What Are Party Drugs?
All across the country, you can find a number of common drugs at house parties and “raves.” Informally, people refer to this category of drugs as club drugs (or party drugs).
Although there is no definite “club drug list” that covers every little thing your teen might experience at a party, there are a few which are much more common than others. Adding to this, the media’s effect on adolescents – especially social networks – has contributed to display drugs as normal and even “cool.” The portrayal of drugs by celebrities provides an unfavorable recognition of drug-related habits.
Students are the most vulnerable when it comes to party drugs. In college, you can easily find house parties and clubs – which are commonplaces when it comes to these types of substances. College students will use these drugs to get high, study, stay up late and promote psychedelic feelings – all very common desires in party environments.
Hallucinogens
Hallucinogens are drugs that give users a “trip” that includes hallucinations (seeing or experiencing events that are unreal). A teen who takes these drugs at a party quickly becomes out-of-touch with reality, risking engaging in dangerous behaviors. Common hallucinogens are LSD, Psychedelic Mushrooms, Ketamine, Salvia, and DMT.
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) has been a prominent rave substance for years. People typically take this drug as a “tab,” which resembles a little piece of paper. Makers of the drug will lace the drug onto paper.
Symptoms of LSD use consist of hallucinations, extreme shivering and heart pounding. Teenagers frequently consider using LSD slang to discuss the substance with peers. Some street names include ‘acid’ and ‘L.’ and ‘Lucy’.
Psychedelic Mushrooms
A powerful drug, Psilocybin mushrooms trigger drug-induced spiritual experiences and altered perceptions. Tiny dosages can cause a strong and unforeseeable intoxication. Eating is the most common method of ingestion, however, people can make them into teas. Mushrooms are also often combined with various other substances. Labels for the drugs consist of “shrooms” and “magic mushrooms.”.
Ketamine
At vet centers, veterinarians use Ketamine as an anesthetic. Students might hand out and use Keatime at parties, leading to “out-of-body experiences.” Various other short-term effects of ketamine consist of short-term memory loss and immobilization. Due to these threats, ketamine is amongst the most usual date rape drugs. Labels for ketamine consist of “K” and “special K.”.
Salvia
Salvia is a member of the mint family and provides users a quick hallucinatory experience. A high from salvia can last for up to 30 minutes. Because of this, students and young adults find salvia attractive because they can experience a short-term high whereas trips or highs from LCD and Psilocybin can last up to 12 hours. Salvia often functions as an entrance into other hallucinogens. Labels for salvia you might have listened to consist of “magic mint” and “Sally-D.”
DMT
DMT is popular during music festivals and parties. Also, like Salvia, the “trip” or high is short-lived but provides intense hallucinations.
When smoked, DMT produces brief yet intense visual and auditory hallucinations which induce feelings of an alternate reality or near-death experiences. Although, depending on the individual user, the DMT experience can vary from extremely exciting to extremely frightening. The experience can be so effective that users may have trouble processing and integrating the “trip” right into their real life. Psychological negative effects may stick around for days or weeks after consumption of the drug.
Hallucinogens in the Media
Young adults exposed to in the media can impact how they view drug use and its dangers. For example, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone showed up to the 2000 Oscars while they were high on hallucinogenic substances. Eleven years later, both comedy authors appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and confessed to the truth that they were tripping on LSD at that occasion. It was an unfavorable move for them to admit this, since role models’ use of hallucinogens can encourage the exact same behavior in young adults and make them seem safe.
Alcohol
Alcohol is the most frequently used and abused drug by adolescents. In spite of the legal age of 21, it is usually fairly easy for teens to acquire alcohol. For instance, if they can not acquire a fake ID to make a purchase at a store, they can typically turn to their very own households– in refrigerators and kitchen cabinets. At parties, teenagers take part in drinking games that include consuming large amounts of alcohol. Among the deadlier risks of teen alcohol abuse is “binge-drinking” which include these types of games.
Alcohol in the Media
The media proliferates the message that alcohol is normal– and cool to use– in social places. Billboards and magazine advertisements are just half the issue. This is because celebs usually function as bad role models, living out their struggles with alcohol in the public eye.
Daniel Radcliffe– of Harry Potter fame– has been open with the media regarding his struggle with alcoholism. He came to be a worldwide superstar at the young age of 12, turning to alcohol to alleviate the pressures of fame. Today he has thankfully quit drinking and openly advocates for commitment towards soberness.
