Party Drugs

Party drugs are as the name implies, drugs taken at parties or clubs to increase the high and sensations. These drugs mainly include PCP, Ecstasy, and Ketamine. In the essay I will discuss each of these drugs nicknames, Physical as well as psychological effects, overdose/withdrawal, treatment, the drug in relation to crime, effects on pregnancy, and some basic history on the drugs.

PCP is nicknamed Angel Dust, Crystal Supergrass, Killer Joint, Ozone, Shrems, Kools, Wack, Rocket Fuel, and many more. I personally like Crystal Supergrass. Low doses of PCP causes increased breathing rate and rise in blood pressure and pulse rate. Hallucinations, a feeling of high and increased sensations usually accompany PCP. Large doses of PCP causes a drop in blood pressure, pulse rate, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, drooling, loss of balance, loss of muscle control, and a dangerously slowed breathing. PCP really messes with your mind, and can cause mental instability and retardation. PCP is the stuff our troops used in Vietnam to escape from the reality of the war around them. Often times you would see soldiers on patrol going A.W.O.L. to wonder off into the jungle with a back pack full of PCP and other drugs. The mental affects causes distance from ones environment, mental instability, and brain damage.Overdoes on PCP are like most other illegal drugs, there is the chance of death and brain damage. Treatment of PCP is lick many other drugs, just go to a rehab center. Crime is not heavily related to PCP, it is not a widely used drug like Marijuana and Cocaine. A statistic shows that 23% of high school seniors say they can get a hold of PCP, in comparison to Marijuana where 86% of them said they could easily get a hold of it. The only type of crime that would come from PCP would be the Mental instability caused by large doses or prolonged use. Pennant women on PCP run the chance of a miss carriage or mental retardation in the unborn child, but what pregnant women would go Clubin?

Ecstasy’s real name is Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (I dare you to say that ten times fast). Fritz Haber, a German scientist, first synthesiszed the drug in 1891. Like most illegal drugs, their creaters started out with good intentions. Ecstacy was originaly going to be used to stop bleeding in a bad wound, however, Fritz Haber learned of its ability to increase adreniline significantly. In the 1950’s, the American and British armys experimented with the drug to increase the preformance of soldiers in the field, However the results of the tests were utter failure. In the British experiments, soldiers began to laugh and giggle while searching for the enemy (fake enemy). Later they didn’t know how to work the radios and command and control was lost. Towards the end of the experiment soldiers were climbing trees to “feed the birdies” and the commander of the men said he had lost contorl of his unit, before he himself fell over laughing histaricly. Ecstasy is known also as E, X, and XTC. There are many physical and psychological effects form this drug like increased awareness of the sences, feelings of openess, euphoria, empathy, love, happiness, hightened self-awarness, fellinfeeling of mental clarity and an increased appreciation of music and movement (this is why it is an exclent party drug). Some of the effects of over dose are: death, organ faliure, and suicide , but other desies have also been caused by it. The best treatment for this type of drug is to treat it like yo would treat amphetamines. Some statistics for this drug are: among those who have tried club drugs in their life time 42% have reported using no use in the past year and 22% reported usind it 7-12 times or more in the past year. This drug can also have effects on pregnancy are and it can result in a miss carriage or causing mental retardation.
 
Ketamine is a party drug that has been increasingly used over the years. Ketamine has many different nicknames/streetnames like Jet, Super Acid, Special K, Green K, Cat Valium, and Blind Squid. Ketamine has many different psychological and physical effects, some of which include Analgesia, Hallucinations, Anesthisia, Neurotoxicity, Arterial Hypertension, Bronchodulation, etc. Effects of an overdose of Ketamine could be referred to as a “K-Hole,” an “out of body,” or “near-death” experience. There are many treatments available for addictions. Treatments available for Ketamine are therapy or a clinic to help with drug addictions like the Addiction Research Foundation. The use of Ketamine has rised significantly over the past 5 years. In the 5-year time period of 1994-1998, there were 46 deaths associated with Ketamine. There are not many effects on pregnancy, but pregnant women are prone to get seizures if on Ketamine while pregnant. Ketamine is also considered a date rape drug because many people who were raped, were discovered to have taken Ketamine.

Party drugs are very dangerous, but frequently taken. The use of these drugs can lead to many psychological and physical effects and should be taken more seriously. The use of party drugs is also increasing dramatically among teens. These party drugs aren’t a “party” at all; in fact, they could take your life.