Download club drugs: an approach to review the hazard in indian scenario

DOI : 10.9780/2321-3485/1252013/59
Reviews Of Progress
ISSN:-2321-3485
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Vol - 1, Issue - 25, Oct 16 2013
CLUB DRUGS: AN APPROACH TO REVIEW THE
HAZARD IN INDIAN SCENARIO
Bhavana. Desai1, Prakash.Tiwari2 And J.L.Kalyan3
1
Research Scholar,Dept of Criminology and Forensic Science
Karnatak Science College, Dharwad, Karnataka
2
Dept of Forensic Science,Dr. Hari Sing Gour University
Sagar , Madhya Pradesh
3
Associate Professor,Dept of Criminology and Forensic Science
Karnatak Science College,Dharwad, Karnataka
Abstract:
"Club Drugs" is a general term for a number of illicit drugs, primarily
synthetic, that are most commonly encountered at nightclubs and "raves." Club Drugs
which include GHB, Ketamine, MDMA, GBL, Rohypnol, LSD, PCP, methamphetamine
etc have become popular with the people in raves because they are perceived to enhance
energy, sociability and sexual arousal. “Raves” are a form of dance and recreation that
is held in a clandestine location with fast pace, high volume music, a variety of high tech
entertainment and usually the use of club drugs. The use of these drugs by young people
has increased in the last decade and they have gained popularity primarily due to the
false perception that they are not as harmful, nor as addictive, as mainstream drugs such
as heroin. These kinds of drugs are used to increase the enjoyment of the event. India also
according to some reports is facing this rising menace. Social awareness about club
drugs in India is very sparse and only few newspapers and reports are registered which
are not enough in convincing the large young mass of our country.
KEY WORDS:
Raves, Date Rape, LSD, Ketamines, MDMA, GHB,
INTRODUCTION
Night clubs, dance parties, raves and other events are popular venues for people to share their
interest in music to have fun or just spend time with friends. Some people collectively use a range of drugs
called “club drugs” to increase the excitement and enjoyment of the party. These drugs became popular in
Great Britain in late 1980's [4]. These kinds of drugs are variable called 'club drugs', rave drugs' or part
drugs'. One of the dangers associated with this emerging drug market is that drug quality may vary
significantly, and substitute drugs often are sold when suppliers are unable to provide the drug currently in
demand [5]. Because some club drugs are colorless, odorless and tasteless, they can be added without
detection to beverages by individuals who want to intoxicate or sedate others in order to commit sexual
assaults (also known as “date rape,” “drug rape,” “acquaintance rape,” or “drug-assisted” assault) due to
their ability to sedate and incapacitate unsuspecting victims, preventing them from resisting sexual assault
[6] [7]. Club drugs are a pharmacologically heterogeneous group of psychoactive drugs that tend to be
abused by teens and young adults at bars, night clubs, concerts and parties [7]. Club drugs can seriously
harm the physical and mental health of those who use them though only a small number of people need
treatment for club drugs, the figure is creeping upwards8. The term “club drugs” came from the association
of these drugs with “raves” and dance clubs. The 6 drugs commonly thought of as club drugs and
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CLUB DRUGS: AN APPROACH TO REVIEW THE HAZARD IN INDIAN SCENARIO
highlighted in this report are d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD),Gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB, or its
precursor gamma-butyrolatone [GBL]),Ketamine, methamphetamine,methylenedioxymethamphetamine
(MDMA or Ecstasy), and Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) [9].
The British Crime Survey says the number of 16-59 year olds using drugs is falling: 3.3 million
used in 2005, but this had fallen to 2.9 million in 2011. Cannabis, the most popular drug, dropped from 2.8
million in 2005 to 2.3 million in 2011. Over the same period, powder cocaine fell from 770,000 to 703,000.
Other research shows the peak of 332,000 heroin and crack users in England in 2005-06 fell to 306,000 in
2009-10. Despite this decline in overall use, around one million adults are estimated to have used club drugs
in 2011-12. Ecstasy is used the most, but its popularity is waning: use is down from 502,000 in 2005-06 to
461,000 in 2011-12. Ketamine use has changed little over the last three years, hovering at around 200,000
adults. Just 0.1% of the adult population recently used either GHB/GBL or methamphetamine. Last year,
6,486 people (4,479 over-18s, 2,007 under-18s) were treated for a club drug – up from the 2005-06 figure of
4,656 (3,122 over-18s, 1,534 under-18s). Most of this increase comes from more people receiving
treatment for ketamine and mephedrone. However, club drug users make up just 2% of adults and 10% of
young people in treatment [8]. Below are some of the club drugs used and abused and their pharmacological
actions.
