DRUGS AND EFFECTS

Colorado Springs Police

Department

Metro Vice, Narcotics and Intelligence

Officer Teresa Schutz

/ Rev. 2-02

MDMA - Ecstasy

• Also known as:– XTC– X– E– Pill– Roll– Clarity– Love Drug– Hug Drug– Disco Biscuits– Lover’s Speed

MDMA - Ecstasy

History of MDMA - Ecstasy • First created in 1912• Used as an appetite suppressant• In 1950s its was studied for use

in chemical warfare• 1985 - US Government regulated

it as a Schedule I Controlled Substance– No medicinal value, highly addictive

• 1990s - Studies reveal Ecstasy causes brain damage

Manufacturing/Distribution of Ecstasy

• Combined effects similar to methamphetamine (speed) and mescaline (hallucinogen)

• Made in Europe, mostly in the Netherlands

• Some labs now in US• Costs approx $15-30 a

dose

What does Ecstasy look like?

• Mostly in tablets, some found in capsules

• Tablets come with many different logos and colors and are named accordingly

• Teen age girl in Boulder dies from a single Ecstasy pill -- Four Leaf Clover

- Adam

- Anker

- Barney

- Batman

- Camel

What does Ecstasy look like?

Symptoms of MDMA - Ecstasy

• Initial effects felt in 30-45 minutes

• Peak effects felt in 60-90 minutes

• Duration of effects last 4 to 6 hours

Physical Symptoms - Ecstasy• During Use

– Dry mouth– Bruxism - the grinding of

teeth and jaws, sometime to the extent of breaking teeth

– Muscle tension– Blurred vision– Rapid Eye Movement– Nausea and faintness

– Increased heart rate– Tingling sensations– Increased body

temperature - known to go as high as 117oF

• High risk for heat stroke• Dehydration

Ecstasy Use

Crash

Normal Coping

Pharmacology of MDMA - Ecstasy

• Ecstasy causes the brain to release all stored Serotonin into the brain at once (extreme high)

• Serotonin and the neurons that produce it “play a direct role in regulating aggression, mood, sexual activity, sleep and sensitivity to pain.”*

• In some, normal Serotonin levels may never be recuperated and the neurons that spread it throughout the brain may be destroyed or blocked

*According to the NIDA - National Institute of Drug Abuse

Consequences of the Brain - Ecstasy

• Acne like rash• Severe liver and kidney

damage• May alter motor skills

permanently - similar to Parkinson’s disease

• Permanent, long-term brain damage

• Short term memory loss NIDA PHOTO

Ecstasy UserNormal Brain

Positron Emission Photography

Red area shows normal Serotonin activity

Dark area shows far lower Serotonin levels that may contribute to brain damage.

Use of MDMA - Ecstasy

• Users “Piggyback” or “Stack” Ecstasy– Multiple doses taken before

effects are felt– More taken before effects

wear off– Leads to overdose/death– Ravers tend not call EMS for

users who collapse – “Kitty Flipping” - ravers use

Ketamine & Ecstasy

– “Candy Flipping” - use LSD & Ecstasy

– “Hippy Flipping” - use Mushrooms & Ecstasy

GHB - Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid

• Also known as:– Grievous Bodily Harm

– Scoop

– “G”

– GH Beers

– GH Buddy

– Georgia Home Boy

– Gamma O

– EZ-Lay

– Liquid X or E

– Blue Verve

History of GHB

• Originated as a sleep aid and muscle enhancer

• 1980s - marketed as supplement in health stores

• 1990 FDA issued advisory calling GHB unsafe

• 2000 - Listed as Schedule I Controlled Substance– No medicinal value, highly addictive

What does GHB look like?• Colorless, odorless liquid, also

tablets and capsules• Easy to conceal

– Liquid or ice cubes of GHB are secretly put in drinks, alcohol, juice, water

– Sold in one drop doses at Raves

• Will foam like soap when shaken• Used as a Date Rape drug• Formerly marketed as GBL

which the body metabolizes into GHB (2002 DEA Arrests)

Effects of GHB

• Lower Doses– Depresses Central

Nervous System– Users appear drunk– Relaxed, generally

happy– More Sociable– Uninhibited

• Higher Doses– Nausea– Vomiting– Dizziness– Sleepiness– Loss of consciousness– Muscle spasms

Pharmacology of GHB• Usual dosage is a capful, about 1/2 teaspoon.• Effects are felt from 10 minutes to an hour and

last 2-3 hours.• Many deaths have occurred by overdose when

users take more before the effects are felt.• Overdose can cause loss of consciousness due

to respiratory distress and decreased heart rate.

