Club Drugs and their Drug Street Names

Ketamine, Rohypnol® and GHB are Also Used by Offenders to Date Rape

Sep 30, 2009

Club drugs are a specific group of illicit substances that originated at discos, nightclubs and raves. Some pre-adolescent youth are experimenting with these drugs.

Substances that are often used as club drugs are synthetic and include, but are not limited to: ecstasy (MDMA), crystal meth, GHB, Rohypnol®, ketamine, and cocaine. Some club drugs have not been around for long, so the long-term health effects are unknown. When these drugs are used in combination with prescribed drugs or alcohol, the results are unpredictable and very dangerous. In some tragic cases, youth have inadvertently traded their life in order to experience a high.

History of Club Drugs

In the mid-to-late 1970s, there was a thriving drug subculture when disco became popular. Cocaine and amyl nitrite (poppers) were used to enhance the experience of dancing to loud music and flashing lights for many people. The desire for 'new and improved' ways to get high expanded and by the early 2000's synthetic phenethylamines (ecstasy, methamphetamine, and psychedelic drugs such as 2C-1, 2C-B and DOB) became popular.

GHB

GHB (liquid E, liquid X, or G) is a clear, salty tasting liquid or white powder. It's a central nervous system depressant that the Food and Drug Administration approved for use in the treatment of narcolepsy in 2002. This drug is also a metabolite of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid); therefore it's found naturally in very low concentrations in the brain.

This is known to be one of the date rape drugs because it creates a feeling of pleasant relaxation and slight euphoria. At higher doses it causes extreme fatigue and unconsciousness.

Ketamine

Ketamine (special K, K, ket or vitamin K) is colorless, odorless and tasteless and is sold as a liquid, capsule, crystal or white powder. This general anesthetic is used in veterinary practice. In people, it produces numbness and paralysis and depending on how much has been taken, it can make a person feel as though he is out of his body.

This drug also crosses the line from club drug to date rape drug because a high dosage will render the victim unconscious.

Crystal Methamphetamine

Crystal meth (meth, ice, glass, chalk, crank, etc.) is a type of amphetamine that speeds up the central nervous system and can be taken orally, smoked or injected. Depending on how it's taken, this drug can alter mood differently:

Rohypnol®

Rohypnol® (roofies or roche) is usually sold as a small white pill that's colorless, tasteless and odorless. It's a tranquillizer that can be easily dissolved in drinks that produces powerful sedative effects, especially when mixed with alcohol.

This drug is marketed outside of North America and is illegal to produce, import, possess or traffic in Canada and the U.S. According to CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), there is little evidence of Rohypnol® in Canada, although they do report some of these drugs are used to facilitate sexual assault.

Extent of Use

According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 12.9 million Americans aged 12 or older have tried ecstasy at least once. Among 12-17 year olds surveyed, 2.4% of grade 8 students reported using ecstasy.

The good news with this study is that the overall numbers of students using ecstasy have been steadily decreasing since 2003. In 2003, 10.9% of grade 9 students reported using ecstasy; that figure was down to 4.6% in 2007.

Parents need to become familiar with these and other drugs in order to be effective in educating their young children. Waiting until children are older may be too late.

The copyright of the article Club Drugs and their Drug Street Names in Drug Abuse is owned by Karen Stephenson. Permission to republish Club Drugs and their Drug Street Names in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.