THE DRUGS: WHAT THEY ARE, WHAT THEY DO

Is your teen sucking on lollipops or baby pacifiers? If so, police say, he
or she could be taking GHB or Ecstasy.

"Blow pops, baby pacifiers and nasal inhalants are just some of the
paraphernalia associated with the club drugs," said Sgt. Laurence Weathers,
of the narcotics division.

They "heighten the sensation of the drug," he said.

According to published information about GHB, the illegal drug, when taken
in low dosages, causes a euphoric effect similar to alcohol, and can make
the user feel relaxed, happy and sociable.

At higher doses, however, GHB can cause the user to become dizzy and sleepy,
and sometimes vomit and have muscle spasms.

People who overdose on the drug frequently loose consciousness and their
breathing slows down. Sometimes, particularly if mixed with alcohol, GHB can
slow breathing to a dangerously low rate and possibly cause death.

Ecstasy, which is also illegal, is a hybrid of the hallucinogen mescaline
and the stimulant amphetamine chemically known as MDMA. It has been popular
among clubgoers in Europe for years and has become increasingly widespread
in the United States.

Research has shown that Ecstasy can impair brain function. It usually comes
in a small powdery pill. Since 1995, about 60 deaths have been associated
with Ecstasy in this country. The drug prevents people from sweating. Many
of those deaths came at clubs or raves and were caused by dehydration.

Tolerance to the drug can build up very quickly, and in order to achieve the
same effect a larger dose has to be taken, according to drug-use prevention
experts.