Club drugs are typically stimulants and hallucinogens. MDMA (ecstasy), Rohypnol, GHB, ketamine and methamphetamine are among the drugs used by teens and young adults who are part of a nightclub, bar, rave, or trance scene. Raves and trance events are generally night-long dances, often held in warehouses. With the loud music and bright throbbing lights of the night dance scene, these kinds of drugs supply users with a more enhanced experience, however they often result in reckless behavior under the influence, addiction, and dangerous side effects. A study showed that exposure to MDMA for only 4 days caused damage of serotonin nerve terminals that was evident 6 to 7 years later.
How do Club Drugs Affect the Brain?
GHB and Rohypnol are predominantly central nervous system depressants. Because they are often colorless, tasteless, and odorless, they can be added to beverages and ingested unknowingly. At high doses, GHB's sedative effects may result in sleep, coma, or death. Rohypnol, like other benzodiazepines, can produce anterograde amnesia, in which individuals may not remember events they experienced while under the influence of the drug. Ketamine distorts perceptions of sight and sound and produces feelings of detachment from the environment and self. At higher doses, ketamine can cause dreamlike states, hallucinations, delirium and amnesia.
Featured Video: How Dangerous is Ecstacy?
In February 2009 a 16-year-old girl in Connecticut went to a house party with some friends. She took a powdered form of the popular drug known as ecstasy with her friends, went into seizures and later died. In April 2009, a 14-year-old girl in California took ecstasy at a sleepover with two friends and died the next day from an overdose.
These stories are not rare-in fact, 2.6 million teens report having experimented with ecstasy in 2003 and hundreds of teens have died taking such drugs, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
What Treatment Options Exist?
According to case reports, patients who abuse GHB appear to present a mixed picture of severe problems, but typically have a good response to rehab, which often involves residential services. Treatment for Rohypnol follows accepted protocols for any benzodiazepine, which may consist of a 3- to 5-day inpatient detoxification program with 24-hour intensive medical monitoring and management of withdrawal symptoms, since withdrawal from benzodiazepines can be life-threatening. Uncertainties about the sources, chemicals, and possible contaminants used to manufacture many club drugs make it extremely difficult to determine toxicity and associated medical consequences. If there is anything we can assist you with in finding information or resources, please feel free to call us anytime, day or night. We are here to help.
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