Transcript Slide 1

What are Hallucinogens?
 Hallucinogenic substances are characterized by their ability to cause
changes in a person’s perception of reality.
 Persons using these drugs often report seeing images, hearing
sounds, and feeling sensations that seem real, but do not exist.
 In the past, plants and fungi that contained hallucinogenic
substances were abused but now they are produced synthetically to
provide a higher potency.
 Types:
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LSD
PCP
Psilocybin
Mescaline
DMT
Foxy
Dextromethorphan
LSD
(lysergic acid diethylamide)
 It was discovered in 1938 and is manufactured
from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a
fungus that grows on rye and other grains.
 It is not considered an addictive drug since it does
not produce compulsive drug-seeking behavior.
 Users refer to their experience as a “trip” and to
acute adverse reactions as a “bad trip”. These
experiences are long and typically begin to clear
after about 12 hours.
PCP
(Phencyclidine)
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It was developed in the 1950s as an intravenous anesthetic, but was
discontinued in 1965 because patients became agitated, delusional, and
irrational while recovering form its anesthetic effects.
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It is illegally manufactured in laboratories and sold on the streets as angel
dust, ozone, wack, and rocket fuel.
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PCP is a white crystalline powder that is readily soluble in water or alcohol. I
has a distinctive bitter chemical taste.
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It can be easily mixed with dyes and comes in the form of tablets, capsules,
and colored powders.
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It can be snorted, smoked, or ingested.
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For smoking, it is often applied to a leafy material such as mint, parsley,
oregano, or marijuana.
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PCP is addictive; its repeated abuse can lead to craving and compulsive
PCP-seeking behavior.
Psilocybin
 Psilocybin is obtained from certain mushrooms
found in South America, Mexico, and the U.S,
although it can also be produced synthetically.
 The mushrooms are usually ingested orally, but
can also be brewed in a tea or added to food to
mask the bitter flavor.
 Once ingested, psilocybin is broken down in the
user’s body to produce psilocybin, another
hallucinogenic substance.
Mescaline
 Mescaline is the active ingredient in
peyote, a small, spineless cactus
historically used by natives in Mexico and
southwestern US as part of religious
rites.
 It can also be produced synthetically.
DMT
 DMT is found in a number of plants and seeds,
but can also be produced synthetically.
 It is usually ingested by snorting, smoking, or
injecting the drug.
 DMT is not effective in producing hallucinogenic
effects when ingested by itself and is therefore
used in conjunction with another drug that inhibits
its metabolism.
Foxy
 Foxy Methoxy is available in a powder,
capsule, and tablet form and is usually
ingested orally.
 Foxy tablets and capsules vary in color and
logos sometimes appear on tablets.
Dextromethorphan (DXM)
 DXM is a cough suppressing ingredient in a variety
of over the counter cold and cough medications.
 At the doses recommended for treating coughs,
the drug is safe and effective.
 At much higher doses, it produces dissociative
effects similar to those of PCP Ketamine.
Health Effects
 Users often experience changes in perception, thought,
and mood.
 The effects of these drugs are often unpredictable and a
user may experience different effects compared to other
users or past usage.
 Hallucinogens can produce physiological effects:
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Elevated heart rate
Increased blood pressure
Dilated pupils
Sweating
Loss of appetite
Extent of Use
 In 2006, 35.3 million Americans aged 12 and
older reported trying hallucinogens at least
once during their lifetimes.
 In 2007, 3.1 % of eight graders, 6.4 % of tenth
graders, and 8.4 % of twelfth graders reported
lifetime use of hallucinogens.