Drugs - Club Drugs

By Jerry Price - Mar 13, 2006 -

“The term ‘club drugs’ is a general term used for certain illicit substances, primarily synthetic, that are usually found at nightclubs, bars, and raves (all night dance parties). Substances that are often used as club drugs include, but are not limited to, MDMA (Ecstasy), GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate), Rohypnol, Ketamine, and methamphetamine.

“There are numerous dangers associated with the use of club drugs.

  • MDMA can cause a user’s blood pressure and heart rate to increase to dangerous levels, and can lead to heart or kidney failure. It can cause severe hyperthermia from the combination of the drug’s stimulant effect with the often hot, crowded atmosphere of a rave.
  • MDMA users may also suffer from long-term brain injury. Research has shown that MDMA can cause damage to the parts of the brain that are critical to thought and memory.
  • GHB and Rohypnol are central nervous system depressants that are often connected with drug-facilitated sexual assault, rape, and robbery. These drugs cause muscle relaxation, loss of consciousness, and an inability to remember what happened during the hours after ingesting the drug.
  • Ketamine is an animal anesthetic that, when used by humans, can cause impaired motor function, high blood pressure, amnesia, seizures, and respiratory depression.
  • Methamphetamine, or meth, is a powerfully addictive stimulant that dramatically affects the central nervous system. Increased energy and alertness, decreased appetite, convulsions, high body temperature, shaking, stroke, and cardiac arrhythmia are all symptomatic of meth abuse.

“Because club drugs are illegal and are often produced in unsanitary laboratories, it is impossible for the user to know exactly what he or she is taking. The quality and potency of these substances can vary significantly from batch to batch.

“Additionally, substitute drugs are sometimes sold in place of club drugs without the user’s knowledge. For example, PMA (paramethoxyamphetamine) has been used as a substitute for MDMA. When users take PMA thinking they are really ingesting MDMA, they often think they have taken weak ecstasy because PMA’s effects take longer to appear. They then ingest more of the substance to attain a better high, which can result in overdose death.”

In the Spotlight: Club Drugs—Summary (National Criminal Justice Reference Service) [Accessed November 1, 2005]

Further Learning

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