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WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
DRUG: ECSTASY SUMMARY Ecstasy, or MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine), is a synthetic drug that acts simultaneously as a stimulant and a hallucinogen. It is a synthetic analog of Methamphetamine developed by the German pharmaceutical company Merk in 1915 as a diet drug. Merk never marketed MDMA because of its unwanted side effects. It stimulates the central nervous system and produces hallucinogenic effects. The price of Ecstasy depends on the supply and demand in the area, but usually ranges from $10 to $40 per dose. Ecstasy, a designer drug, is created in clandestine laboratories and can be extremely dangerous; there have been numerous reports of buyers unknowingly receiving drugs other than Ecstasy. Brain scans comparing a repeat Ecstasy user with someone who has never used Ecstasy show significant decline in functioning of Serotonin, a critical neurochemical that regulates mood, emotion, learning, memory, sleep, and pain. The scans show that the serotonin sites are still not present in the Ecstasy user, even after 3 weeks without using any drugs. Users who take Ecstasy at raves risk exhaustion and dehydration from a combination of the drug and non-stop dancing, and users have died from heat stroke. Another problem with Ecstasy emergencies is hyponatremia (low salt), which comes from drinking too much water, commonly known as water intoxication. In addition, a number of deaths have been reported from drugs sold as ecstasy that were actually PMA (paramethoxyamphetamine), a related amphetamine with even more severe side effects. During 1999-2000 there was a 58% increase in Ecstasy overdose cases from 2,840 to 4,511. While designer drugs, including Ecstasy, have received much attention in recent years due to their increase in popularity, a vast majority of teenagers and young adults don’t use Ecstasy or other club drugs. In fact, the 2000 national Monitoring the Future Study reports that 89% or 12th graders have never tried Ecstasy (the most frequently used of the club drugs). OTHER NAMES SLANG TERMS
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE Tablet (over 600 head stamps designs, pill colors and shapes), capsule, powder. HOW IT IS USED Swallowed Rectal administration NEGATIVE EFFECTS
DRUG: HERBAL ECSTASY SUMMARY Herbal ecstasy is a term used to describe a combination of herbs which are legal, inexpensive, and marketed as a "natural high." Herbal ecstasy can be purchased over the counter in some drug stores, music stores, and shops around the country at a cost of approximately $3 per pill. Producers generally suggest that the recommended dose for the "natural high" is approximately 4 pills. The packaging on these products, including brand names "Herbal Ecstasy" (sic), "Cloud 9" and "Ultimate Xphoria," promises "increased energy," "inner visions," "sexual sensations," and "cosmic consciousness." Users report feeling relaxed, tingly, and energetic. These sensations are caused primarily by caffeine and ephedra (also known as ma huang), which is the key ingredient in herbal ecstasy. Ephedra is an herb that has been used in China for 2,000 years to treat respiratory problems. The active chemical of the herb ephedra is ephedrine, which is a chemical used pharmaceutically in decongestant and asthma medications. Ephedrine used in large doses can be very dangerous. In 1996, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about "Herbal Ecstasy" over-the-counter supplements, citing some cases of liver failure, heart attacks, seizures, strokes, and deaths associated with use. In 2000 the FDA issued a Federal Register notice announcing the availability of a guidance for industry entitled "Street Drug Alternative," which states that the FDA considers any product promoted as a street drug alternative to be an unapproved new drug and a misbranded drug. Many states have banned the sale of herbal ecstasy following the reports of deaths of users. OTHER NAMES - By brand name:
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE Pills sold in colorful packaging, may come in various sizes and colors. HOW IT IS USED Swallowed NEGATIVE EFFECTS
DRUG: SPECIAL K SUMMARY Special K is made from ketamine hydrochloride, a drug widely used as an animal tranquilizer by vets in pet surgery. It was first used by the military during the Viet Nam war as a field painkiller. It is a powerful hallucinogen, similar to LSD and PCP. A dose of Special K costs about $25-$50. Special K is frequently used in combination with other drugs, such as Ecstasy, heroin and cocaine. A combination of cocaine and special K is known as "CK." Users sometimes call the high caused by Special K "K land" and describe profound hallucinations that include visual distortions and a lost sense of time, sense and identity. The high lasts anywhere from 1 to 6 hours. Special K users will display involuntary eye jerking, increased heart rate and blood pressure, increase in body temperature and insensitivity to pain. It produces a dissociative effect; memory, perception of reality and control over movement are all dissociated from each other. Ketamine has a very high potential for psychological addiction. An overdose, (roughly 1 gram of the drug), will produce unconsciousness, a total lack of pain response and convulsions leading to death. At high doses Ketamine produces a memory blackout, which also makes Special-K a sexual assault risk. Special K is usually snorted, but it is sometimes sprinkled on tobacco or marijuana and smoked. The most potent, and most dangerous way to use ketamine is by injection. It can also be mixed into drinks. It is often combined with other drugs such as Ecstasy, heroin and cocaine. OTHER NAMES
