Club
Drugs
STATISTICS
AND INFORMATION ON EVENT "ENHANCING" DRUGS.
Reprinted
with permission from www.athealth.com
MDMA (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 their generally low cost, and to the intoxicating
highs that are said to deepen the rave or trance experience. Current
science, however, is showing changes to critical parts of the brain
from use of these drugs.
Although national rates for hospital
emergency department (ED) mentions of club drugs were low in 2002
(with none exceeding 2 mentions per 100,000 population) and no increases
were measured from 2001 to 2002, significant increases in certain
club drug mentions were apparent from 1995 to 2002. MDMA ED mentions,
for example, increased from 421 in 1995 to 4,026 in 2002; and GHB
ED mentions increased from 145 in 1995 to 3,330 in 2002.*
MDMA
(Ecstasy)
MDMA (3-4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a synthetic,
psychoactive drug chemically similar to the stimulant methamphetamine
and the hallucinogen mescaline. Street names for MDMA include "ecstasy,"
"XTC," and "hug drug." Drug use data sources for 21 metropolitan
areas nationwide indicate that MDMA, once used primarily as a club
drug, is being used in a number of other social settings.**
In high doses, MDMA can interfere with the body's ability to regulate
temperature. This can lead to a sharp increase in body temperature
(hyperthermia), resulting in liver, kidney, and cardiovascular system
failure. Because MDMA can interfere with its own metabolism (breakdown
within the body), potentially harmful levels can be reached by repeated
drug use within short intervals.
Research in humans suggests that chronic MDMA use
can lead to changes in brain function, affecting cognitive tasks
and memory. MDMA can also lead to symptoms of depression several
days after its use. These symptoms may occur because of MDMA's effects
on neurons that use the chemical serotonin to communicate with other
neurons. The serotonin system plays an important role in regulating
mood, aggression, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain.
In addition, users of MDMA face many of the same risks as users
of other stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamines.
Research in animals links MDMA exposure to long-term
damage to serotonin neurons. A study in nonhuman primates showed
that exposure to MDMA for only 4 days caused damage to serotonin
nerve terminals that was evident 6 to 7 years later. While similar
neurotoxicity has not been definitively shown in humans, the wealth
of animal research indicating MDMA's damaging properties suggests
that MDMA is not a safe drug for human consumption.
GHB,
KETAMINE, & ROHYPNOL
GHB and Rohypnol are predominantly central nervous
system depressants. Because they are often colorless, tasteless,
and odorless, they can be added to beverages and ingested unknowingly.
These drugs emerged a few years ago as "date rape" drugs.***
Because of concern about their abuse, 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.
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." Coma and seizures can occur following abuse of GHB. Combining
use with other drugs such as alcohol can result in nausea and breathing
difficulties. GHB may also produce withdrawal effects, including
insomnia, anxiety, tremors, and sweating. GHB and two of its precursors,
gamma butyrolactone (GBL) and 1,4 butanediol (BD) have been involved
in poisonings, overdoses, date rapes, and deaths.
Ketamine
Ketamine is an anesthetic that has been approved
for both human and animal use in medical settings since 1970; about
90 percent of the ketamine legally sold is intended for veterinary
use. It can be injected or snorted. Ketamine is also known as "special
K" or "vitamin K."
Certain doses of ketamine can cause dream-like states
and hallucinations. In high doses, ketamine can cause delirium,
amnesia, impaired motor function, high blood pressure, depression,
and potentially fatal respiratory problems.
Rohypnol
Rohypnol, a trade name for flunitrazepam, belongs
to a class of drugs known as benzodiazepines. When mixed with alcohol,
Rohypnol can incapacitate victims and prevent them from resisting
sexual assault. It can produce "anterograde amnesia," which means
individuals may not remember events they experienced while under
the effects of the drug. Also, Rohypnol may be lethal when mixed
with alcohol and/or other depressants.
Rohypnol is not approved for use in the United States,
and its importation is banned. Illicit use of Rohypnol started appearing
in the United States in the early 1990s, where it became known as
"rophies," "roofies," "roach," and "rope."
Abuse of two other similar drugs appears to have
replaced Rohypnol abuse in some regions of the country. These are
clonazepam, marketed in the U.S. as Klonopin and in Mexico as Rivotril,
and alprazolam, marketed as Xanax. Rohypnol, however, continues
to be a problem among treatment admissions in Texas along the Mexican
border.
* The latest data on drug abuse-related
hospital emergency department (ED) visits are from the 2002 Drug
Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) report. For detailed information, visit
www.samhsa.gov/statistics/statistics.html,or
call the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
at 1-800-729-6686.
** From Community Epidemiology Work
Group (CEWG), based on data published in the CEWG Advance Report
for December 2002. CEWG reports are on NIDA's Web site at www.drugabuse.gov.
*** Also known as "drug rape," "acquaintance
rape," or "drug-assisted" assault.