Among all the teenage substance abuse, club drugs may be the most insidious. Popular at "raves" (all night dance parties), nightclubs, and concerts, these drugs can be lethal even with one time users. Many of these drugs are tasteless and odorless, and are made in a powder form, making them easy to slip into a person’s drink without their knowledge. Two of these drugs, GHB and Rohypnol, are often used in date rapes.  The peer pressure teens feel to "try" these drugs can be overwhelming at times.

Street names include:

Ecstasy, E, X, XTC, GHB, Liquid Ecstacy, Liquid X, Grievous Bodily Harm, Georgia Home Boy, Ketamine, K, Special K, Ket, Kit Kat, Rohypnol, Roofies, R-2

Substance Abuse Effects May Include the Following:

  • Problems remembering what one recently said or did
  • Loss of coordination
  • Dizziness, fainting
  • Depression
  • Confusion
  • Slurred speech
  • Sleep difficulties
  • Chills or sweating

How Club Drugs Affect the Body:

  • Some club drugs, like Ecstasy, are stimulants that increase heart rate and blood pressure, and can cause kidney or heart failure
  • Some club drugs like GHB, are depressants, and can cause drowsiness, breathing problems and unconsciousness
  • Effects common to many club drugs are loss of muscle and motor control, blurred vision, and seizures
  • GHB and Rohyonol, commonly known as "Date Rape" drugs can immobilize a user and cause a kind of amnesia that makes it impossible to remember what the user said or did while under the influence of the drug

Why They Are So Deadly:

Mixing club drugs with alcohol can magnify the effects and risks of the drug taken, many times with lethal consequences

Club drugs are often produced in makeshift labs, making it impossible to know the kind, combination, or strength of drugs used. One use could prove fatal.

Once the drug wears off, it isn’t totally gone from your system. Weeks later, the user can experience confusion, depression, anxiety and paranoia, and have difficulties in sleeping.

For more information contact:The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information: 800-729-6686; En espanol, 877-767-8432.

 

Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer and homeschooling parent. She specializes in writing educational and family oriented articles.