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE White powder, similar to cocaine HOW IT IS USED Snorted, smoked, mixed into drinks, or injected (as a liquid) NEGATIVE EFFECTS
DRUG: PSILOCYBIN/PSILOCIN SUMMARY Certain types of naturally occurring mushrooms contain hallucinogenic chemicals- psilocybin and psilocin. These mushrooms are typically grown in Mexico and Central America and have been used in native rituals for thousands of years. Dried mushrooms contain only about 0.4% psilocybin and only trace amounts of psilocin. Hallucinogenic effects can be obtained by ingesting 4-8 milligrams of the active hallucinogenic chemicals or about 2 grams of the dried mushrooms. The mild hallucinogenic effects of the mushrooms lasts about 6 hours. The effects of the mushrooms are unpredictable each time they are used due to varying potency, the amount ingested, and the users expectations, mood, surroundings, and frame of mind. Once ingested, mushrooms typically cause feelings of nausea and other physical symptoms, before the desired mental effects appear. The high from using mushrooms is mild and consists of distorted perceptions. The effects may include different perception of stimuli like touch, sight, sound, and taste. The effects are similar to LSD but milder. Some users order kits with spores and grow their own mushrooms in a closet or basement. Others look for naturally growing mushrooms, running the risk of mistakenly selecting poisonous mushrooms that can cause death or permanent liver damage within hours of ingestion. Some dealers sell regular grocery store mushrooms lased with LSD or PCP as "magic mushrooms." OTHER NAMES Mushrooms Shrooms WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE Small brown mushrooms sometimes crumbled or in cubes HOW IT IS USED Eaten or brewed into tea NEGATIVE EFFECTS
DRUG: ICE SUMMARY "Ice" (D-methamphetamine) is a slang term for a smokable form of the freebase methamphetamine. It is an extremely addictive stimulant. Its effects are similar to those of cocaine but longer lasting. "Ice" can cause erratic, violent behavior among its users. The nickname "ice" is derived from its translucent rock-like appearance. "Ice" is expensive and difficult to produce. The effect of "ice" is similar to crack cocaine, but the high lasts much longer, about 10 hours. "Ice" concentrates Its effects on the brain and produces less effect on the body. After taking "ice", users (especially those beginning) experience a crash that can last as long as 3 days. OTHER NAMES
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
DRUG: ROHYPNOL SUMMARY Rohypnol is the brand name for a drug called Flunitrazepam, which is a sedative that is 10 times more powerful than Valium. Rohypnol is not legally available for prescription in the United States, but is legal in many countries worldwide for treatment of insomnia. The drug has gained popularity in the last few years as a recreational drug called "roofies" among young people, especially in the South and Southwest. Use of the drug creates a sleepy, relaxed, and drunk feeling that lasts about 8 hours and a single dose costs about $3. "Roofies" are sometimes used at the end of an Ecstasy or other Club Drug high to counter the negative effects of withdrawal. High doses of the drug, or in combination with alcohol and other drugs, will produce vomiting and a decrease in respiration rate. Used with alcohol, "roofies" produce disinhibition and complete memory loss for a period of 8 to 24 hours after consumption. "Roofies" have recently gained a reputation as the "date rape" drug. One primary effect of the drug can be anterograde amnesia. Females around the county have reported being raped after being involuntarily sedated with "roofies," which were often slipped into their drink by an attacker. The drug has no taste or odor so the victims don’t realize what is happening. About 10 minutes after ingesting the drug, the woman may feel dizzy and disoriented, simultaneously too hot and too cold, and nauseated. She may experience difficulty speaking and moving, and then pass out. Such a victim will have no memory of what happened while under the drug’s influence. OTHER NAMES
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
DRUG: LSD
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Prevention • Education • Evaluation • Recovery
