Club Drugs and Teens

Introduction In today 's society, teens are a common target of anti-drug campaigns and government advertisements. The goal of these campaigns is to make teens and young adults aware of the dangers associated with drug use. While these campaigns are generally effective, teens are still greatly tempted by the dangerous, exciting, and fast-paced world of club drugs. Despite the information they are constantly receiving from their teachers, parents, and government media, some teenagers will still adamantly pursue drugs in hopes of finding "a good time." Some of the club drugs that teens are likely to try are extremely dangerous and can ruin a person 's mental or physical health with just a few uses. Because teenagers ' nervous systems are still developing, it is very easy for them to become addicted to drugs after even one use. The lifestyle that can be brought about by the use of club drugs can be a vicious cycle of self-destruction, and can have a rapid detrimental effect on a teen 's chances to excel in life. However, many times facts are skewed by media and government agencies in order to keep teens off drugs. While this sort of propaganda has good intentions, many people find it morally unjust to deliberately misinform people, even for their own benefit. Some risks are greatly exaggerated, and some of the "facts" which are commonly accepted are barefaced lies.
In this report, I hope to create a source of unbiased, legitimate facts about club drugs and the ways they are used by teens, and the effects that they can have on a teenager 's life. I believe it is better to know and understand the risks of drug use, and make an educated decision about using them, than to be told what to think and what to do by another person.

Ketamine Hydrochloride
("K", "Special K", "Ket", "Vitamin K", "Cat Tranquilizer")

Ketamine is one of the lesser-known club drugs around today, and gets far less media coverage than other more common drugs. It has been used as a veterinary and medical anesthetic since 1965, and was known for producing a fairly safe, if unusual, anesthesia in patients. It was only in 1999 that Ketamine became a controlled substance in the United States, after governmental anti-drug agencies took note of people using it as a recreational drug. Generally, medical quality Ketamine is considered by the medical community to be a comparatively safe drug when used with caution. It is used as a dissociative drug, one that can cause near-death or out-of-body experiences in users. This was first realized when medical patients who were under the influence of Ketamine reported experiences in which they floated around the room they were in, watching their own body being operated on by doctors. While this was startling, Ketamine was still seen as a very useful anesthetic in the medical world, and continued to be used by doctors. In today 's club and rave scene, especially in Europe, buying and using Ketamine from non-pharmaceutical sources can be extremely risky, due to mislabeling, inaccurately noted or inconsistent potency, and a common practice of mixing Ketamine with other, more powerful drugs before sales. When a user buys Ketamine from a drug dealer, it is quite possible that he or she is also getting cocaine, heroin, or ecstasy mixed with their purchase. Because teenagers can be uncaring about their own safety, some simply see Ketamine as a safe, harmless drug. However, the drug they buy can be something much stronger and much more dangerous than pure medical Ketamine. While it 's use has declined since it 's outlawing in 1999, Ketamine is still sold on the streets and used by teens. It is legal in many other countries, and fears of increased use are arising.

MDMA
("Ecstasy", "X", "E", "Rolls", "Adam")

MDMA, more commonly known as Ecstasy, is one of the most popular club drugs among teenage users today. It has been popular since the 1960s, and is known for causing feelings of closeness or temporary infatuation with others. Users generally take ecstasy before or during social outings, in hopes that it will make them more sociable and more attractive to others. Because it is used for social purposes, ecstasy can be very attractive to teenagers who are worried about their social status. People who use ecstasy tend to believe they are doing well for themselves socially while under the drugs influences. These circumstances can lead to very quick and long-term addiction in teens, and often lead to teens taking great social and sexual risks which they may later regret. Although ecstasy is popular, it is not by any means safe. Ecstasy works by triggering the release of serotonin in the brain, which makes the user feel relaxed and happy. When the drug wears off, the user hits a low point in their serotonin levels, which can lead to temporary episodes of severe depression and panic attacks. It also commonly makes users have strong desires for sexual activities, and its use has been noted as a factor in many teenage pregnancies. A common misconception about ecstasy is that it damages, drains, or mixes with spinal fluid, and can later be released into the system, causing an unsuspected return of the drug 's effects. This isn 't proven to be true or false, but most experts agree that ecstasy can not be re-released into the system, and people reporting such experiences are probably just feeling them due to a placebo effect. The popularity of ecstasy has grown rapidly over the past decade, with almost 20% of high school seniors stating that they have tried the drug. This is a sign that the laws passed in 1985 making it illegal in the United States were largely ineffective.

