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Summary
What are club drugs?
Club drugs are a group of psychoactive drugs. They act on the central nervous system and can cause changes in mood, awareness, and behavior. These drugs are most often used by young adults at bars, concerts, nightclubs, and parties. Club drugs, like most drugs, have nicknames that change over time or are different in different areas of the country.
What are the different types of club drugs?
The most commonly used types of club drugs include:
- MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine), also called Ecstasy and Molly
- GHB (Gamma-hydroxybutyrate), also known as G and Liquid Ecstasy
- Ketamine, also known as Special K and K
- Rohypnol, also known as Roofies
- Methamphetamine, also known as Speed, Ice, and, Meth
- LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide), also known as Acid
Some of these drugs are approved for certain medical uses. Other uses of these drugs are misuse.
What are date rape drugs?
Date rape drugs are any type of drug or alcohol used to make sexual assault easier. Someone could put one in your drink when you are not looking. Or you may be drinking alcohol or taking a drug, and a person may make it stronger without you knowing.
Club drugs are also sometimes used as "date rape" drugs. These drugs are very powerful. They can affect you very quickly, and you might not know that something is wrong. The length of time that the effects last varies. It depends on how much of the drug is in your body and if the drug is mixed with other drugs or alcohol. Alcohol can make the effects of drugs even stronger and can cause serious health problems - even death.
Are there steps I can take to protect myself from date rape drugs?
To try to avoid date rape drugs,:
- Never leave your drink unattended
- Don't accept drinks from other people
- If drinking from a can or bottle, open your drink yourself
- Look out for your friends, and ask them to look out for you
Related Issues
- Psychedelic and Dissociative Drugs as Medicines (National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
Specifics
- Commonly Used Drugs Charts (National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
- GHB - Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid (Drug Enforcement Administration)
- Ketamine (Drug Enforcement Administration) Also in Spanish
- Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms) (National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Hallucinogens (National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- FindTreatment.gov (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) Also in Spanish
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Also in Spanish
- Partnership to End Addiction
Teenagers
- What Is Ketamine? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- What Is LSD? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- What Is PCP? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- What Is Rohypnol? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Women
- Date Rape Drugs (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Substance use -- amphetamines (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Substance use -- LSD (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Substance use -- phencyclidine (PCP) (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish