At today's dance clubs, all-night parties, "raves," and concerts, more and more people are being exposed to club drugs. A lot of people think that club drugs are harmless, but they can cause serious mental and physical problems--and, yes, sometimes even death.

Get the Facts...

Club drugs affect your brain. . Club drugs can damage the neurons in your brain, impairing your senses, memory, judgment, and coordination. Chronic use of some club drugs, particularly Ecstasy, has been shown to affect serotonin neurotransmitters in the brain which can result in permanent damage. The results from this are still uncertain! Club drugs can also be addictive. People who use GHB, for example, report detoxification symptoms after they stop using. They also report repeated use in spite of unpleasant occurrences and great difficulty in not using again. Similarly, users of Ecstasy experience withdrawal symptoms and a renewed craving for the drug after those symptoms have passed.

Club drugs affect your self-control. Perhaps the greatest hazards of club drugs are the risky situations and behaviors that can result from use. Club drugs like GHB and Rohypnol are used in "date-rape" and other assaults because they are sedatives that can make you unconscious and immobilize you. Rohypnol can cause a kind of amnesia, whereby users may not remember what they said or did while under the effects of the drug. Use of club drugs also increases the risk of sexual promiscuity and unprotected sex, which can lead to unwanted pregnancy and even HIV-AIDS.

Club drugs affect your body. Different club drugs have different effects on your body. Some common effects include loss of muscle and motor control, blurred vision, and seizures. Club drugs like ecstasy and methamphetamines are stimulants that increase your heart rate and blood pressure. This has been known to cause hyperthermia and heart or kidney failure. GHB is a depressant that can cause drowsiness, unconsciousness and breathing problems. The potential for overdose for GHB is very high and death can occur quickly! Ketamine, or Special K, has hallucinogenic properties and in large doses can cause delirium and psychosis.

Club drugs are not always what they seem. Let's face it...drug dealers aren't exactly world-class chemists, and the "labs" they use can range from sleazy motel rooms to someone's junked up garage. This is NOT very sanitary! In addition, the dosage and concentration of club drugs varies each time you take them. In other words, you never know how strong or dangerous any illegal drug is. This increases the potential for overdose and death. Finally, combining drugs with alcohol and other mood-altering substances, as users are known to do, creates a greater risk.

Club drugs can kill you. Using club drugs is like playing Russian Roulette with your life. You never know if and when it might kill you! Higher doses of club drugs have been proven to cause severe breathing problems, coma, and, yes sometimes death.

Before you risk it...

Know the law. It is illegal to buy or sell club drugs. It is also a federal crime to use any controlled substance to aid in sexual assault.

Know the risks. Mixing club drugs together or with alcohol is extremely dangerous. The effects of one drug can magnify the effects and risks of another. In fact, mixing substances in general can be pretty lethal.

Know the signs. How can you tell if a friend is using club drugs? Sometimes it's hard to tell, but there are some signs you can look for. If your friend has one or more of the following warning signs, he or she may be using club drugs:

• Problems remembering things they recently said or did
• Loss of coordination, dizziness, fainting
• Depression
• Confusion
• Sleep problems
• Chills or sweating
• Slurred speech

What can you do to help someone who is using club drugs? Be a real friend. Save a life. Encourage your friend to stop or seek professional help. For information and referrals, call the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at 800-729-6686. You can also check out the website www.streetdrugs.org.