SODIUM OXYBATE
("GHB", "The Date Rape Drug", "G")

Sodium Oxybate, or GHB, is commonly identified as the "Date Rape Drug". It was sold as an over-the-counter treatment for sleeping disorder until 1990, when it was made illegal in the United States. GHB has received excessive media coverage since it was identified as a tool of sexual predators. The effects of GHB are generally positive at low dosages. Users report feelings of relaxation, an increase in sociability, and mild dizziness or drowsiness. Recreational users are generally teens or young adults in social scenes such as clubs or raves, and users tend to aim for mild effects and a minor "buzz". Every year, teenage girls are targeted by sexual predators, given GHB without their knowledge or consent, and kidnapped, raped, or otherwise sexually violated under the drug 's influence. The drug 's effects at high dosages have been linked with semi-comatose unconsciousness that allows sexual predators to take advantage of their victims without any resistance. This has caused a huge amount of controversy over the safety of the drug. While GHB has few dangerous effects at low doses, its concentration varies from bottle to bottle, and users often accidentally overdose. This can lead to vomiting, unconsciousness, reduced heart rate and breathing, and sometimes even death. Due to the possibility of overdose and the danger of date rape, many drug dealers and producers have begun coloring any GHB with food coloring, to avoid it being added to drinks without the consumers ' knowledge. GHB is much less common in the United States club scene than in Europe, where it is still legal and commonly used. While the drug itself is not as dangerous as some other club drugs, it is linked to many sexual assault cases and teen pregnancies. Because of this, it has been justly targeted by the media and anti-drug campaigns to protect teens.

LSD
("Acid", "Tabs", "Blotter", "L")

LSD is the most well-known and well-documented psychedelic around. It usually comes in one of three forms: liquid (for intravenous injection), blotter paper (taken orally), or small pills known as microdots. While dosages can vary greatly, LSD is known for being next to impossible to overdose on. A normal dose is about 100 micrograms, and despite users accidentally ingesting hundreds of times this amount, there are no well documented confirmed deaths due to an overdose of LSD. This is not to say taking LSD is safe. It is an extremely powerful phsychoactive drug, and it can produce intense hallucinations and feelings of panic or paranoia in users, which can lead to psychological disorders or even suicide. Despite these psychological dangers, the fact remains that LSD has no direct links to any risk of physical problems beyond minor feelings of nausea. LSD has become less popular in the club scene than it was in the 60s and 70s. It is still used quite often in some social groups, but has less mass appeal to young users. Government sponsored media has painted a very negative picture of LSD and the people who use it, which has brought about a drastic decrease in its use over the past 30 years. The mental dangers of LSD are well known and can be severe at high doses. While a standard dose is about 100 micrograms, heavy users have been known to routinely take amounts in excess of 500 micrograms, which can produce radical thinking and perception, but can also cause serious psychological issues if the user gets into a bad train of thought. High doses can often cause realistic reliving of memories, good or bad. Today, there is not much concern about the use of LSD in teens. It isn 't nearly as popular as other club drugs, and carries very little risk of physical problems. Although LSD is a controlled substance and can be dangerous if abused, it isn 't much of a problem in the United States, and has received little attention in the past few decades.

