Slang— Ecstasy: E, X, XTC. GHB: Liquid Ecstasy, Liquid X, Grievous Bodily Harm, Georgia Home Boy. Ketamine: K, Special K, Ket, Vitamin K, Kit Kat. Rohypnol: Roofies, R-2.
Club drugs affect your body. Different club drugs have different effects on your body. Some common effects include loss of muscle and motor control, blurred vision, and seizures. Club drugs like ecstasy are stimulants that increase your heart rate and blood pressure and can lead to heart or kidney failure. Other club drugs, like GHB, are depressants that can cause drowsiness, unconsciousness, or breathing problems.
Club drugs affect your self-control. Club drugs like GHB and Rohypnol are used in “date rape” and other assaults because they are sedatives that can make you unconscious and immobilize you. Rohypnol can cause a kind of amnesia—users may not remember what they said or did while under the effects of the drug.
Club drugs are not always what they seem. Because club drugs are illegal and often produced in makeshift laboratories, it is impossible to know exactly what chemicals were used to produce them. How strong or dangerous any illegal drug is varies each time.
Club drugs can kill you. Higher doses of club drugs can cause severe breathing problems, coma, or even death.
Get the facts. Despite what you may have heard club drugs can be addictive.
Stay informed. The club drug scene is constantly changing. New drugs and new variations of drugs appear all of the time.
Know the risks. Mixing club drugs together or with alcohol is extremely dangerous. The effects of one drug can magnify the effects and risks of another. In fact, mixing substances can be lethal.
Look around you. The vast majority of teens are not using club drugs. While ecstasy is considered to be the most frequently used club drug, less than 1 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds use it on a regular basis. In fact, 98 percent of teens have never even tried ecstasy.
- Problems remembering things they recently said or did
- Loss of coordination, dizziness, fainting
- Depression
- Confusion
- Sleep problems
- Chills or sweating
- Slurred speech
A Probably not. Most club drugs are odorless and tasteless. Some are made into a powder form that makes it easier to slip into a drink and dissolve without a person’s knowledge.
Q Are there any long term effects of taking Ecstasy?
A Yes. Studies on both humans and animals have proven that regular use of Ecstasy produces long-lasting, perhaps permanent damage to the brain’s ability to think and store memories.
Q If you took a club drug at a rave, wouldn’t you just dance off all of its effects?
A Not necessarily. Some of Ecstasy’s effects, like confusion, depression, anxiety, paranoia and sleep problems, have been reported to occur weeks after the drug is taken.
To learn more about alcohol or obtain referrals to programs in your community, contact one of the following toll-free numbers:
- SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information: 800-729-6686
- TDD: 800-487-4889
- linea gratis en español: 877-767-8432
Curious about the TV ads of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign? Check out the Web site at www.freevibe.com or visit the Office of National Drug Control Policy Web site at www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov.
The bottom line: If you know someone who uses club drugs, urge him or her to get help. If you’re using them—stop! The longer you ignore the real facts, the more chances you take with your life. It’s never too late. Talk to your parents, a doctor, a counselor, a teacher, or another adult you trust.
It's never too late. Talk to your parents, a doctor, a counselor, a teacher, or another adult you trust.