Girl Power!: Clubdrug Effects

If you've heard people talking about ecstasy or GHB or Special K, then you've heard people talking about "club drugs." And, just like cigarettes, marijuana, alcohol, and inhalants, club drugs will hurt your body if you use them.

When people talk about club drugs, they are usually referring to ecstasy, GHB, Rohypnol (which is pronounced "ro-HIP-nall"), or Ketamine (which is pronounced "KET-a-mean"). Sometimes people will be talking about club drugs and you won't know what they are talking about because each of them has a bunch of slang names.

Here are some of the slang names we learned in school. I have put them in this chart for you so it is easier to read.

Ecstasy X, E, XTC, Hug Drug, or Love Drug

GHB Georgia Home Boy, Grievous Bodily Harm, or Liquid Ecstasy

Rohypnol Roofies, Rophies, and the Forget-Me-Not Pill

Ketamine K, Special K, Kit Kat, Keller, Super Acid, and Super C

But, no matter what clever little names people come up with for each of the club drugs, the bottom line is, they can all harm your body. Here is how each of the drugs can hurt you, and when I say hurt you, I mean hurt your body and also your social life. Really!

Body

Ecstasy dehydrates your body. This means there isn't as much water in your blood, so it gets thicker and slows down. When your blood can't travel to all of parts of the body it needs to, you begin to slow down, feel sick or weak, or you might get a headache. Being dehydrated is trouble for your body because usually when people take ecstasy, they forget to drink water, and it's when ecstasy is in your body that you really need to drink water—it helps to flush it out. Also, when you use ecstasy, your body can't control its temperature. This means that if you are in a cold room or outside and it is chilly, your body won't be able to respond to your body's need for warmth and you could suffer from hypothermia.

Brain

Ecstasy can damage the nerve cells in your brain. Scientists say the parts of the brain that are affected are the cerebral cortex (pronounced "sa-REE-brill core-tex") and the hippocampus. The cerebral cortex is the part of your brain that is responsible for thinking. And, the hippocampus is the part of the brain that helps with memory. There is so much going on in our worlds today, it's hard enough to remember all the things we have to. So why would anyone want to make it harder to think and remember?

Heart and Muscles

Ecstasy is a stimulant, and that means it makes your body speed up. Your heart beats faster, your blood rushes through your veins faster, and you can't concentrate because your brain activity speeds up. My teacher said it is kind of like that nervous and jittery feeling you get right before you have to go to the dentist. All of this activity hurts your heart, and it puts stress on your muscles. In fact, your muscles get so stressed out that they ache for days after ecstasy is taken.

Teeth and Jaw

Ecstasy users often can't control an urge to clench their teeth and chew. As a result, they damage their teeth, jaws, and mouths.

We also learned about other club drugs. The other club drugs are called depressants. These kinds of drugs slow down the mind and body. When this happens, a person might not be able to think, walk, or stand normally. She may be injured or do things she usually wouldn't do. Sometimes people pass out under the influence of these depressants and passing out is dangerous. When someone passes out, or becomes unconscious (pronounced "un-KON-shus"), they can be controlled by someone else.

Some of the club drugs that act as depressants are:

Rohypnol is a pill, and it is really dangerous because those who use it often don't remember what happened while they were under its effects. This means that someone could do something to the user and she wouldn't know it or know who was involved. Rohypnol can reduce blood pressure and cause headaches, muscle pain, and aggressive behavior. People who use Rohypnol can have trouble sleeping, feel anxious, and tremble and sweat as their bodies withdraw from the drug.
GHB comes in the form of liquid, powder, or capsule. It causes the same effects that Rohypnol does. GHB can cause users to become unconscious. It can cause seizures (pronounced "see-zurz") and put a user into a coma. Using GHB with other drugs makes it even more dangerous. When people combine GHB with other drugs or alcohol they might have a hard time breathing and it will make a person feel sick to her stomach.
Ketamine comes in the form of pills, powder, or liquid. When it is injected, this drug takes effect within seconds. And, the effects are scary. In fact, when you use ketamine, you can become unconscious. When you wake up again (when you are conscious), you won't have any feeling in your body. A little amount of ketamine can cause the user to hallucinate, which means you see things that aren't really there. Ketamine is also dangerous because it is so powerful and because the user gives up control of her mind and body.

Club drugs mixed with alcohol and other drugs can cause a lot harm. My teacher said people could either have a seizure or die if you mix the club drugs with anything else. Now, I don't know about you, but I love being alive and I don't want to risk that for anything in the world.

No matter how you look at it or what you choose to call them, club drugs are really bad for you. Now that I have learned all of this about club drugs, I know I will never be using them.