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PCP Addiction
PCP (Phencyclidine)
aka: Wazoo, Gumby,
T,
Moonwalking... |
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PCP
(phencyclidine) was developed in the 1950s as an intravenous anesthetic. Use of PCP in
humans was discontinued in 1965, because it was found that patients often became agitated,
delusional, and irrational while recovering from its anesthetic effects. PCP is illegally
manufactured in laboratories and is sold on the street by such names as "angel
dust," "ozone," "wack," and "rocket fuel." "Killer
joints" and "crystal supergrass" are names that refer to PCP combined with
marijuana. The variety of street names for PCP reflects its bizarre and volatile effects.
| PCP is a
white crystalline powder that is readily soluble in water or alcohol. It has a distinctive
bitter chemical taste. |
| PCP can be mixed easily
with dyes and turns up on the illicit drug market in a variety of tablets, capsules, and
colored powders.
It
is normally used in one of three ways: snorted, smoked, or eaten. For smoking, PCP is
often applied to a leafy material such as mint, parsley, oregano, or marijuana. |
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Health Hazards
PCP is addicting; that is, its use
often leads to psychological dependence, craving, and compulsive PCP-seeking behavior. It
was first introduced as a street drug in the 1960s and quickly gained a reputation as a
drug that could cause bad reactions and was not worth the risk. Many people, after using
the drug once, will not knowingly use it again. Yet others use it consistently and
regularly. Some persist in using PCP because of its addicting properties. Others cite
feelings of strength, power, invulnerability and a numbing effect on the mind as reasons
for their continued PCP use.
Many PCP users are brought to
emergency rooms because of PCP's unpleasant psychological effects or because of overdoses.
In a hospital or detention setting, they often become violent or suicidal, and are very
dangerous to themselves and to others. They should be kept in a calm setting and should
not be left alone.
At low to moderate doses,
physiological effects of PCP include a slight increase in breathing rate and a more
pronounced rise in blood pressure and pulse rate. Respiration becomes shallow, and
flushing and profuse sweating occur. Generalized numbness of the extremities and muscular in coordination also may occur. Psychological effects include distinct changes in body
awareness, similar to those associated with alcohol intoxication. Use of PCP among
adolescents may interfere with hormones related to normal growth and development as well
as with the learning process.
At high doses of PCP, there is a drop
in blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiration. This may be accompanied by nausea,
vomiting, blurred vision, flicking up and down of the eyes, drooling, loss of balance, and
dizziness. High doses of PCP can also cause seizures, coma, and death (though death more
often results from accidental injury or suicide during PCP intoxication). Psychological
effects at high doses include illusions and hallucinations. PCP can cause effects that
mimic the full range of symptoms of schizophrenia, such as delusions, paranoia, disordered
thinking, a sensation of distance from one's environment, and catatonia. Speech is often
sparse and garbled.
People who use PCP for long periods
report memory loss, difficulties with speech and thinking, depression, and weight loss.
These symptoms can persist up to a year after cessation of PCP use. Mood disorders also
have been reported. PCP has sedative effects, and interactions with other central nervous
system depressants, such as alcohol and benzodiazepines, can lead to coma or accidental
overdose.
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