Public Affairs, Dept. of the Treasury, 5 March 1996. Fact Sheet on Rohypnol. Compiled from the Epidemiologic Trends in Drug Abuse-Advance Report by the Community Epidemiology Work Group. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse, June 1995. FDA Re-issues Warning on GHB. FDA Talk Paper. Rockville, MD: Food and Drug Administration, 18 February, 1997. Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol). DEA Intelligence Reports. Washington, DC: Drug Enforcement Administration, July 1995. http://www.usdoj.gov Friend, Tim. Monster Drug Soon to be on Same List as LSD, Heroin. USA Today. 20 June 1996. Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate: An Emerging Drug of Abuse. Dawn Briefings. Drug Abuse Warning Network, March 1997. Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate Use — New York and Texas, 1995-1996. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. vol 46. No. 13, Centers for Disease Control, 4 April, 1997. Keyes, Christopher, MD, Day, Lena, RN, BS, and Kathleen Delaney, MD. Gamma Hydroxybutic Acid (GHB): A Dangerous New Trend for Dallas. Update by the North Texas Poison Center and the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 1995. Hall, Jim. Rophies: Foreign Sedative Abused by Local Groups. Information for Action, Drug Surveillance News, Vol. 1, No. 3, 28 February 1994. Hall, Jim. South Florida at Risk for Grievous Bodily Harm: Alcohol and GHB Prove a Dangerous Mix. Information for Action, Drug Surveillance News, Vol. 1, No. 8, 9 May 1994. Maxwell, Jane. Rohypnol (Flunitrazepam) Memorandum. Austin, TX: Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, 12 May, 1995. Maxwell, Jane. Rohypnol Use Spreads in State. New View. Vol. 5, No. 5. Austin, TX: Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, December 1995.

Ketamine

Ketamine Abuse Increasing. Intelligence Reports. Washington, DC: Drug Enforcement Administration, 4 February 1997. http://www.usdoj.gov

Ketamine: The Hot New Drug of Abuse. Forensic Drug Abuse Advisor. Vol. 9, Issue 6, June/July 1997. http://www.inform.umd.edu/EdRes/Colleges/BSOS/Depts/Cesar/drugs/KETA-ART.HTML

Tori, Steven P. Ketamine Abuse, Special K. Intelligence Report. Newtown, PA: Middle Atlantic-Great Lakes Organized Crime Law Enforcement Network, 1996.

LSD

LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide). NIDA Capsules. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse, May 1996. http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDACapsules/NCIndex.html

Tips for Teens About Hallucinogens. Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Fact Sheet in PDF Format

Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse PO Box 80529 Austin, Texas 78708-0529 (512) 349-6600 | (800) 832-9623 http://www.tcada.state.tx.us