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Club Drugs

Club drugs are a specific classification of drugs characterized as being used primarily among the nightclub, trance, rave, and bar scene. The trance and rave scenes are commonly know for night-long or weekend-long dances that are often held in warehouses or other large and open facilities. Although many who attend these events do not use club drugs, those who do are generally attracted to the minimal cost of the drugs and the stimulating highs that have been said to heighten the trance and rave experiences. Club drugs can include but are not limited to the following drugs: MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine or ecstasy), GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate), ketamine, amphetamines (particularly methamphetamine), LSD (lyseric acid diethylamide), and Rohypnol.

Club drugs are primarily used by young people. According to the 2006 Monitoring the Future survey of drug use among young people, college students, and young adults, the use of club drugs has decreased since the late 1990s and early part of this decade. For example, from 2000 to 2005, past-month use of ecstasy has fallen more than 50%. Even more dramatic reductions have occurred in past-month use of LSD since the relatively high levels reported in the mid- to late 1990s.

MDMA

MDMA (or ecstasy) was first developed in 1912 by the German pharmaceutical company, Merck. Although Merck did not find a relevant use for the drug, when it later resurfaced in the late 1960s, it found its way into the underground drug culture where it became known as the mellow drug or the love drug because it enhanced feelings of empathy, which tended to last between 6 and 8 hours. As research and experimentation continued on MDMA, brain damage became a recurring side effect found among laboratory rats. On July 1, 1985, MDMA was declared an illegal substance by the federal government.

MDMA has the properties of central nervous system stimulants and hallucinogens. Unlike many other varieties of drugs that often come from plant derivatives, MDMA is synthesized in laboratories. Because of this method of manufacturing, the quality or purity of the drug can vary from laboratory to laboratory, and other contaminants often make their way into the processing such as caffeine, ephedrine, and ketamine (described below). Therefore, some of the danger in the use of MDMA derives from contaminated adulterates used in the manufacturing process. This contamination has led some raves to institute drug checking stations where MDMA can be assessed on site for contaminants. MDMA tends to interfere with the body's ability to regulate temperature. In rare but nevertheless unpredictable instances, this inability to regulate can lead to not only an increase in body temperature but also can result in kidney, liver, and/or cardiovascular system failure and even death. Ecstasy has several street names, including XTC, Adam, M&M, E, MDEA (Eve), MDA love drug, MBDB, hug, and beans.

GHB

GHB was developed in 1961 when French biochemist Henri Laborit synthesized it for use as an anesthetic. It was quickly discovered that GHB had little use as an anesthetic, as patients given the drug often experienced seizures. Through the 1980s, bodybuilders were exposed to the drug because of its ability to build muscle mass and to produce rapid weight gain. GHB was sold legally in most health food stores until 1990 when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discovered the harmful side effects. In response to several deaths linked to the effects of GHB, the drug was labeled as a controlled substance in 2000, making it a crime to possess in the United States.

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