May 2006 Page 1 of 3

MDMA (ecstasy), Rohypnol, GHB, and

ketamine are among the drugs used by

teens and young adults who are part of

a nightclub, bar, rave, or trance scene.

Raves and trance events are generally

night-long dances, often held in warehouses. Many who attend raves and

trances do not use club drugs, but those

who do may be attracted to their generally low cost, and to the intoxicating

highs that are said to deepen the rave

or trance experience. 

For the third and fourth quarters of

2003, hospital emergency department

mentions were estimated at 2,221 for

MDMA use, 990 for GHB, and 73 for

ketamine.*

MDMA (Ecstasy) ———

MDMA (3-4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a synthetic, psychoactive drug

chemically similar to the stimulant

methamphetamine and the hallucinogen

mescaline. Street names for MDMA

include “ecstasy,” “XTC,” and “hug

drug.” In high doses, MDMA can interfere with the body’s ability to regulate

temperature. On rare but unpredictable

occasions, this can lead to a sharp

increase in body temperature (hyperthermia), resulting in liver, kidney, and cardiovascular system failure, and death.

Because MDMA can interfere with its

own metabolism (breakdown within the

body), potentially harmful levels can be

reached by repeated drug use within

short intervals.

Research in animals links MDMA exposure to long-term damage to serotonin

neurons. A study in nonhuman primates

showed that exposure to MDMA for only

4 days caused damage of serotonin

nerve terminals that was evident 6 to 7

years later. While similar neurotoxicity

has not been definitively shown in

humans, the wealth of animal research

indicating MDMA’s damaging properties

suggests that MDMA is not a safe drug

for human consumption. 

According to the Monitoring the

Future** (MTF) survey, NIDA’s annual

survey of drug use and associated attitudes among the Nation’s 8th-, 10th-,

and 12th-graders, 12th-graders reported

significant declines in lifetime***

MDMA use and perceived availability of

the drug in 2005. Perceived harmfulness

in occasional MDMA use declined significantly among 8th-graders, from 65.1

percent in 2004 to 60.8 percent in

2005.

Another national survey, the National

Survey on Drug Use and Health, 

reported 450,000 current ecstasy users

Club Drugs
May 2006 Page 2 of 3

in 2004, which is similar to the number

reported in 2003. Past year ecstasy use

declined from 3.7 percent in 2003 to

3.1 percent in 2004 among young

adults aged 18 to 25. Approximately

607,000 Americans used ecstasy for the

first time in 2004. The majority of these

new users were 18 or older, and the

average age was 19.5 years. 

GHB, Ketamine, and

Rohypnol ————

GHB and Rohypnol are predominantly

central nervous system depressants.

Because they are often colorless, tasteless, and odorless, they can be added to

beverages and ingested unknowingly.

These drugs emerged several years ago

as “date rape” drugs.** *** Because of

concern about their abuse, Congress

passed the “Drug-Induced Rape

Prevention and Punishment Act of 1996”

in October 1996. This legislation

increased Federal penalties for use of

any controlled substance to aid in sexual

assault.

GHB

Since about 1990, GHB (gamma

hydroxybutyrate) has been used in the

U.S. for its euphoric, sedative, and anabolic (body building) effects. It is a central nervous system depressant that was

widely available over-the-counter in

health food stores during the 1980s and

until 1992. It was purchased largely by

body builders to aid in fat reduction and

muscle building. Street names include

“liquid ecstasy,” “soap,” “easy lay,”

“vita-G,” and “Georgia home boy.” 

Coma and seizures can occur following

use of GHB. Combining use with other

drugs such as alcohol can result in nausea and breathing difficulties. GHB may

also produce withdrawal effects, including insomnia, anxiety, tremors, and

sweating. GHB and two of its precursors, gamma butyrolactone (GBL) and

1,4 butanediol (BD), have been involved

in poisonings, overdoses, date rapes,

and deaths. 

Ketamine

Ketamine is an anesthetic that has been

approved for both human and animal

use in medical settings since 1970;

about 90 percent of the ketamine legally

sold is intended for veterinary use. It can

be injected or snorted. Ketamine is also

known as “special K” or “vitamin K.”

Certain doses of ketamine can cause

dream-like states and hallucinations. In

high doses, ketamine can cause delirium, amnesia, impaired motor function,

high blood pressure, depression, and

potentially fatal respiratory problems.

Rohypnol

Rohypnol, a trade name for flunitrazepam, belongs to a class of drugs

known as benzodiazepines. When

mixed with alcohol, Rohypnol can incapacitate victims and prevent them from

resisting sexual assault. It can produce

“anterograde amnesia,” which means
May 2006 Page 3 of 3

individuals may not remember events

they experienced while under the effects

of the drug. Also, Rohypnol may be

lethal when mixed with alcohol and/or

other depressants.

Rohypnol is not approved for use in the

United States, and its importation is

banned. Illicit use of Rohypnol started

appearing in the United States in the

early 1990s, where it became known 

as “rophies,” “roofies,” “roach,” and

“rope.” 

Abuse of two other similar drugs

appears to have replaced Rohypnol

abuse in some regions of the country.

These are clonazepam, marketed in the

U.S. as Klonopin and in Mexico as

Rivotril, and alprazolam, marketed as

Xanax.

For more science-based information 

on MDMA and other club drugs, visit

www.ClubDrugs.org,

www.Teens.drugabuse.gov, and

www.BacktoSchool.drugabuse.gov;

or call the National Clearinghouse 

for Alcohol and Drug Information at

800-729-6686.

* 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.

** 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.

  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.

** *** Also known as “drug rape,” “acquaintance rape,” or “drug-assisted” assault.

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.