Sunday, February 06, 2005
Alanib: What you should know about club drugs
By Tim R. Alanib
Ambrosia for the Young
* 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.
AWARENESS is the word for all - underscoring the parents, teachers and the children.
Club drugs affect your brain, it affect your body.
Look at these facts on club drugs.
Slang: Ecstasy (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine - MDMA): E, X, XTX, Adam, Clarity, Lover's Speed.
GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate): G, Liquid Ecstasy, Liquid X, Grievous Bodily Harm, Georgia Home Boy.
Ketamine: nK, Special K, Ket, Vitamin K, Kit Kat, Cat Valium.
Rhypnol: Roffies, R-2, Roche, Forget-Me Pill.
Methamphetamine: Speed, Ice, Chalk, Meth Crystal, Crank, Fire Glass.
LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylarnide): Acid, Boomer, Yellow Sunshine.
Club drugs affect your brain. The term "club drugs" refers to a wide variety of drugs often used at all-night dance parties ("raves"), nightclubs, and concerts. Club drugs can damage the neurons in your brain, impair your senses, memory, judgment and coordination.
Ecstasy: Confusion, depression, anxiety and paranoia, permanent damage to seratonin-producing neurons, memory impairment.
GHB: Slows breathing and heart rate to dangerous levels, vomiting, headaches, loss of consciousness (commonly used for "date rape"), loss of reflexes, possible death.
Ketamine: Impaired motor function, high blood pressure, and respiratory problems, delirium, amnesia.
Rhypnol: Gastrointestinal and urinary dysfunctions, drowsiness, visual disturbances, Sedation (often used for "date rape"), intoxication, decreased blood pressure, lethargy and coma, possibly death.
Methamphetamine: Convulsions, extreme rise in body temperature, uncontrollable movements, insomnia, impaired speech, dry and itchy skin, loss of appetite, acne, sores, numbness, increased heart rate.
LSD: Sleeplessness, nausea, dilated pupils, increased body temperature, increased blood pressure and heart rate, sweating, loss of appetite, dry mouth, tremors.
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 is varies each time.
Club drugs come in many forms that are taken by mouth, snorted through the nose, smoked, injected, or dissolved in drinks, applied to small pieces of blotter paper to be taken orally, smoked with marijuana or tobacco. They may be pills, capsules, clear liquid, powder or chunks.
Know the signs: How can you tell a friend is using inhalants?
Sometimes it's tough to tell. But there are signs you can look for if your friend has one or more of the following warning signs, he or she may be using inhalants:
* Depression
* Confusion
* Dizziness
* Sleep problems
* Slurred speech
* Fainting
* Problems remembering recent things
* Chill or sweating
* Loss of coordination
Questions and Answers:
If somebody slipped a club drug into your drink, wouldn't you realize it immediately?
No. Most club drugs are odorless and tasteless. Some are in powder or liquid form that makes it easy to slip into a drink without the person's knowledge.
Are there any long-term effects of taking ecstasy?
Yes. Studies have proven that regular use of ecstasy produces long-lasting, perhaps permanent damage to the brain's ability to think and store memories.
If you took a club drug at a rave, wouldn't you just dance off all of its effects?
No. Some of ecstasy's effects, like confusion, depression, anxiety, paranoia and sleep problems, have been reported to occur even weeks after the drug is taken.
I heard club drugs won't really hurt you. Isn't that true?
No. There is a lot of misinformation being circulated about club drugs, especially on the Internet. The truth is that club drugs are illegal, harmful substances, and using them with the belief they cannot hurt you makes them even more dangerous.
How can I protect myself?
The best thing that you can do is to make healthy, informed decisions about your life. Know who you are and have a purpose in life. Don't give in to peer pressure, think for yourself, and know the facts about the dangers of club drugs.
What can you do to help someone who is using club drugs?
Be a real friend. Save a life. Encourage your friend to get help. If you're the one using club drugs - Stop! Talk to parents, a doctor, teacher, or another adult you trust. It is never too late. (Adapted from Teen Challenge) For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here.
(February 6, 2005 issue)
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