PCP (phencyclidine)
was developed in the 1950s as an intravenous anesthetic. Use of PCP
in humans was discontinued in 1965, because it
was found that patients often became agitated, delusional, and irrational
while recovering from its anesthetic effects. PCP is illegally manufactured
in laboratories and is sold on the street by such names as "angel dust,"
"ozone," "wack," and "rocket fuel." "Killer joints"and "crystal supergrass"
are names that refer to PCP combined with marijuana. The variety of
street names for PCP reflects its bizarre and volatile effects.
PCP is a white crystalline
powder that is readily soluble in water or alcohol. It has a distinctive
bitter chemical taste. PCP can be mixed easily with dyes and turns up
on the illicit drug market in a variety of tablets, capsules, and colored
powders. It is normally used in one of three ways: snorted, smoked,
or eaten. For smoking, PCP is often applied to a leafy material such
as mint, parsley, oregano, or marijuana.
Health Hazards
PCP is addicting;
that is, its use often leads to psychological dependence, craving, and
compulsive PCP-seeking behavior. It was first introduced as a street
drug in the 1960s and quickly gained a reputation as a drug that could
cause bad reactions and was not worth the risk. Many people, after using
the drug once, will not knowingly use it again. Yet others use it consistently
and regularly. Some persist in using PCP because of its addicting properties.
Others cite feelings of strength, power, invulnerability and a numbing
effect on the mind as reasons for their continued PCP use.
Many PCP users are
brought to emergency rooms because of PCP's unpleasant psychological
effects or because of overdoses. In a hospital or detention setting,
they often become violent or suicidal, and are very dangerous to themselves
and to others. They should be kept in a calm setting and should not
be left alone.
At low to moderate
doses, physiological effects of PCP include a slight increase in breathing
rate and a more pronounced rise in blood pressure and pulse rate. Respiration
becomes shallow, and flushing and profuse sweating occur. Generalized
numbness of the extremities and muscular incoordination also may occur.
Psychological effects include distinct changes in body awareness, similar
to those associated with alcohol intoxication. Use of PCP among adolescents
may interfere with hormones related to normal growth and development
as well as with the learning process.
At high doses of
PCP, there is a drop in blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiration.
This may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, flicking
up and down of the eyes, drooling, loss of balance, and dizziness. High
doses of PCP can also cause seizures, coma, and death (though death
more often results from accidental injury or suicide during PCP intoxication).
Psychological effects at high doses include illusions and hallucinations.
PCP can cause effects that mimic the full range of symptoms of schizophrenia,
such as delusions, paranoia, disordered thinking, a sensation of distance
from one's environment, and catatonia. Speech is often sparse and garbled.
People who use PCP
for long periods report memory loss, difficulties with speech and thinking,
depression, and weight loss. These symptoms can persist up to a year
after cessation of PCP use. Mood disorders also have been reported.
PCP has sedative effects, and interactions with other central nervous
system depressants, such as alcohol and benzodiazepines, can lead to
coma or accidental overdose.
Extent of Use
Monitoring
the Future Study (MTF)*
NIDA's 1997 MTF
shows that use of PCP by high school seniors has declined steadily since
1979, when 7.0 percent of seniors had used PCP in the year preceding
the survey. In 1997, however, 2.3 percent of seniors used PCP at least
once in the past year, up from a low of 1.2 percent in 1990. Past month
use among seniors decreased from 1.3 percent in 1996 to 0.7 percent
in 1997.
Percentage of 12th-graders
who have used PCP:
Monitoring the Future Study
|
1979 |
1985 |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
| Ever
Used |
12.8% |
4.9% |
2.9% |
2.4% |
2.9% |
2.8% |
2.7% |
4.0% |
3.9% |
| Used
in Past Year |
7.0 |
2.9 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
1.6 |
1.8 |
2.6 |
2.3 |
| Used
in Past Month |
2.4 |
1.6 |
0.5 |
0.6 |
1.0 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
1.3 |
0.7 |