Marijuana
Marijuana is a plant that can be smoked to give users a feeling of relaxation and mellowness. In some instances, cannabis can trigger feelings of anxiety, paranoia, and fear. Still, people often smoke and share the drug at parties. In the last few years, laws concerning the drug have been loosened in the U.S. Legal to use or not, the addicting properties of cannabis are legitimate and can influence your child if they start to use repeatedly. To maintain marijuana use in secret, teenagers typically refer to the drug by nicknames– the most prominent ones are still “weed” and “bud.”
Marijuana in the Media
Cannabis is usually the substance of choice in Hollywood comedy films that leave protagonists in unintentional drug-induced problems. With its rising legality across the U.S., the impression is that the substance is not dangerous and harmless.
In recent years, Brad Pitt has opened up concerning marijuana usage when he was younger. He has spoken out about how his regular marijuana usage may have spurred his much-discussed bout with depression. In 2012, he informed The Hollywood Reporter, “I was doing the same thing every night and numbing myself to sleep — the same routine: Couldn’t wait to get home and hide out.” Now, he has since quit the drug.
Inhalants
These are a variety of drugs that are inhaled– or “huffed”– in order to attain a short-lived high. Inhalants are economical and unbelievably simple for teenagers to acquire since they are often everyday home items – including whipped cream containers, permanent markers, bleach and various other cleansing chemicals. Inhalants are in some cases called “rush drugs” due to the fact that they provide a brief and intense high before the user comes “back down.” Amongst the most significant side effects of inhalants are tremors and blackouts. Nicknames for inhalants consist of “whippets” or “nitrous.”.
Inhalants in the Media
Inhalants are easy to access in many cases, making it a quick fix for a user craving a high. Recently, stars have succumbed to the drug. England’s Prince Harry has made rounds on tabloids and news outlets for his use of inhalants. In 2012, actress Demi Moore was hospitalized when she had a seizure due to abusing the drug. She recovered by opting to go through rehab and dedicating herself to the recovery process.
Cocaine
Cocaine, typically snorted as a powder, has extreme effects. Noticeable indications of teen cocaine use include bursts of energy and talkativeness. This makes it a popular drug of choice for adolescents at clubs or parties. Cocaine has many different nicknames, the most common are “coke” and “blow.”.
Cocaine and Celebrities
The act of snorting cocaine is common on tv and in the motion pictures. The substance has derailed several encouraging jobs, including those of actor Chris Farley and singer Whitney Houston– both passing away of a cocaine overdose. There have also been success stories of healing, however. In 2010, vocalist Bruno Mars, cops arrested him on felony charges for cocaine use but has since avoided any kind of drug-related trouble. Actress Drew Barrymore recoiled from a highly public cocaine addiction throughout her teenage years; a drug rehab aided her recovery and endured a successful career as a sober grownup.
Ecstasy
Ecstasy is among the most typical substances at parties and clubs. Young people rely on ecstasy because of the discreteness of the drug’s pill and capsule types– in comparison to alcohol, which may be more difficult for teenagers to secretly consume in a public setting. Indications of ecstasy use consist of extreme joy and friendliness, which can drive adolescents into compromising situations. More significant threats include hallucinations and paranoia. Teenagers often refer to ecstasy as “E,” “X” or “Molly.”.
Ecstasy in the Media
Ecstasy is typically the substance of option for stars that wish to loosen up at a get-together. Actress Melissa Joan Hart confessed that she took the substance to help her relax before a Playboy Mansion party in 1999. Recently, singer Miley Cyrus confessed that it’s ecstasy she means when she recommends “dancing with Molly” in her hit single “We Can’t Stop.” The substance continues to be prominant around parties and clubs because of its fast, energetic, and social effects.
Stimulants
Stimulants are very popular among partygoers because of their capacity to increase a user’s energy and focus. These substances work by impacting specific parts of the mind that induce alertness. Popular sorts of stimulants include Adderall, Vyvanse and Ritalin, 3 drugs recommended for ADHD. However, students often use these drugs to stay up late partying or even studying. Common stimulants are Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvanse, Caffeine, and Methamphetamine.
