CLUB DRUGS 101 GIVES UCI A DOSE OF REALITY

One unassuming drink left unattended at a party can foreshadow a night of
sexual abuse and retrograde amnesia.

At the UCI Rave Review, held at the School of Social Sciences at 7 p.m. on
April 10, education about club drugs brings more awareness to the potential
health risks of abusing drugs.

A long night of the drug ecstasy (also known as "x" or "E") and a few
thousand people packed into a Saturday night rave can bring a person's body
temperature to an alarming 108 degrees, potentially frying the brain, and
many times resulting in death.

Nights shouldn't end this way.

Due to the euphoric high and social bond that ecstasy produces, the drug is
still in large circulation. Last year, around 6.4 million people over the
age of 12 tried ecstasy at least once.

Since each pill costs a mere 50 cents to produce and sells for sometimes
$50, countries such as the Netherlands, where 95 percent of ecstasy is
produced, have no incentive to discontinue manufacturing.

"These 'club drugs' are at an all-time high," said Sergeant Lamine Secka of
the UCI Police Department. "Ecstasy is the crystal methamphetamine of the
new millennium."

Ecstasy has come to gain the physical appearance of a pop culture icon. It
is offered usually as a pill but also can be found in powder form or tabs
and capsules. The drug is available in an array of colors with over 620
different logos, such as happy faces or Playboy bunnies. A common way to
transport the pill is passing it as candy.

These playful-looking pills, however, do more damage than the user may
expect. One of the most important ways to avoid becoming a statistic of an
ecstasy-related death or coma is simply to remain hydrated and avoid the
threatening prospect of inflated body temperature.

Overdosing is also easy, since one cannot determine the amount of pure
ecstasy in a single pill with the eye alone. Often, it is mixed with baking
soda or sugar.

Another drug circulating the rave scene is ketamine, more popularly known
as "Special K" or "K." What began as a tranquilizer used by veterinarians
has now expanded its use as a club drug.

Ketamine users experience a floating, dreamy sensation and outer body
experiences, but also unconsciousness, delirium and impaired attention.
These effects also invite increased sexual assault.

"Ketamine is a chemical cousin of PCP, which makes it very dangerous," said
Sergeant John Locke of the UCI Police Department. "Most people are unaware
of this."

Ketamine comes as a tablet, powder or liquid. When it is in its liquid
form, it can be evaporated into a fine white powder for snorting or smoking.

Knowing the potency of the drug is very difficult to tell and users also
run the risk of overdose.

"Your best defense is to just avoid these types of drugs," said Dr. Tareg
Bey of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the UCI Medical Center.

Other dangerous drugs besides club drugs are "date rape" drugs. People must
be aware that anyone could fall prey to the quiet slip of Rohypnol or GHB
into a drink, and remain undetected in the victim's jack and coke, or any
other drink of that night.

Not until it is too late do the effects of Rohypnol or GHB become evident.
Rohypnol or "roofies" induces the feeling of complete loss of muscle
control, drowsiness, confusion and unconsciousness.

Rohypnol comes in the form of a pill, which is then ground up to dissolve
in a drink.

Baggies, unmarked prescription bottles and blister pads are common ways to
transport the drug.

GHB, on the other hand, is mostly used in a clear liquid form. It has been
known to be disguised as Visine, or as water in an ordinary water bottle.
Although a salty flavor is characteristic of the drug, once it is mixed
with other beverages the taste disappears.

GHB is beginning to gain more popularity than Rohypnol, although the two
create the same undesirable effects.

Since it is not feasible to completely avoid alcohol consumption at a
party, the best way to protect oneself against these drugs is to be careful
about who you trust to mix your drinks, to avoid leaving your glass
unattended, to avoid drinking from an already opened container and to
distrust any alcohol with unexpected appearances, colors, smells or tastes.

Only recently has there been a breakthrough to help identify which drinks
are contaminated. Rohypnol has been manufactured with a special dye in it,
making it visible in liquid.

Since cases of rape, with or without the use of date rape drugs, have high
numbers (one in three women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime),
on-campus organizations such as the Center for Women and Men have
coordinated a special night to raise awareness on the topic.

"Our annual Take Back the Night program raises awareness and also creates a
validated support for people who have been raped," said Donna Norris,
assistant director for the Center for Women and Men and the coordinator of
the Campus Assault Prevention Program.

The evening encompasses many aspects of rape, such as assault, acquaintance
rape and abuse, through an artistic blend of monologues, songs and dance
performances.

Ten different stations comprise the majority of the night, each covering a
different topic in a unique manner of presentation. The night wraps up with
an open forum, where anyone is invited to share stories and experiences,
and perhaps connect with others who have gone through the same difficult
times in their lives.

"It has been estimated that only about one in 10 people actually report
being raped," Norris said. "It is grossly underreported. The forum
encourages people who have never talked about their experiences to finally
speak out."

Take Back the Night event will take place on April 17 at the Center for
Women and Men at 7 p.m.

For more information regarding rape concerns, call Donna Norris at (949)
UCI-RAPE. For more information about drug prevention: http://www.heath.org,
http://clubdrugs.org and http://www.dancesafe.org.