What are hallucinogens/Psychedelics and how are they used?
LSD, special "K", psilocybin/mushrooms, peyote, and ecstasy/MDMA are all hallucinogens which affect the mind, causing distortions in physical senses and mental reactions. Hallucinogens can be taken orally, injected, via eye drops, sub-lingually, anally (usually with Ecstasy). Though the oral route is the most common.

LSD usually comes on sheets of paper called "sheets", doses of acid are referred to as "hits" and "doses". "Sheets" usually have interesting designs on them such as peace symbols, dragons, Barney the dinosaur, or any esoteric design, and they are usually surrounded by perforated lines. Each perforated square is a dose or a "hit". They are very small, about the size of the following letter, H . LSD is synthetically produced.

Other synthetically produced drugs include, Ecstasy and Ketamine/ "Special K".

However, the are natural drugs that produce disassociation or hallucinations. For Example, mushrooms or peyote cactus.

While this family of drugs reached their greatest surge in the 1960's and early 1970's, they did subside in the 1980's, but the 1990's have seen a resurgence of hallucinogen use in the adolescent population.

What are the street names for Psychedelics and hallucinogens?
Some of the street names are: "acid", "mushrooms", "fry", blotter", "trip", "shrooms", "LSD,", "special K", "hits", "doses", "cubes," "STP," "DMT," "Mesc,", "PCP," and "Angel dust" just to name a few.

What are the street names for Ecstasy?
Some of the street names are: "E", "XTC", "vitamin E", "candy", "mind candy","nikEs", "blue nikEs", "yellow bannans", mitubishis", "007's", "double stacks".. They refer to the combination of LSD and Ecsatcy as "Candy Fliping". They refer to the combination of Ecstasy and mushrooms as "Hippie Flipping".

Drug users refer to heavy Ecstasy users as "E-tards"

Where do kids use Ecstasy and other hallucinogens? "Raves"
Adolescents who are using Ecstasy have in all likelihood attended or are very aware of "Raves". "Raves" are well organized parties held at warehouses or peoples house in the past, but now they are less "underground" and are being held a clubs and other places. Tickets to "raves" can cost $10.00 - $30.00 each.

How do hallucinogens hijack the brain of adolescents?
Drugs in this classification effect the Central Nervous system by disrupting the neurotransmitter, serotonin. Serotonin, the neurotransmitter that keeps people from feeling depressed. Nonetheless, serotonin also serves as a filter for incoming sensory stimuli, i.e., screening unimportant or irrelevant information. Hallucinogens disrupt this process allowing a surge of sensory data.

Adolescents who are under the influence of hallucinogens will experience visual distortion, audio distortion, tactile distortion, and emotional distortion. Adolescents will report things like, " The picture in my house was breathing" or, "The blue picture sounded cool". Many adolescents on hallucinogens will hear color and see sound. Therefore, hallucinogens alter any sense of reality in a drug user.

What are the effects of hallucinogen use?
PHYSICAL EFFECTS:
· Increased blood pressure, and heart rate
· Increased body temperature
· Dizziness
· Mydriasis
· Sweating

MENTAL EFFECTS:
· Sensory distortions
· Depersonalization, dreamlessness
· Altered mood
· Impaired concentration and motivation
· Loss of judgment, slowed reaction time.

EMOTIONAL EFFECTS:
· Illusion :mistaken perception of real stimuli
· Delusion: irrational thinking
· Confusion
· Disassociative reactions
· Acute panic
· Flash backs

BAD "TRIP"
· Acute anxiety
· Fear over loss of control
· Paranoia
· Delusions of grandeur leading to self-destructive behaviors.

Can kids really "fry" their brain?
According to Dr. David Smith, founder of the Haight Ashbury Clinic in San Francisco, chronic psychedelic after effects may occur or continue long after the ingestion and metabolization of hallucinogens. Four chronic reactions to psychedelic drugs have been reported: (1) prolonged psychotic reactions, (2) depression severe enough to be life-threatening, (3) flashbacks, and (4) exacerbation of preexisting psychiatric illness. A fifth chronic reaction is: post-hallucinogen perceptual disorder (PHPD).

People with PHPD develop long-term personality disruptions. These psychotic reactions are similar to schizophrenic reactions and may occur most often in people with preexisting psychological difficulties, such as pre-psychotic or psychotic personalities.
Psychedelic drug-induced personality disruptions can be both severe and prolonged.

Since 1982, we have seen hallucinogen users who suffer from visual impairment long after their hallucinogen use. They will report seeing, "tracers", "permetracers", or "trails" that is, lines that trial behind moving objects, and some of the hallucinogen users we see have developed PHPD.

Click Here for specific info on Mushrooms


TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ECSTASY PLEASE VISIT THE FOLLOWING SITE BY CLICKING THE LINK: we also have videos at our office... http://www.dancesafe.org

The following is a link that contains many articles discussing the negative effects of Ecstasy and Rave culture: http://www.ecstasy.org/info/index.html

We strongly encourage all doctors, practitioners and parents to read the following article by Dr. Jansen. In his article he sites over 81 articles for reference. "Adverse Psychological Effects of Ecstasy use and Their Treatment" By Dr. Karl Jansen. Here is the web address for the article http://www.ecstasy.org/info/karl.html

8-2-00 Researchers have found that the use of Ecstasy may cause a severe reduction in the amount of serotonin in the brain, accuording to a July 24 press release from the American Academy of Neurology.
http://www.jointogether.org/sa/default.jtml?O=263942