To learn more about club drugs or

obtain referrals to programs in your

community, contact one of the

following toll-free numbers:

SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse

for Alcohol and Drug Information

800-729-6686

TDD 800-487-4889

linea gratis en español

877-767-8432

Curious about the TV ads of the National Youth

Anti-Drug Media Campaign? Check out the Web site at

www.freevibe.com or visit the Office of National Drug

Control Policy Web site at www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov.

The bottom line: The bottom line: If The bottom line: you know someone who uses club drugs, urge

him or her to get help. If you're using them—stop! The longer you

ignore the real facts, the more chances you take with your life. It's

never too late.

Talk to your parents, a doctor, a counselor, a teacher, or another adult

you trust.

Do it today!

Q. If somebody slipped a club drug

into your drink, wouldn't you

realize it immediately?

A. Probably not. Most club drugs

are odorless and tasteless. Some

are made into a powder form that

makes it easier to slip into a drink

and dissolve without a person's

knowledge.

Q. Are there any long-term effects

of taking ecstasy?

A. Yes. Studies on both humans and

animals have proven that regular

use of ecstasy produces longlasting, perhaps permanent

damage to the brain's ability to

think and store memories.

Q.If you took a club drug at a

rave, wouldn't you just dance

off all of its effects?

A. Not necessarily. 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.

Club Drugs••••
Slang—Ecstasy: E, X, XTC. GHB: Liquid Ecstasy, Liquid X, Grievous Bodily Harm, Georgia Home Boy.

Ketamine: K, Special K, Ket, Vitamin K, Kit Kat. Rohypnol: Roofies, R-2.

Stay informed. The club drug scene is constantly

changing. New drugs and new variations of drugs

appear all of the time.

Know the risks. Mixing club drugs together or with

alcohol is extremely dangerous. The effects of one drug

can magnify the effects and risks of another. In fact,

mixing substances can be lethal.

Look around you. The vast majority of teens are not

using club drugs. While ecstasy is considered to be the

most frequently used club drug, less than 2 percent of

8th–12th graders use it on a regular basis. In fact, 94

percent of teens have never even tried ecstasy.1

Know the Signs...

How can you tell if a friend is using club drugs?

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 club drugs:

• Problems remembering things they recently said or

did

• Loss of coordination, dizziness, fainting

• Depression

• Confusion

• Sleep problems

• Chills or sweating

• Slurred speech

What can you do to help someone who is using club

drugs? Be a real friend. Save a life. Encourage your

friend to stop or seek professional help. For information

and referrals, call the National Clearinghouse for

Alcohol and Drug Information at 800-729-6686.

Club Drugs•••••

Get the Facts...

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, impairing

your senses, memory, judgment, and coordination.

Club drugs affect your body. Different club drugs

have different effects on your body. Some common

effects include loss of muscle and motor control, blurred

vision, and seizures. Club drugs like ecstasy are stimulants that increase your heart rate and blood pressure

and can lead to heart or kidney failure. Other club

drugs, like GHB, are depressants that can cause drowsiness, unconsciousness, or breathing problems.

Club drugs affect your self-control. Club drugs like

GHB and Rohypnol are used in "date rape" and other

assaults because they are sedatives that can make you

unconscious and immobilize you. Rohypnol can cause a

kind of amnesia—users may not remember what they

said or did while under the effects of the drug.

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 drug is varies each time.

Club drugs can kill you. Higher doses of club drugs

can cause severe breathing problems, coma, or even

death.

Before You Risk It...

Know the law. It is illegal to buy or sell club drugs. It

is also a federal crime to use any controlled substance to

aid in a sexual assault.

Get the facts. Despite what you may have heard, club

drugs can be addictive.

Revised in 2004

For more information, go to www.ncadi.samhsa.gov