Club
Survey results show young Americans are indicating increasing interest in club drugs, a category of mind-altering substances that rose to popularity during the 1990s. People should understand what these drugs are, their effects, and how to tell if a family member or loved one is experimenting with them.
Club Drugs Defined
Club drugs are not one type of drug but rather refer to a category of different drugs that people tend to use at bars, nightclubs, concerts, parties, raves, music festivals, and dance events. While the club drug category includes several types of drugs, club drugs typically heighten perceptions and reduce inhibitions.
Different Types of Club Drugs
- Ecstasy: Synthetic (human-made), psychoactive drug that acts as both a stimulant and a hallucinogen.
- Rohypnol: Central nervous system depressant often used in cases of sexual assault.
- GHB: Used for its intoxicating, mind-altering effects and to prevent resistance to sexual assault.
- Ketamine: Animal tranquilizer with hallucinogenic effects, used recreationally by humans.
- LSD: Extremely potent hallucinogen often used in club environments.
Because the types of club drugs used are always changing and because the chemical makeup of such drugs is always in flux, users have no way of knowing what they’re consuming or what chemicals they’re putting into their bodies. That makes experimenting with club drugs extremely dangerous.
Estimating the Scope of Club Drug Experimentation Today
Club drugs are not closely examined or researched anywhere near to the extent that hard drugs like opioids, cocaine, and meth are, so data examining the scope of club drug use is limited. However, there are some localized reports and research papers that examine the scope of club drug use in specific geographic regions.
One report from the New York City Department of Health estimated that 4.7% of NYC high school students reported having used ecstasy one or more times in their lifetime. About 0.9% said they’d used it in the past year.
According to another report published in the American Journal of Public Health, the experimental use of ketamine increased from 2006 to 2019, reaching a peak in 2019. From 2019 to 2021 (when the report was published), ketamine use leveled out but did not decrease.
Another report published in the journal Public Health Reports determined that club drug use was on the rise among young people. That report noted lifetime exposure to MDMA/ecstasy at 12.4% to 14.9%, cocaine at 12.6% to 14.3%, and LSD/acid at 7.9% to 11.2% among young adults.
Despite club drugs referring to a category of mind-altering substances and despite there being significant differences in the types of club drugs used, there is sufficient evidence to show club drug use is increasing among America’s youth.
Signs and Symptoms of Club Drug Use
Club drugs may come in varying types and contain different chemical makeups, but many of the signs and symptoms of their use look similar. For example, people who use club drugs often exhibit:
- Varying degrees and forms of euphoria
- Heightened feelings of closeness and empathy
- Increased tactile sensations and sensitivity to light and sound
- Confusion, anxiety, displeasure, distortion, depression, and paranoia
- Muscle tension, twitches, tics, and tremors, including muscle cramps
- Hallucinations, delirium, distorted perceptions, and confusion about reality
- High fever, sweating, unconsciousness, dehydration, and skin hot to the touch
- Amnesia, unconsciousness, seizure, slowed heart rate, slowed breathing, vomiting, nausea
- Dilated pupils, lack of appetite, dry mouth, and severe sedation potentially leading to coma
The above is by no means a complete list of the signs and symptoms of club drug use, but these are the more common symptoms of people who have been experimenting with LSD, ketamine, Rohypnol, GHB, and ecstasy.
The Need for Treatment for Those Who Cannot Stop Using Club Drugs
Club drug use is on the rise, and while such drugs are not associated with the epidemic-level rate of fatal opioid drug overdoses currently plaguing the nation, club drugs are still very harmful and can be fatal. Further, because such drugs tend to attract younger users, they carry the additional risk of introducing people to drugs at a very young age.
At Narconon, we are dedicated to one thing: helping you overcome addiction for good. Part of what makes this possible is the Narconon environment. Every detail has been taken into account to give you the stability and comfort to help you free yourself from addiction and rebuild your life without drugs.
People who use club drugs and who cannot stop must seek help at qualified, residential drug addiction treatment centers as soon as possible. If you know someone who is using such drugs and who cannot stop, please help them find and enter a qualified addiction treatment program. Please do not wait until it is too late and their drug use escalates. Visit our website https://www.narcononafrica.org.za/ to find the support you need today.