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Club Drugs
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, and 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.C
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.
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