PCP (Phencyclidine) 

13554 

PCP (phencyclidine) was developed in the 1950s as an intravenous anesthetic. Use of PCP in humans was 

discontinued in 1965, because it was found that 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 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 used in one of three ways: snorted, smoked, or eaten. For smoking, PCP is often applied to a 

leafy material such as mint, parsley, oregano, or marijuana. 

Health Hazards

PCP is addicting; that is, its use often leads to psychological dependence, craving, and compulsive PCP-seeking 

behavior. It was first introduced as a street drug in the 1960s and quickly gained a reputation as a drug that could 

cause bad reactions and was not worth the risk. Many people, after using the drug once, will not knowingly use it again. 

Yet others use it consistently and regularly. Some persist in using PCP because of its addicting properties. Others cite 

feelings of strength, power, invulnerability and a numbing effect on the mind as reasons for their continued PCP use. 

Many PCP users are brought to emergency rooms because of PCP's unpleasant psychological effects or because of 

overdoses. In a hospital or detention setting, they often become violent or suicidal, and are very dangerous to 

themselves and to others. They should be kept in a calm setting and should not be left alone. 

At low to moderate doses, physiological effects of PCP include a slight increase in breathing rate and a more 

pronounced rise in blood pressure and pulse rate. Respiration becomes shallow, and flushing and profuse sweating 

occur. Generalized numbness of the extremities and muscular incoordination also may occur. Psychological effects 

include distinct changes in body awareness, similar to those associated with alcohol intoxication. Use of PCP among 

adolescents may interfere with hormones related to normal growth and development as well as with the learning 

process. 

At high doses of PCP, there is a drop in blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiration. 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). Psychological effects at high doses include illusions and hallucinations. PCP can cause 

effects that mimic the full range of symptoms of schizophrenia, such as delusions, paranoia, disordered thinking, a 

sensation of distance from one's environment, and catatonia. Speech is often sparse and garbled. 

People who use 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 cessation of PCP use. 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 or accidental overdose. 

Extent of Use 

Monitoring the Future Study (MTF)*

NIDA's 1997 MTF shows that use of PCP by high school seniors has declined steadily since 1979, when 7.0 percent of 

seniors had used PCP in the year preceding the survey. In 1997, however, 2.3 percent of seniors used PCP at least 

once in the past year, up from a low of 1.2 percent in 1990. Past month use among seniors decreased from 1.3 percent 

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in 1996 to 0.7 percent in 1997. 

Percentage of 12th-graders who have used PCP: 

Monitoring the Future Study

National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA)**

According to the 1996 NHSDA, 3.2 percent of the population aged 12 and older have used PCP at least once. Lifetime 

use of PCP was higher among those aged 26 through 34 (4.2 percent) than for those 18 through 25 (2.3 percent) and 

those 12 through 17 (1.2 percent). 

This page has been accessed114285times since 11/5/99. 

[Infofax Index]

 1979 1985 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

Ever Used 12.8% 4.9% 2.9% 2.4% 2.9% 2.8% 2.7% 4.0% 3.9%

Used in Past Year 7.0 2.9 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.6 2.3

Used in Past Month 2.4 1.6 0.5 0.6 1.0 0.7 0.6 1.3 0.7

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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Questions? See our Contact Information. Last updated on 

Monday, October 29, 2001. 

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