IN THE KNOW: Club drugs

Club drugs have become popular among teenagers who attend “raves” at bars, nightclubs, concerts and parties because they are perceived to enhance energy, endurance, sociability and to cause sexual arousal.

The US National Institute on Drug Abuse identified social drugs as MDMA (ecstasy), rohypnol, ketamine and gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB).

Clinical effects of ecstasy include feelings of self-confidence, depression and increase in sexual pleasure.

It is in tablet or capsule form and can be ingested orally, crushed and snorted, dissolved or injected.

Rohypnol, which is used to treat insomnia, lessens anxiety, inhibition and muscular tension, but higher doses could result in anterograde amnesia, lack of muscular control or loss of consciousness.

It is available only in tablet form and typically ingested orally.

High dose of ketamine, which is mostly used in veterinary practice, could cause hallucination and visual distortion.

It is in liquid or powder form and added to items to be smoked or dissolved in drink.

Excessive GHB could lead to unconsciousness, agitation, enhanced libido, vomiting or muscle spasms.

Used to treat cataplexy associated with narcolepsy (sleep disorder), GHB is liquid and often mixed with alcohol or beverage to amplify its effects.

Common toxic effects of club drugs are fatigue, hypertension, dizziness, hallucinations, seizures, coma and death. —INQUIRER RESEARCH
SOURCES: US NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE AND INDIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH