The Effects of Club Drugs
Ecstasy, Herbal Ecstasy,
Rohypnol, GHB, and Ketamine are among the drugs used by teens and young adults
who are part of a nightclub, bar, rave, or trance scene. Raves and trance events
are generally night-long dances, often held in warehouses. Many who attend raves
and trances do not use drugs, but those who do may be attracted to the generally
low cost, seemingly increased stamina, and intoxicating highs that are said to
deepen the rave or trance experience. Recent hard science, however, is showing
serious damage to several parts of the brain from use of these
drugs.
Many users tend to experiment with a variety of
club drugs in
combination. Also, combinations of any of these drugs with alcohol can lead to
unexpected adverse reactions and death.
Club drugs are an increasing challenge
for treatment programs. Many teens and young adults enter treatment with a
number of these drugs and alcohol, rather than a single drug, as their primary
problem.
Club drug use appears to be increasing in many cities around
the country,* with Atlanta, Seattle, Chicago, Detroit, Miami, and Newark
reporting widespread use at rave and club scenes. A recently completed survey in
the Seattle area found that 20 percent of young, gay men reported using Ecstasy.
GHB is the drug of choice among white, gay males in New Orleans' French Quarter
and is popular among high school and college students. Ecstasy MDMA, called
"Adam," "Ecstasy," or "XTC," on the street, is a synthetic, psychoactive drug
with hallucinogenic and amphetamine-like properties.
Many problems MDMA
users encounter are similar to those found with the use of amphetamines and
cocaine. Psychological difficulties can include confusion, depression, sleep
problems, severe anxiety, and paranoia. Physical problems can include muscle
tension, involuntary teeth clenching, nausea, blurred vision, faintness, and
chills or sweating. Use of the drug has also been associated with increases in
heart rate and blood pressure, a special risk for people with circulatory or
heart disease. Recent research also links Ecstasy use to long-term damage to
those parts of the brain critical to thought, memory, and pleasure.
Rohypnol, GHB, and KetamineRohypnol, GHB, and Ketamine are
predominantly central nervous system depressants. Because they are often
colorless, tasteless, and odorless, they can be easily added to beverages and
ingested unknowingly. These drugs have emerged as the so called "date rape"
drugs.
Because of concern about these abused sedative-hypnotics,
Congress passed the "Drug-Induced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act of 1996" in
October 1996. This legislation increased Federal penalties for use of any
controlled substance to aid in sexual assault.
Rohypnol Rohypnol, a
trade name for flunitrazepam, has been of particular concern for the last few
years because of its abuse in date rape. When mixed with alcohol, Rohypnol can
incapacitate a victim and prevent them from resisting sexual assault. Also,
Rohypnol may be lethal when mixed with alcohol and/or other depressants.
In addition to sedative-hypnotic effects including muscle relaxation and
amnesia, Rohypnol can produce physical and psychological dependence. In Miami -
one of the earliest sites of Rohypnol abuse - poison control centers report an
increase in withdrawal seizures among people addicted to Rohypnol. Rohypnol is
not approved for use in the United States and its importation is banned. Illicit
use of Rohypnol began in Europe in the 1970s and started appearing in the United
States in the early 1990s, where it became known as "rophies," "roofies,"
"roach," and "rope." Another very similar drug is now being sold as "roofies" in
Miami, Minnesota, and Texas. This is clonazepam, marketed in the U.S. as
Klonopin and in Mexico as Rivotril. It is sometimes abused to enhance the
effects of heroin and other opiates. Based on emergency room admission
information, Boston, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Seattle appear to have the
highest use rates of clonazepam.
GHB Since about 1990, GHB (gamma
hydroxy-butyrate) has been abused in the U.S. for 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,
purchased largely by body builders to aid fat reduction and muscle building. As
with Rohypnol and clonazepam, GHB has been associated with sexual assault in
cities throughout the country.
GHB has not been sold over-the-counter in
the U.S. since 1992. However products containing gamma butyrolactone (GBL), a
chemical that is converted by the body into GHB, are used in a number of dietary
supplements in health food stores and gymnasiums.
Reports from Detroit
indicate liquid GHB is being used in nightclubs for effects similar to those of
Rohypnol. It is also common in the club scene in Phoenix, Honolulu, and Texas,
where it is known as "liquid ecstacy," "somatomax," "scoop," "Georgia Home Boy,"
or "grievous bodily harm." In Miami, poison control center calls have reflected
problems associated with increased GHB use, including loss of consciousness. In
New York City, there have been reports of GHB use among those in the fashion
industry. GHB is one of the most popular manufactured drugs in Atlanta. It is
available in some gyms and reputed to be widely accessible at some gay male
party venues. A Poison Control Center in Denver reports that in 1998, 33 calls
involved GHB, and almost half of these cases were considered life threatening.
GHB accounts for an increasing number of sexual assault cases in Los Angeles and
overdose deaths involving drug combinations. Coma and seizures can occur
following abuse of GHB and, when combined with methamphetamine, there appears to
be an increased risk of seizure. Combining use with other drugs such as alcohol
can result in nausea and difficulty breathing. GHB may also produce withdrawal
effects, including insomnia, anxiety, tremors, and sweating.
Ketamine
Ketamine is another central nervous system depressant abused as a "date
rape" drug. Ketamine, or "Special K," is a rapid-acting general anaesthetic. It
has sedative-hypnotic, analgesic, and hallucinogenic properties. It is marketed
in the U.S. and a number of foreign countries for use as a general anesthetic in
both human and veterinary medical practice. It is similar to phencyclidine
(PCP), although ketamine has a more rapid onset and is less potent. Depending on
the dose, ketamine induces everything from feelings of pleasant weightlessness
to full-fledged out-of-body or near-death experiences. Ketamine is reportedly
used as an alternative to cocaine and is generally snorted. Ketamine abuse has
been reported in many cities around the country. It has been reportedly stolen
from veterinary supply sources in Minnesota, Louisiana, and Michigan. In Miami,
ketamine has been diverted from shipments intended for other countries. Ketamine
is widely available in New York City where it sells for about $20 a dosage unit.
A small but stable market for ketamine has been established in suburban areas
outside Baltimore. Three ketamine deaths were reported in New Orleans in 1998,
and the Detroit Poison Control Center reported six ketamine contacts in early
1999
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