Club Drugs

Club drugs are those that have emerged on the scene in recent years. The term refers to drugs that are popular among teens and young adults and seem to be available on the streets and at nightclubs that these people frequent. They include such drugs as:

• Ecstasy
• Rohypnol
• GHB
• Ketamine

Ecstasy is one of the more popular club drugs because it is a party drug. When you take this drug, you like to dance and have a good time at a party. It also lets you remain active for a much longer time than usual. It is usually taken in pill form, but you can also snort or inject this drug or use it in a suppository.

Rohypnol and GHB are the club drugs often associated with sexual assaults and date rape. They are colorless and odourless and so can be slipped into a drink quite easily. These drugs tend to sedate the users and make them drunk quite quickly. Used as a sedative, rohypnol is available as prescription medication outside of the US and Canada and is widely available in Mexico, Europe and Columbia.

GHB is a powder and is used quite often in conjunction with alcohol. You can put this powder into a drink and never notice the difference. In addition to being used for sexual assaults, it is used by body builders because of its anabolic effects.

Ketamine produces effects similar to PCP – a dreamlike state, but it can also cause hallucinations, similar to LSD. You can add the liquid form of this club drug to drinks or inject it. You can also add it to tobacco and smoke it.

The health risks associated with using club drugs are both physical and psychological. Confusion, depression and paranoia are only a few of the possible emotional effects and these can last for weeks after taking the drug. Some of the physical effects include nausea, increased blood pressure, muscle damage and even stroke.