MDMA (3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine)
Street Names: Ecstasy, XTC, E, X, Adam, Lover's Speed, Clarity
Ecstasy or MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a stimulant that combines the
properties of methamphetamine or “speed” with mind-altering or hallucinogenic properties. It is
considered to be the most commonly used club (or “designer” drug). It can also be in capsule or powder
form and can be injected and its effects lasts approximately 4 to 6 hrs [9]. Primarily illicitly manufactured in
and trafficked from Europe, MDMA is the most popular of the club drugs. The drug is a synthetic,
psychoactive substance possessing stimulant and mild hallucinogenic properties. Known as the "hug drug"
or "feel good" drug, it reduces inhibitions and produces feelings of empathy for others, the elimination of
anxiety, and extreme relaxation. In addition to chemical stimulation, the drug reportedly suppresses the
need to eat, drink, or sleep. This enables club scene users to endure all-night and sometimes 2 to 3 day
parties. Laboratory identification of MDMA is difficult. As many as one-third of immunoassay urine
screens have failed to detect it in standardized specimens, although some cross-reactivity with
amphetamines may occur if the concentration is high. Toxicologists have now developed procedures for
detection or quantification of MDMA and its metabolites [5].
KETAMINE
Street Names: K, Special K, Cat Valium, Vitamin K
Marketed as a dissociative general anesthetic for human and veterinary use, the only known
source of ketamine is diverted pharmaceutical products. Ketamine liquid can be injected, applied to
smokable material, or consumed in drinks. The powdered form is made by allowing the solvent to
evaporate, leaving a white or slightly off-white powder that, once pulverized, looks very similar to cocaine
[5]. The powder can be put into drinks, injected or smoked sometimes with marijuana. A typical method
uses a nasal inhaler, called a “bullet” or “bumper”; an inhalation is called a “bump”. Ketamine often is taken
in “trail mixes” of methamphetamine, cocaine, sildenafil citrate (Viagra), or heroin [10]. Both popular and
research accounts indicate that the recreational use of ketamine has widened in the context of nightclubs,
dance parties, and raves [11]. Ketamine is not detected in routine drug screens, and clinicians should be
aware that immunoassays for PCP may cross-react with ketamine assays. High-performance liquid
chromatography (HPLC) is required to reliably detect ketamine. Ketamine is a Schedule III controlled
substance in USA whereas in India it is placed under Schedule H. Ketamine users often take several
sequential doses of the drug in order to maintain psychotropic effects over time [4].
GHB (Gamma Hydroxybutyrate)
Street Names: Liquid Ecstasy, Soap, Easy Lay, Georgia Home Boy, Grievous Bodily Harm, Liquid X,
and Goop.
GHB can be produced in clear liquid, white powder, table, and capsule forms, and it is often used
in combination with alcohol, making it even more dangerous. GHB has been increasingly involved in
poisonings, overdoses, “date rapes, and fatalities. The drug is used predominantly by adolescents and
young adults, often when they attend nightclubs and raves. GHB is often manufactured in homes with
recipes and ingredients found and purchased on the Internet [9]. GHB is a central nervous system
depressant that was banned by the FDA in 1990 but was later approved in 2002 for use in the treatment of
narcolepsy. Originally sold in health food stores, GHB was marketed as a releasing agent for growth
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CLUB DRUGS: AN APPROACH TO REVIEW THE HAZARD IN INDIAN SCENARIO
hormones that would stimulate muscle growth. GHB is easily produced by combining Gamma
Butyrolactone (GBL) with either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide in a cooking pot or bucket. The
chemicals give off heat as they react, and the final product does not have to be isolated or separated from the
solution [5].
It is often used as a chemical method of counteracting the stimulant effect of MDMA. GHB is
primarily available in liquid form, although it is sometimes encountered as a powder. It is highly soluble,
and is often added to spring water or concealed in mouthwash bottles. Due to its salty taste, flavorings are
often added, and it is sometimes passed off as a high-carbohydrate health drink [4] [5]. GHB and Rohypnol
are available in odorless, colorless, and tasteless forms that are frequently combined with alcohol and other
beverages. Both drugs have been used to commit sexual assaults (also known as “date rape,” “drug rape,”
“acquaintance rape,” or “drug-assisted” assault) due to their ability to sedate and incapacitate unsuspecting
victims, preventing them from resisting sexual assault [7].
