Club Drugs
The following information is from the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services. SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse
Prevention, Club
Drugs webpage.
The links on this page lead to the SAMHSA's
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention pages that deal with Club Drugs.
(Exit DHS
- Definition of Club Drugs
- The term “club drugs” refers to a wide variety of drugs being
used by young people at dance clubs, bars, and all-night dance parties
("trances” or “raves”). These parties are usually held in a
clandestine location with high-volume music, high-tech entertainment,
and easy access to drugs.
- Club drugs are attractive to today’s youth because they are
inexpensive and produce increased stamina and intoxicating highs.
Because many of these drugs are colorless, tasteless, and odorless,
they can be secretly added to beverages by individuals who want to
intoxicate or sedate others.
The most widely used club drugs are:
- Ecstasy
- Also known as MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine), Ecstasy is a
stimulant that combines the effects of amphetamines and hallucinogens.
Rohypnol- Known as the “date rape drug,” Rohypnol is a central nervous
system depressant that produces sedative-hypnotic effects, muscle
relaxation, and amnesia.
Ketamine- A rapid-acting general anesthetic, ketamine produces a wide range of
feelings, from weightlessness to out-of-body or near-death
experiences.
GHB
(gamma hydroxybutyrate)- Originally available over the counter in health food stores to aid
body builders, GHB and other synthetic steroids are also used for
their euphoric effects.
LSD
(lysergic acid diethylamide)- This hallucinogen produces unpredictable effects, depending on the
amount taken, the surroundings in which the drug is used, and the
user’s personality, mood, and expectations.
Research has shown that club drugs can have long-lasting negative
effects on the brain, especially on memory function and motor skills. When
club drugs are combined with alcohol, the effect is intensified, and they
become even more dangerous and potentially fatal.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. SAMHSA's Center
for Substance Abuse Prevention. Prevention Alert: Club Drugs: A New
Community Threat (Volume 3, Number 24 ed.) Washington, DC: U.S. Government
Printing Office. Retrieved September 23, 2002 from the World Wide Web:
http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/govpubs/prevalert/v3i24.aspx
Last Revised: July 18, 2008 |
