| The term 'club drugs' refers to a wide variety of | | | | inflammation of the liver. This leads to Jaundice. |
| psychoactive drugs mostly abused by teenagers | | | | Hepatitis may spread among people abusing club |
| and young adults, often at raves or trances | | | | drugs intravenously. |
| (all-night dance parties), dance clubs and nightclubs. | | | | Damage to nerve endings |
| Some wrong perceptions among teens are | | | | Almost, all drugs have some or the other type of |
| encouraging teens to get into club drug addiction. | | | | impact on the nerve cells. Ecstasy blocks the |
| Many teenagers think that "abusing club drugs is | | | | neurotransmitter, Serotonin, in nerve endings |
| common and everybody is doing it". The truth is | | | | leading to the damage of nerve endings. |
| contradictory to what they think. Majority of | | | | Behavioral problems |
| teens are not using club drugs. In fact, a vast | | | | Club drugs generally have long-lasting negative |
| majority of teens have never even tried club | | | | effects on the brain that can alter teens behavior. |
| drugs. There are different types of club drugs. | | | | They will have issues with mood swings, high |
| Club drugs and types | | | | euphoria or severe depression, anxiety, |
| Different types of club drugs used in rave parties, | | | | restlessness, irritability, sadness, aggression, sleep |
| dance clubs and bars are: | | | | disturbances, decrease in appetite, sudden fears, |
| • Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or | | | | high confusion, loss of control over body |
| Ecstasy – stimulant and psychoactive | | | | movements, tendencies to injure themselves or |
| • Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) – central | | | | others. |
| nervous system (CNS) depressant | | | | Crime and violence |
| • Ketamine - dissociative anesthetic | | | | After getting addicted to drugs, teenagers can go |
| • Rohypnol - strong hypnotic and powerful | | | | to any extent of crime to get them. Teenagers |
| sedative | | | | abusing drugs become violent and they get into |
| • Methamphetamine - very addictive stimulant | | | | fights. Club drug addicts are more likely to |
| • Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) - | | | | become victims of criminals who seek to rob |
| hallucinogen | | | | them of their money, and assault or rape them |
| Harmful effects of club drugs | | | | as their brains will be flooded with fuzzy pleasure |
| It is a strong myth among the youngsters that | | | | chemicals. |
| club drugs are not harmful, but no club drug is | | | | Other adverse effects |
| benign and infact they have severe negative | | | | Several adverse effects are associated with club |
| effects on the health. As per NIDA, club drugs | | | | drugs. The club drug abuse has irreversible effects |
| abuse can cause serious health issues. There are | | | | on brain and general health. Insomnia, coma, |
| many harmful effects pertaining to club drug | | | | seizures are the most common adverse effects. |
| abuse. They are: | | | | Teenagers taking club drugs have lack of interest |
| Memory loss | | | | to sleep which slowly leads to insomnia. There are |
| MDMA (Ecstasy) harms the neurons which release | | | | a lot of side effects with insomnia. They may |
| Serotonin. Serotonin plays an important role in | | | | develop diabetes, heart problems and there will |
| regulating memory. Significant number of Ecstasy | | | | also be a decline in cognitive functioning. GHB, |
| abusers have impaired memory. The ketamine | | | | being a sedative results in coma with persistent |
| abusers also develop short-term memory | | | | abuse. Abusing GHB leads to loss of consciousness |
| impairment on prolonged abuse. Apart from | | | | (G-hole), tremors, irregular and depressed |
| memory loss, club drugs impair senses, judgment | | | | respiration and ultimately coma. |
| and coordination damaging the neurons in the | | | | Even experimentation with club drugs will have |
| brain. | | | | unpredictable and dangerous impacts on health. |
| Hepatitis | | | | Remember, club drugs are not fun drugs. Even |
| Club drugs have harmful effects on liver by | | | | first time use of club drugs can be fatal. Hence, it |
| disturbing the metabolism. Club drug abusers, | | | | is important to avoid using club drugs and to live a |
| generally, suffer from chemical hepatitis which is | | | | healthy life. |