GHB is detected by routine urine screens, but other immunoassays for GHB and GBL are not
available. These are reliably detected by specific requests for GC-MS, but timing is important, as GHB is
rapidly excreted as carbon dioxide through exhalation [12]. GHB has a half-life of 27 min71 and it is
virtually undetected in the urine 12 h after ingestion. Since GHB continues to be produced after death, it
should not be stored in tubes containing citrate, but should be collected in tubes containing sodium fluoride
[13]. In cases of chemical submission, both urine and blood should be analyzed, since GHB is present
longer in urine than in blood, and a detailed case history should be obtained. A sensitive and specific GCMS method using selective ion monitoring has been developed for the quantification of GHB in blood [14].
ROHYPNOL (Flunitrazepam)
Street Names: Roofies, Rophies, Roche, Forget-me Pill, Circles, Mexican Valium, Rib, Roach-2,
Roopies, Rope, Ropies, Ruffies, and Roaches
Most commonly known as a date-rape drug, Rohypnol continues to be popular among young
adults at raves. The drug is readily available at clubs and raves, and reportedly has become extremely
popular at gay clubs [5]. It is approved in Europe and is used in more than 60 countries as a treatment for
insomnia, as a sedative, and as a pre-surgery anesthetic [9]. Adding to the popularity of the drug is the
perception that the drug cannot be detected in a urinalysis. While the drug can be detected (2-milligram
doses can be detected within 72 hours of ingestion), it does break down very quickly, and many commercial
toxicological screens do not detect flunitrazepam. In sexual assault cases, forensic laboratories need to
screen for the flunitrazepam metabolite, 7-amino-flunitrazepam, using gas chromatography and/or mass
spectrometry [5]. Overdoses can lead to loss of consciousness and respiratory depression that can be life
threatening. Supportive measures include use of activated charcoal to absorb drug in the gastrointestinal
tract as well as respiratory support.
LSD (d-lysergic acid diethylamide)
Street Names: Acid, Boomers, Yellow Sunshine, Cid, Doses, and Trips
LSD is a powerful hallucinogenic compound that is readily available at concerts and raves. LSD
manufacturing is a time-consuming, complex chemical process. Although the recipe is available on the
Internet, a solid background in chemistry is essential. The primary precursor chemicals are either
ergotamine tartrate or lysergic acid amide. Pure LSD is a clear or white, odorless crystalline material that is
water-soluble. Liquid LSD is primarily associated with mid-level distribution. LSD in liquid or crystal
form generally is sold in plastic film canisters or, occasionally, in small, opaque plastic bottles to prevent
oxidation. Liquid LSD is mixed with a binding agent and pressed into pills ("microdots" that are only 3/32
of an inch or smaller); distributed in thin squares of gelatin ("window panes"); distributed in breath mint
vials and treated sugar cubes; or dissolved and diluted and applied to blotter paper. The most common
method of distributing LSD is blotter paper, and there may be as many as 80 street names for the drug, based
upon the designs on the papers [5]
METHAMPHETAMINE
Street Names: Speed, Ice, Chalk, Meth, Crystal, Crank, Fire, and Glass
Methamphetamine has emerged as an alternative to MDMA at clubs and raves. Traditionally
considered the “poor-man's” cocaine, methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant.
Methamphetamine is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting, soluble crystalline powder. If methamphetamine is
supplied by small-scale, amateur laboratory operators, there is a strong possibility that the drug may contain
toxic chemical adulterants. Methamphetamine can be smoked, snorted, injected, or orally ingested. The
injection of methamphetamine can contribute to higher rates of infectious disease, especially hepatitis,
HIV, and AIDS. Generally, club drug users already use drugs that are in pill form, and wish to avoid the
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CLUB DRUGS: AN APPROACH TO REVIEW THE HAZARD IN INDIAN SCENARIO
stigmas that come with the use of drugs such as cocaine and heroin (intravenous injections, track marks,
etc.) [4] [5]
Methamphetamine is a toxic, addictive stimulant that affects many areas of the central nervous
system. The drug is often made in clandestine laboratories from relatively inexpensive over the counter
ingredients. Diverse groups, including young adults who attend raves, in many regions of the country, are
using it [9]
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CLUB DRUGS: AN APPROACH TO REVIEW THE HAZARD IN INDIAN SCENARIO
INDIAN SCENARIO OF CLUB DRUGS:
Indian data on club drugs are very limited with little efforts being made to gather systematic data
regarding the same. The first nationwide survey to obtain information on extent, pattern and magnitude of
substance abuse in the country indicated new emerging trend of substance use in India with amphetamine
like substances (ATS) are being more used in regions like Goa and Ahmedabad. Most reports regarding club
drugs are from newspaper articles; hence there is an urgent need for verified, authentic research data. With
technological advancement and particularly the information technology sector coming up in a big way in
India suddenly there is a neo-rich young generation. This is often coupled with the need to escape
temporarily from the severe work pressure and social isolation created by this lifestyle. With drug licensing
and controlling authorities focusing more on licit and traditional illicit drugs e.g., opioid, cannabis, club
drugs have caught the fancy of this neo-rich young generation.
