1. Club drugs
GHB
( Liquid ecstasy, BDO, GBH, Blue Nitro, Midnight Blue,
RenewTrient, Reviarent, SomatoPro, Serenity, Enliven)
In the last few years, GHB (gammahydroxybutyrate) has
become popular on the rave scene, with users enjoying an
alcohol-like high with potent positive sexual effects
GHB is a fairly low toxicity substance with medical and
recreational uses. It affects the release of dopamine in the
brain, causing effects ranging from relaxation to sleep at
low doses.
The drug is usually sold in small 30ml plastic containers
(approx £15) and consumed in capfuls. A small capful can
make you feel uninhibited, exhilarated, relaxed and feeling
good with the effects lasting as long as day, although it is
difficult to give a clear 'safe' dose, as the concentration of
the liquid will vary.
Bigger doses can lead to disorientation, nausea, a numbing
of the muscles or muscle spasms and vomiting.
(Also see: GBL, gamma butyrolactone (geeb).)

2. The drug can take anything from 10 minutes to an hour to
take effect, so wait until the first hit kicks in before taking
any more. Its strength varies wildly, so always take a small
amount first. Because of it's disabling effects, you are
exposed to the threat of sexual assault, so be very, very
wary of who you're with.
Increasingly, there have been reports of the drug being used
as a 'date rape' drug (like Rohypnol), with victims being
slipped the drug via alcohol, or in coffee, tea or hot
chocolate (it is almost tasteless).
A Home Office report in June 2000 questioned 123 victims of
such drug assisted assaults, and found that 70% of the
rapists were known to the victim and 12% were given the
drug in their home, 10% on a university campus. One in five
victims could not remember the assault while around 70%
felt physically unable to resist (source: Guardian 22.06.00).
Health risks: unknown at present, although there have been
reports of people suffering convulsions and collapsing and a
recent fatality in the UK (Oct 97). urban75 has received
several reports of users being hospitalised with stomach
and breathing problems, although there is almost always
other drugs involved.

3. The drug, which is derived from an American anaesthetic,
lowers blood pressure and in some cases people find
breathing difficult. Overdosing can lead to a loss of
consciousness and coma. It is not recommended that
asthmatics or those with any form of respiratory or low
blood pressure disorders take this drug.
Ketamine Blurred vision; confusion; drowsiness; increased or decreased
blood pressure or heart rate; mental or mood changes; nausea; nightmares;
vomiting.
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur
when using Ketamine:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness
in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); difficulty talking;
irregular heart rhythms; muscle tightness; pain, redness, or swelling at the
injection site; slowed breathing.
is a dissociative
anesthetic developed in 1963 to replace PCP and currently used in human
anesthesia and veterinary medicine. Much of the ketamine sold on the
street has been diverted from veterinarians' offices.
Although it is manufactured as an injectable liquid, in illicit use ketamine
is generally evaporated to form a powder that is snorted or compressed
into pills.
Ketamine's chemical structure and mechanism of action are similar to those
of PCP, and its effects are similar, but ketamine is much less potent than
PCP with effects of much shorter duration. Users report sensations ranging
from a pleasant feeling of floating to being separated from their bodies.
Some ketamine experiences involve a terrifying feeling of almost complete
sensory detachment that is likened to a near-death experience. These
experiences, similar to a "bad trip" on LSD, are called the "K-hole."
Ketamine is odorless and tasteless, so it can be added to beverages without

4. being detected, and it induces amnesia. Because of these properties, the
drug is sometimes given to unsuspecting victims and used in the
commission of sexual assaults referred to as "drug rape."
MDMA has become a popular drug, in part because of the positive
effects that a person experiences within an hour or so after taking
a single dose. Those effects include feelings of mental
stimulation, emotional warmth, empathy toward others, a general
sense of well being, and decreased anxiety. In addition, users
report enhanced sensory perception as a hallmark of the MDMA
experience.
Because of the drug's stimulant properties, when used in club or
dance settings MDMA can also enable users to dance for extended
periods. However, there are some users who report undesirable
effects immediately, including anxiety, agitation, and
recklessness.
As noted, MDMA is not a benign drug. MDMA can produce a
variety of adverse health effects, including nausea, chills,
sweating, involuntary teeth clenching, muscle cramping, and
blurred vision. MDMA overdose can also occur - the symptoms
can include high blood pressure, faintness, panic attacks, and in
severe cases, a loss of consciousness, and seizures.
Because of its stimulant properties and the environment in which
it is often taken, MDMA is associated with vigorous physical
activity for extended periods. This can lead to one of the most
significant, although rare, acute adverse effects -- a marked rise
in body temperature (hyperthermia). Treatment of hyperthermia
requires prompt medical attention, as it can rapidly lead to
muscle breakdown, which can in turn result in kidney failure.
In addition, dehydration, hypertension, and heart failure may
occur in susceptible individuals. MDMA can also reduce the
pumping efficiency of the heart, of particular concern during

5. periods of increased physical activity, thereby further
complicating these problems.
MDMA is rapidly absorbed into the human blood stream, but once
in the body MDMA interferes with the body's ability to metabolize,
or break down, the drug. As a result, additional doses of MDMA
can produce unexpectedly high blood levels, which could worsen
the cardiovascular and other toxic effects of this drug. MDMA also
interferes with the metabolism of other drugs, including some of
the adulterants that may be found in MDMA tablets.
In the hours after taking the drug, MDMA produces significant
reductions in mental abilities. These changes, particularly those
affecting memory, can last for up to a week, and possibly longer
in regular users. The fact that MDMA markedly impairs
information processing emphasizes the potential dangers of
performing complex or even skilled activities, such as driving a
car, while under the influence of this drug.
Over the course of the week following moderate use of the drug,
many MDMA users report feeling a range of emotions, including
anxiety, restlessness, irritability, and sadness that in some
individuals can be as severe as true clinical depression. Similarly,
elevated anxiety, impulsiveness, and aggression, as well as sleep
disturbances, lack of appetite and reduced interest in and
pleasure from sex have been observed in regular MDMA users.
Some of these disturbances may not be directly attributable to MDMA, but may be related to some of
the other drugs often used in combination with MDMA, such as cocaine or marijuana, or to potential
adulterants found in MDMA tablets.
MDMA exerts its primary effects in the brain on neurons that use the chemical (or neurotransmitter)
serotonin to communicate with other neurons. The serotonin system plays an important role in
regulating mood, aggression, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain. MDMA binds to the serotonin
transporter, which is responsible for removing serotonin from the synapse (or space between adjacent
neurons) to terminate the signal between neurons; thus MDMA increases and prolongs the serotonin
signal. MDMA also enters the serotonergic neurons via the transporter (because MDMA resembles
serotonin in chemical structure) where it causes excessive release of serotonin from the neurons.
MDMA has similar effects on another neurotransmitter—norepinephrine, which can cause increases in
heart rate and blood pressure. MDMA also releases dopamine, but to a much lesser extent