Adderall and Vyvanse
Adderall is a prescription oral medication regularly prescribed to help clients detected with ADHD. Vyvanse is also another very common amphetamine used aganst ADHD. These drugs help those with ADHD focus on everyday tasks. Due to its stimulating properties, teenagers often use this drug non-medically for increased focus and partying without becoming tired. To be very discreet, you may hear your son or daughter refer to Adderall as “addys” or “uppers.”.
Ritalin
Another ADHD medication abused by both non-medical and medical users, Ritalin, is an oral medication offering increased energy and a minor “high.” Students may use Ritalin by the code names, “Vitamin R” and “R-ball.”
Caffeine
While people usually associate caffeine with their morning coffee, teenagers can build caffeine dependencies by abusing large quantities of the substance at social gatherings. Some beverage manufacturers offer this substance in the form of energy drinks which include unsafe amounts of caffeine. Serious negative effects happen when individuals mix caffeine with alcohol and other drugs.
Methamphetamine.
Methamphetamine is an especially destructive stimulant, and is currently the most heavily abused synthetic substance on the market. The substance gives users an euphoric experience of surges of energy and satisfaction. Negative effects of teen meth misuse have been described as similar to those of coke, yet are much more obvious and lingering. Many meth users go through stark facial weathering and aging, both of which are significant effects of the drug. Young adults usually call methamphetamine “ice” or “crystal.”.
Stimulants in the Media.
Meth is a powerful substance that has interfered with several Hollywood professionals. Most recently, actress Lindsay Lohan’s tabloids were due to the effects of meth and other substances. Her first arrest in 2010 for drug and DUI charges, she was ordered by a court of law to undergo therapy. The well-publicized case showed the powerful and agonizing effect of the stimulant methamphetamine. The actress has had continued problems with the substance, however tweeted her dedication to a “clean, fresh start” in 2015.
Date Rape Drugs.
Some preditors use certain party drugs to paralyze a victim and perform sexual assault. Normally in tablet and powder form, these drugs can be quickly blended into an unwary person’s beverage at a party.
The most common date rape substances are as follows:.
Rohypnol – Probably the most widely known date rape substance, “roofies” takes about 30 minutes to begin. Rohypnol causes victims to behave as if they are highly intoxicated – they can even lose consciousness. The effects of roofies last for a number of hours. Victims often awaken the next day with no recollection of events after taking the drug.
GHB – Used in clinical settings as a general anesthetic, the depressant gamma-hydroxybutyric acid takes about 15 mins to start, and its effects last for about 3 hrs. Those drugged with GHB commonly do not remember events after being drugged.
Ketamine – This dissociative drug acts quickly to put the victim right into a dream-like state, in which they feel separated from reality. They may even not be aware of the events that are happening to them at the moment.
Xanax – Xanax is a benzodiazepine drug that induces memory loss at high doses. It works on the central nervous system in less than 30 mins. With a large enough dosage, a victim might even black out.
Does My Child Need Help?
It’s time to step in if you’ve discovered that your child has abused any illicit substances. This is because when drug usage begins early, addiction becomes the most likely result. At the first indications of this behavior, talk with a local drug addiction counselor, or call our hotline at CoalitionRecovery.com – (888) 707-2873
Once you call, we can advise you and respond to any questions you may have regarding student or teen drug abuse. It’s totally free to call, and everything we review will be maintained confidential.
Furthermore, if substance abuse has accelerated into addiction, often the very best method to combat it is with a personalized rehabilitation program. Your family has a number of substance abuse treatment options to choose from, and your family doctor can help you decide which will work best. In some cases of addiction, treatment at a residential facility is required and in others, outpatient treatment may suffice. Finally, only a specialist can identify the most useful choice for your child. Often times, we can recommend the type of treatment over the phone.
Your teen’s wellness is far too precious to neglect. Take the first step towards well-being for your teen by calling our group at CoalitionRecovery.com. Our specialist treatment consultants can offer as much or as little help as you desire. Your son or daughter’s future is in your hands– do not leave it to chance.
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Medical Disclaimer: Coalition Recovery ™ aims to improve the quality of life for individuals dealing with a substance usage or mental health condition with fact-based content about behavioural health problems, treatment choices and their associated end results. We provide services researched, cited, edited and reviewed by certified doctors. The details we supply are not meant to be a substitute for professional medical recommendations, medical diagnosis or therapy. It is not to replace suggestions from your physician or another qualified healthcare provider.