GHB Analogs - Look-alikes, Act-alikes

• Illegal GHB analogs are increasingly common - do not require cooking

• Here’s a good opportunity to show what they do….

1,4 butanediol

Within 1-2 minutes, the styrofoam cup had disintegrated. Residue on the chemist’s fingers removed some of the finish on the camera too.

Watch What Happens!

Manufacturing and Distribution - GHB

• Main ingredients commonly used for manufacturing are sold as:– Furniture Cleaner

– Ink Jet Cleaner

– Floor Stripper

– Body Builder Enhancer

Hydrochloric Acid

Stored in Trash and Gasoline Cans

Consequences of GHB

• Extremely addictive• Recovery requires 2-3 weeks in intensive

care, supervised by a doctor. • Potency levels vary from “cook” to “cook” so

effects of drug are unpredictable per dose.• Stimulates sexually oriented behavior, often

interpreted as “willing” behavior. Victims may not remember sexual assault or experience.

Ketamine Hydrocholoride

• Also known as:– K– Special K– Ket– Vitamin K– Ketaset– Ketalar– Ketajet

What Does Ketamine Look Like?

• Comes in prescription type bottles

• Cooked into a white powder form for snorting

• Made legally in the USA by pharmaceutical companies

• FDA categorizes Ketamine as a Class III Controlled Substance

Pharmacology of Ketamine

• A “dissociative” anesthetic– Separates perception from sensation

• Originally used as a human anesthetic • Principally used as a veterinary anesthetic• Strong pain reliever• Hallucinogenic Effect

– Onset is within 10-20 minutes

• Produces effects similar to PCP with visual effects similar to LSD

• In lower doses, symptoms are similar to nitrous oxide– Floaty, light - mild, dreamy, feeling slightly

outside your body.• In higher doses - users feel very far away from

their body• Most users remain seated or lying down while

using• Hallucinogenic effects last up to one hour• Impairing effects last 18-24 hours after use

Symptomology of Ketamine

Symptomology of Ketamine

• Lower doses of Ketamine can increase heart rate

• Higher doses depress consciousness and breathing

• Dangerous to combine with Depressants such as alcohol, GHB, and Valium

Consequences of Ketamine

• Extremely psychologically addicting

• Can lead to Neurosis, flashbacks

• Depression

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide - LSD

• Also known as: – Acid– Big D– Gel Tabs – Ticket– Paper & Paper Acid– Dots, Microdot– Blotter & Blotter Acid– Pyramids– California Sunshine– Blue Heaven– Sunshine

History of LSD

• Most potent hallucinogen known to man.

• Once studied as treatment for mental illness because it is structurally similar to a chemical in the brain that effects psychosis.

• Once prevalent in the 1960s and 1970s - has made a resurgence in the 1990s

Pharmacology of LSD

• Oral doses as little as 0.025 mg. (25 micrograms, same as a few grains of salt) can produce hallucinations.

• Standard dose is 20-80 micrograms. A high dosage can last 10-12 hours.

• Initial effects are felt in 30-60 minutes

• One ounce of LSD is enough for 567,000 hits of 50 micrograms each.

• $5-20 a dose

What does LSD look like?

• LSD is absorbed transdermally - through the skin

• Normally given on blotter paper that is placed on the skin or tongue

• Different designs and colors can be on pills, vitamins, aspirin, etc.

• Can be injected, never smoked.

Symptoms of LSD

• Mental– Hallucinogenic state – Distorted perception of

time, depth, movement and sight.

– Hear colors, see sounds.

– Mind creates images that aren’t there, good or bad depending on mental state.

Consequences of LSD

• Long Term– Acute anxiety– Depression– Flashbacks– Brain damage

• Schizophrenia – Psychologically

addictive– Tolerance developed in

3-6 days of use• Need more and more

• Short Term– Dilated pupils– Goosebumps– Profuse perspiration– Higher body temperature– Increased blood sugar– Nausea– Rapid heart rate– Extreme mood swings– Hallucinogenic state– Distorted perception of time,

depth, movement and sight• “Hear” color, “see” sound

• DEATH

Methamphetamine– AKA: Speed, Meth, crystal,

crank – Illegally manufactured in home

made labs– Central nervous system

stimulant– Schedule II Controlled

Substance

Here’s what it can do:

The same person over 14 years…

Here’s another example:

Arrest Date: 09-15-1999

Arrest Date: 11-22-1999

2

Months

Later

Arrest Date: 07-30-2000

10

Months

Later

Arrest Date: 08-26-2000

11

Months

Later

Arrest Date: 10-06-2000

1

Year

Later

Arrest Date: 03-21-2001

18

Months

Later

Meth use has devastating effects….

9-15-99 18 Months Later