Alcohol and tobacco are still the most commonly used drugs in nightclub settings. However, other drugs or "Club Drugs" use have increase over the past two years. These include drugs of Ecstasy (MDA, MDMA), Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), Gammahydroxybutyrate (GHB), Ketamine, and Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD). These drugs are not only popular in parties, nightclubs, events, etc. among various types of people including teenagers, college students, and others but also these drugs have seen its use as a "date rape" drug. The following are description on some of the most common "Club Drugs" that are consumed in high quantities today.

Date Rape Drug Types

Ecstasy
 
An Ecstasy high can last from six to 24 hours, with the average "trip" lasting only about three to four hours. At moderate doses, Ecstasy is reported to cause euphoria, feelings of well-being, enhanced mental or emotional clarity, anxiety, or paranoia. Heavier doses can cause hallucinations, sensations of lightness and floating, depression, paranoid thinking, and violent, irrational behavior.

Rohypnol

Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) is a strong sedative which is manufactured and distributed by Hoffman-La Roche. A member of the benzodiazepine family which includes drugs such as Librium, Xanax, and Valium, Rohypnol is about ten times the strength of Valium. Typically, Rohypnol is smuggled into Texas from the Mexican pharmacias; supplies in Florida come from Latin America. Street prices in Texas range from $1 to $5 per pill. Slang terms for Rohypnol include Roach, Roche (ro-shay), Roofies, Run-Trip-and-Fall, R-2, Mexican Valium, Ropynol, Rib, and Rope. In Texas, to be under the influence of Rohypnol is "to get roached.X.

Gammahydroxybutyric Acid (GHB)
 
GHB produces intoxication followed by deep sedation. Once ingested, the drug will begin to take effect in 15 minutes to an hour, lasting one to three hours. GHB can cause nausea, vomiting, delusions, depression, vertigo, visual disturbances, seizures, respiratory distress, loss of consciousness, amnesia, and coma. When combined with alcohol and other drugs, the potential for deadly overdoses escalates rapidly. Numerous overdoses in Texas and nationwide have required emergency room treatment and mechanical assistance to breathe.

Ketamine

Ketamine (ketamine hydrochloride) is primarily used in veterinary medicine, and its use as a surgical anesthetic in humans is limited. Most supplies found on the street are diverted from legitimate sources. On the club scene, Ketamine can be found in liquid form or as a white powder that is snorted or smoked with marijuana or tobacco products. A combination of Ketamine and cocaine is called "CK." Other slang terms are Special K, Vitamin K, New Ecstasy, Psychedelic Heroin, Ketalar, Ketaject, and Super-K.

Effects

Users experience profound hallucinations and visual distortions similar to the effects of PCP. They call these effects "K-Land." A larger dose can produce a more frightening experience called a "K-hole" or an "out-of-body, near-death experience." They may also experience a loss of senses, sense of time, and identity which can last anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. Ketamine can cause delirium, amnesia, impaired motor function, high blood pressure, depression, recurrent flashbacks, and potentially fatal respiratory problems.
 
Testing for "Date Rape" Drugs If you believe that you may have been exposed to a "Date Rape" drug, it's a good idea to get yourself tested right away (in a few hours) as some drugs such as GHB is eliminated from your system in 10-14 hours (less than one day), therefore, this drug will not be detected in urine. However, an alternative is to do a hair test for drugs that can detect the drug(s) for as long as the length of your hair.