Clubbers go partying to enjoy good music together with local and foreign DJs, to be part of a great atmosphere and a massive crowd, or else to get messed up with a cocktail of drugs and alcohol!

For many young people who go to clubs, but certainly not all, drug use has become an integral part of their night out. In recent years, many clubbers have started taking a range of drugs. Some start their night out by drinking alcohol, then snorting a few lines of cocaine, followed by a couple of pills in the club, smoking some cannabis “to take the edge off” and perhaps consuming more alcohol, and then on returning home use a range of other drugs to ease their “come down”.

Common myths about club drugs

Myth: “It’s okay to combine drugs.”

Fact: Using more than one drug at a time can be extremely hazardous. The effects may be additive, multiplicative, or unknown. Many drug overdoses and deaths are related to combining different drugs, including alcohol.

Myth: “It is safe to use a club drug in a small amount.“

Fact: Not true. People react differently to these drugs, and even a single pill can cause death in some people. Also, since they are made illegally, the strength of these drugs can vary from batch to batch.

Myth: “Ecstasy is completely harmless.”

Fact: Perhaps this is the most dangerous myth out there. The full extent of long-term health risks regular clubbers are taking is not yet known. Relatively little is known about the long-term effects of using ecstasy. Most research has pointed to the substance having a devastating effect on levels of serotonin, one of the chemicals which regulates mood in the brain, and it is possible that nerve terminals in the brain can be permanently damaged.

This suggests that long-term users of ecstasy can anticipate problems with mood, depression and anxiety.

Facts about club drugs

Club drugs, popular for years at night clubs and dance parties, are becoming more mainstream. The short-term effects may look exciting but it is the long-term effects that people should be aware of.

Often, these drugs are a mix of unknown products. Although users may think these substances are harmless, research has shown that club drugs can produce a range of unwanted effects, including hallucinations, paranoia, amnesia and, in rare cases, death. Club drugs damage the brain and may cause memory problems. They can also cause physical problems such as loss of muscle control, blurred vision and seizures.

When used with alcohol, these drugs can be even more harmful. Some club drugs work on the same brain mechanisms as alcohol and therefore can dangerously boost the effects of both substances. Also, there are great differences in how individuals react to these substances and no one can predict how he or she will react. Some people have been known to have extreme, even fatal, reactions the first time they use club drugs. And studies suggest that club drugs found in party settings, especially ecstasy, are often adulterated or impure and thus even more dangerous.

In fact, one major concern of ecstasy users is the purity of these tablets,which means the amount of MDMA they contains. Tablets purchased on the street often contain other substances, that range from relatively harmless stimulants such as caffeine to potentially fatal drugs such as phencyclidine (PCP, a hallucinogen) and ketamine (a chemical normally used in veterinary medicine). There have been several empirical studies done that test the purity of large samples of tablets, which are generally obtained through police seizures and anonymous submissions to laboratories. Only a small percentage of the tablets found contain just MDMA.

For more information visit http://healthpsych.psy.vanderbilt.edu/ecstasy.htm

After a heavy night

The effects of some drugs can last well into the next day and even longer. This can have drastic effects on the user’s performance when returning to school, trying to concentrate and study, or going back to work. Some users may feel disorientated, depressed, tired, irritable and even paranoid or anxious after a hard night. It’s not a good idea to take other drugs to combat the withdrawal symptoms (come-down) of the first drug used, as this will increase the risk of an overdose. If someone is using drugs during the week to avoid a come-down after the weekend, this might be an indication that the person has lost control over his drug use.

Are club drugs addictive?

An undetermined percentage of club drug abusers become addicted to these drugs, as evidenced by their continuous use of substances in spite of physical problems, negative effects on social relations or nervousness and irritability. They also spend large amounts of time and money obtaining the drugs and experience withdrawal symptoms such as mood swings, fatigue, restlessness, a loss of appetite, insomnia, a reduced sex drive and the desire to take more drugs.

The most dangerous of the withdrawal symptoms is depression, because in extreme cases this leads to suicide attempts. Untreated, some depressive symptoms associated with club drug withdrawal have been known to persist for a year or more after the abuser has stopped taking the drugs.

Some people who take drugs are unable to stop, because drugs change the way the brain works. Long-term drug use changes the brain in fundamental and long-lasting ways. These long-lasting changes are the main component of the addiction itself. It is as though there is a figurative “switch” in the brain that “flips” at some point during an individual’s drug use. The point at which this “flip” occurs varies from individual to individual, but the effect of this change is the transformation of a drug abuser to a drug addict.

For more info visit http://teens.

drugabuse.gov/mom/tg_effects.asp

Regular users become psychologically addicted to these drugs and will then find it hard to seek pleasure in normal activities that do not involve drugs. They will keep craving the drugs, especially for recreational purposes.

If you feel that you have lost control over your drug use, and that you keep seeking drugs despite continuous negative effects on your life, do not hesitate to seek professional help.

Sedqa Helpline 151

www.sedqa.gov.mt

Sedqa is part of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, which also incorporates agencies Appogg and Sapport and the Day Centres for People with a Disability.