May 2006 Page 1 of 3

PCP (phencyclidine) was developed in

the 1950s as an intravenous anesthetic.

Its use in humans was discontinued in

1965, because patients often became

agitated, delusional, and irrational while

recovering from its anesthetic effects.

PCP is illegally manufactured in laboratories and is sold on the street by such

names as angel dust, ozone, wack, and

rocket fuel. Killer joints and crystal supergrass are names that refer to PCP combined with marijuana. The variety of

street names for PCP reflects its bizarre

and volatile effects.

PCP is a “dissociative drug,” meaning

that it distorts perceptions of sight and

sound and produces feelings of detachment (dissociation) from the environment

and self. Dissociative drugs act by altering distribution of the neurotransmitter

glutamate throughout the brain. Glutamate

is involved in a person’s perception of

pain, responses to the environment, and

memory.

PCP is a white crystalline powder that is

readily soluble in water or alcohol. It

has a distinctive bitter chemical taste.

PCP can be mixed easily with dyes and

turns up on the illicit drug market in a

variety of tablets, capsules, and colored

powders. It is normally abused in one of

three ways: snorted, smoked, or ingested.

For smoking, PCP is often applied to a

leafy material such as mint, parsley,

oregano, or marijuana.

Health Hazards ———

PCP is addictive—its repeated abuse

can lead to craving and compulsive PCPseeking behavior. First introduced as a

street drug in the 1960s, PCP quickly

gained a reputation as a drug that could

cause bad reactions and was not worth

the risk. After abusing PCP once, many

people will not knowingly abuse it

again. Others attribute their continued

abuse to feelings of strength, power,

invulnerability, and a numbing effect on

the mind. 

Many PCP abusers are brought to emergency rooms because of PCP overdose

or because of the drug’s unpleasant 

psychological effects. In a hospital or

detention setting, these people often

become violent or suicidal and are very

dangerous to themselves and others.

They should be kept in a calm setting

and not be left alone.

At low to moderate doses, physiological

effects of PCP include a slight increase

in breathing rate and a pronounced 

rise in blood pressure and pulse rate.

Breathing becomes shallow, and flushing

PCP (Phencyclidine)
May 2006 Page 2 of 3

and profuse sweating occur. Generalized

numbness of the extremities and loss of

muscular coordination also may occur. 

At high doses of PCP, blood pressure,

pulse rate, and respiration drop. This

may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, flicking up and down

of the eyes, drooling, loss of balance,

and dizziness. High doses of PCP can

also cause seizures, coma, and death

(though death more often results from

accidental injury or suicide during PCP

intoxication). High doses can cause

symptoms that mimic schizophrenia,

such as delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, disordered thinking, a sensation of

distance from one’s environment, and

catatonia. Speech is often sparse and

garbled.

People who abuse PCP for long periods

report memory loss, difficulties with

speech and thinking, depression, and

weight loss. These symptoms can persist

up to a year after stopping PCP abuse.

Mood disorders also have been reported. PCP has sedative effects, and interactions with other central nervous system

depressants, such as alcohol and benzodiazepines, can lead to coma.

Extent of Use ———

Monitoring the Future (MTF)

Survey*

MTF data show that in 2005, 2.4 percent of high school seniors reported lifetime** use of PCP; annual use was

reported by 1.3 percent of seniors, and

30-day use was reported by 0.7 percent. Data on PCP use by 8th- and 10thgraders are not available.

Drug Abuse Warning Network

(DAWN)***

PCP mentions in emergency departments

for the third and fourth quarters of 2003

were estimated at 4,581; most of these

mentions involved males. Approximately

51 percent were Black, 31 percent were

White, and 12 percent were Hispanic.

National Survey on Drug Use and

Health (NSDUH)****

According to the 2004 NSDUH, lifetime

use of PCP went down for those aged

18 to 25. Males in this age group

showed significant decreases in lifetime

use from 2003. Females in this age

group showed significant declines in

past year use. Lifetime use among 12- or

13-year-olds, however, was up significantly in 2004, from 0.1 percent in

2003 to 0.3 percent. 
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* These data are from the 2005 Monitoring the Future Survey, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse,

National Institutes of Health, DHHS, and conducted annually by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social

Research. The survey has tracked 12th-graders’ illicit drug use and related attitudes since 1975; in 1991, 8th- and

10th-graders were added to the study. The latest data are online at www.drugabuse.gov. 

** “Lifetime” refers to use at least once during a respondent’s lifetime. “Annual” refers to use at least once during the

year preceding an individual’s response to the survey. “30-day” refers to use at least once during the 30 days preceding an individual’s response to the survey.

*** These data are from the annual Drug Abuse Warning Network, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental

Health Services Administration, DHHS. The survey provides information about emergency department visits that are

induced by or related to the use of an illicit drug or the nonmedical use of a legal drug. The latest data are available

at 800-729-6686 or online at www.samhsa.gov. 

**** NSDUH (formerly known as the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse) is an annual survey of Americans

age 12 and older conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Copies of the latest

survey are available at www.samhsa.gov and from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at

800-729-6686.

National Institutes of Health – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

This material may be used or reproduced without permission from NIDA. Citation of the source is appreciated.