ral hydrate may produce potentially fatal respira-
tory depression.
HEALTH RISKS OF CHLORAL HYDRATE ABUSEShort Term
ARRHYTHMIA disturbed balance and
dizziness coordination
HALLUCINATION impaired motor function
irritability slurred speech
Long Term
HEARTdamage kidney damage
LIVERdamage sleep disturbances
See alsoFLUNITRAZEPAM; GAMMA HYDROXYBUTYRATE
(GHB); HEPATOTOXINS; HYPNOTICS; SCHEDULED DRUGS;
SEXUAL ASSAULT.
club drugs Drugs popular for illicit use in set-
tings such as “rave” clubs and at parties. Most club
drugs are designer drugs though some are conven-
tional drugs used illicitly. The key risks with club
drugs are not knowing what they are when taking
them and combining them with ALCOHOL.
Among the most popular club drugs are HALLU-
CINOGENS such as KETAMINE and METHYLENE-
DIOXYMETHAMPHETAMINE(MDMA), commonly called
ecstasy, and HYPNOTICS such as FLUNITRAZEPAM
(Rohypnol), commonly called rophies or roofies,
and GAMMA HYDROXYBUTYRATE(GHB). Flunitrazepam
and GHB, which are odorless and tasteless, have
gained notoriety as “date rape” drugs because they
produce amnesia of events that occur during the
time of the drug’s effectiveness in the body. Other
drugs sometimes popular as club drugs include
LSD and METHAMPHETAMINE.
Mixing any of these drugs with alcohol is par-
ticularly hazardous and can result in potentially
fatal respiratory depression.
See also DESIGNER DRUG; MEMORY FUNCTION AND
IMPAIRMENT; SCHEDULED DRUGS.
cocaine A DRUGthat acts as a CENTRAL NERVOUS
SYSTEMstimulant. Cocaine is highly addictive and
is a schedule 2 drug in the United States, subject-
ing its legal use to stringent requirements. The pri-
mary therapeutic use of cocaine is as a topical
anesthetic applied to the mucous membranes for
dental and surgical operations. Cocaine is a popu-
lar drug of abuse, and an estimated 35 million
Americans have used it at least once.
Extracted from the leaves of the Erythroxylum
cocaplant, cocaine as a drug of abuse produces
intense euphoria, energy, and a sense of physical
and mental infallibility. The most common method
of use is to snort (rapidly inhale) the powdered
form of the drug into the NOSE, where absorption
through the nasal mucosa (mucous membrane lin-
ing of the nose) allows the drug to enter the BLOOD
circulation within a few minutes for an effect that
lasts two to three hours. Crack cocaine—created by
mixing cocaine powder with sodium bicarbonate
and water, then igniting the dried mixture and
inhaling the smoke—gets the drug into the blood
circulation even more rapidly through the LUNGS.
Some people dissolve the powder in water and
inject the solution intravenously for an instant and
intense though short (20 to 30 minutes) effect.
The key risk of cocaine abuse is ADDICTION;
about 10 percent of people who try cocaine even-
tually become addicted. Crack cocaine is particu-
larly addictive. The compulsion to use cocaine is
so intense for many people who are addicted that
they resort to extraordinary actions to acquire the
drug. The person trying to quit cocaine often
needs short-term medical support to mitigate
symptoms of withdrawal and long-term family
and social support to stay off cocaine.HEALTH RISKS OF COCAINE ABUSE
Short Term
anxiety diminished ability to feel PAIN
elevated body temperature HEART ATTACK
HYPERTENSION PARANOIA
rapid HEART RATE restlessness, irritability, or
agitation
Long Term
ADDICTION ARRHYTHMIA
chronic nasal congestion DYSPNEA(difficulty BREATHING)
HALLUCINATION MALNUTRITION
PSYCHOSIS runny NOSE(RHINORRHEA)
seizures SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATHThough the effects on fetal development when
a pregnant woman uses cocaine are uncertain the
infant can be born with cocaine addiction, espe-
cially if the mother is using crack cocaine. Because
many women who abuse cocaine also drink ALCO-328 Substance Abuse