Crystal Methamphetamine
("Meth", "Speed", "Glass", "Crank", "Tweak")

Crystal methamphetamine is one of the most addictive and appealing drugs available to teenagers today. It 's popularity has skyrocketed in the past few years, due in part to the fact that it can be synthesized from common household items with only basic equipment. It is extremely inexpensive and easy to find, and has rapidly grown into a major problem for several Western states and parts of Canada. Meth is a powerful stimulant which causes the body to produce very large amounts of adrenaline within minutes of administration. It can be taken orally, snorted, injected, or smoked. It has a very high addiction potential because of the horrible feelings of depression, fatigue, and headaches that occur as the drug wears off. Users tend to think they can combat these symptoms by taking more meth, which quickly leads to a cycle that fills their system with the drug. Crystal meth has been linked to many teen suicide cases due to the depression that occurs with the come-down. As users become addicted to the drug, they become more and more dependent on it to maintain a happy outlook and any form of motivation. The drug has literally destroyed teenagers from all backgrounds. Users take speed for the powerful stimulation it induces, giving them energy and mental acuteness while it is working. This has made it a very popular drug in the rave scene in the United States. Some people take it to lose weight, because it can cause a long-lasting loss of appetite in users. This has made it a popular drug among teenage girls who are pressured to be thin. Many groups have been formed specifically to combat meth use in the United States and in Canada. These groups try to get teens off the drug and back into a normal life, but have low success rates because the drug is so addictive. This drug will get more and more attention as public awareness increases.
Conclusion

Drugs have been an issue to teens for many years. When you combine the promise of a desirable high with an exciting social atmosphere, many teens will seek out this lifestyle with little knowledge or care of the great risks involved. There will always be dangerous situations which teens can find themselves in, but many people are doing their best to increase public knowledge of these dangers. While drug use in teenagers has declined in recent years, use of some harsher drugs has been on the rise. Drugs like crystal meth and ecstasy have taken the place of psychedelics like LSD as the more heavily used drugs. Because of these changes in teen lifestyle, anti-drug organizations are working harder than ever to keep teens away from drugs, even if it means skewing the facts or telling flat-out lies. While use of illegal drugs should be discouraged, many people think anti-drug agencies are going too far in their work. Arguments can be made for or against this statement, but the fact remains true that many people are concerned about drug use in teens. Combating and reducing sales and use of club drugs is not an easy task, nor one that will be accomplished quickly, if at all. This isn 't going to stop people from trying. As long as there are teens who abuse drugs, there will be people fighting to stop them, for better or for worse.

Bibliography

1. "Teens ' use of meth growing." The Daily Oakland Press. Posted by an anonymous internet user. April 11, 2005. http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/041105/edu_20050411011.shtml 2. "Dark Crystal: Crystal Meth Across Canada." CBC News. Author 's name not available. March 23, 2005. http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/darkcrystal/canada.html 3. "Ecstasy." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica premium Service. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?tocId=9343568&query=ecstasy&ct= 4. Berube, Margery S., et al. "LSD", "Ecstasy", "Methamphetamine", "Ketamine". The American Heritage College Dictionary. 2000.

5. Multiple Anonymous Posters. "GHB", "MDMA", "Meth", "Ketamine", "LSD". Erowid.org.*
http://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/psychoactives.shtml

Bibliography: 1. "Teens ' use of meth growing." The Daily Oakland Press. Posted by an anonymous internet user. April 11, 2005. http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/041105/edu_20050411011.shtml 2. "Dark Crystal: Crystal Meth Across Canada." CBC News. Author 's name not available. March 23, 2005. http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/darkcrystal/canada.html 3. "Ecstasy." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica premium Service. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?tocId=9343568&query=ecstasy&ct= 4. Berube, Margery S., et al. "LSD", "Ecstasy", "Methamphetamine", "Ketamine". The American Heritage College Dictionary. 2000. 5. Multiple Anonymous Posters. "GHB", "MDMA", "Meth", "Ketamine", "LSD". Erowid.org.* http://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/psychoactives.shtml