The rave parties of Goa are said to be started by the Hippies. Earlier Rave parties meant loud
music, alcohol and cannabis abuse. Since the late eighties, psychedelic culture in the northern village of
Anjuna became increasingly concentrated on free outdoor parties with a particular subgenre of electronic
dance music, which by 1994 was known as Goa trance and later became much darker, more minimal and
aggressive, called psy-trance Rave parties in Goa happen in every tourist season (November to May) which
are attended mainly by foreigners from the UK, Israel, Germany, France and Japan. The bars organizing
such parties sell Ecstasy or LSD. In last few years upper-class Indians have massively taken to Ecstasy and
clubbing and there are more women amongst them. Later on, with government interventions and regulatory
norms, drug abuse came down as these were declared illegal by law. Goa police recently admitted about the
unorganized and the organized channels for ketamine in Goa. Bangalore is baptized the Silicon Valley of
India and has turned into a rave hotspot. The spot lights in the clubs create an atmosphere between cozy and
disco, everybody drinks, most smoke and a few take psychedelic drugs. Most raves in the city do get busted
by the police. In Pune, 280 people were arrested during a pre-dawn raid on a rave party in March 2007. The
ravers were allegedly using California drops. A California drop is acid that is put on a stamp, which is then
chewed; the cost of each drop is put between INR 350 and 500. Like the Irish woman suspected of supplying
drugs at the Pune party, foreigners have been arrested for peddling illegal LSD, Ecstasy and cocaine at
various rave parties in Bangalore and Mumbai. Sometimes police directly raid rave parties in plain clothes
and catch ravers red-handed. People who are found in the Rave Party are often booked under Section 27 of
the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropics Substances Act of 1985 and Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code [4]
CONCLUSION:
The use of synthetic drugs has become a popular method of enhancing the club and rave
experience, which is characterized by loud, rapid-tempo "techno" music (140 to 200 beats per minute), light
shows, smoke or fog, and pyrotechnics. Users of drugs such as MDMA report that the effects of the drug
heighten the user's perceptions, especially the visual stimulation. Quite often, users of MDMA at clubs will
dance with light sticks to increase their visual stimulation. The use of club drugs is s huge menace to our
society. Strict rules and regulations must be followed to curb this menace. The lack of research-based
information on the adverse effects of these drugs has led to the emergence of a range of websites that may or
may not provide accurate information. India has a huge teenage population which is being targeted by
foreign drug peddlers to flourish their business. Club drugs continue to be modified and evolve, making
them very difficult to monitor. Back in 2003, we were horrified when a young girl in Goa was drugged and
gang-raped by her friends after she smoked a 'cigarette' they offered her. In 2007, headlines carried the
tragic tale of a British tourist who was drugged and sexually assaulted by a friend in her hotel room in Delhi.
Recently the media carried a story of how a 23-year-old American girl, a student at the Tata Institute of
Social Sciences, TISS, in Trombay, was drugged and raped by six male friends. The free availability of
sedatives and party drugs over the counter have led to an enormous amount of misuse and numerous girls
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CLUB DRUGS: AN APPROACH TO REVIEW THE HAZARD IN INDIAN SCENARIO
wake up the morning after with no recollection of how they spent the night. These drugs are colorless,
odorless and tasteless, so spiking someone's drink with them is extremely easy. They are available at
pharmacies even without a doctor's prescription. The huge quantity was seized by the Directorate of
Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Friday from a father and son duo, along with Rs 70 lakhs in cash. Jaipur has
been shocked with the seizure of a quintal of Ketamine, popularly known as a date rape drug. Rajasthan has
been in grip of drug cartels in recent years. Opium, its derivatives and synthetic drugs are freely available in
most cities and small towns. Government and police turn a blind eye to its consumption despite large
number of youths getting addicted. A few months back a judge allegedly raped a female and recently a
medical intern in Delhi allegedly raped a patient. One keeps hearing such news much too often. Many a time
it is a gang rape. All have one modus operandi in common. The girl was given some water or soft drink to
drink and after that she does not remember anything. Such cases ruin the sociability, tradition and culture of
our country. Collective effort from all the teenagers, NGOs, health professionals, and the law makers may
help in curing this hazardous disease.
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CLUB DRUGS: AN APPROACH TO REVIEW THE HAZARD IN INDIAN SCENARIO
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