DRUGS THAT ARE COMMONLY COMBINED

MDMA (Ecstasy) What is it? A stimulant and hallucinogen. Elevates mood
and boosts energy. Also called "X" or "Adam," MDMA is usually taken in
pill form. Effects wear off in 4 to 6 hours.

Developed in Germany in 1912 to suppress appetite. Symptoms of use
include blurred vision, rapid eye movement, chills or sweating,
confusion, severe anxiety, trancelike state.

Who uses it? In recent years it has moved from young adults who
frequent dance clubs and raves to the general population.

The hazards: Chronic use appears to damage the brain's ability to
think and regulate emotion, and affects memory, sleep and pain. Has
been associated with increases in heart rate and blood pressure,
posing an extra risk for people with circulatory problems or heart
disease. Long-term health effects of frequent use remain unknown; has
been linked to neurotoxic damage in laboratory animals.

Often comes adulterated by other drugs that may be more dangerous,
such as methamphetamine or PMA, a dangerous hallucinogen.

Ecstasy taken in combo with Ritonovir, a protease inhibitor commonly
prescribed for treatment of HIV, has proved particularly lethal.

GHB What is it? A central-nervous-system depressant; until the early
1990s, was widely available in health-food stores and used by
bodybuilders to aid in fat reduction and muscle building. Odorless and
colorless; usually taken in liquid form.

Who uses it? Mostly in the nightclub scene among young
adults.

The hazards: Overdoses can cause loss of consciousness and coma.
Particularly if combined with alcohol, GHB can reduce breathing to a
rate low enough to cause death. When used with methamphetamine, it can
produce an increased risk of seizure, breathing difficulties and nausea.

Inhalants What is it? More than 1,000 household and commercial
products, such as cleaning solutions, paint products and lighter
fluids, sniffed for an intoxicating effect due to oxygen
deprivation.

Who uses it? Cheap and easy to get, they're one of the first
substances abused, generally by those in late childhood or early
teens, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

The hazards: Producing headaches, nausea and slurred speech, inhalants
damage the brain, kidneys and lungs, and can inhibit the
oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. Have been known to cause Sudden
Sniffing Death syndrome, which is fatal heart failure.

Methamphetamine What is it? An addictive stimulant; taken orally,
snorted, injected or smoked. Produces euphoria or an intense "rush,"
depending on how it's taken.

Who uses it? Although rates of use are increasing among youths, users
are generally male, white and older than 26. Washington has the third
highest number of methamphetamine labs in the nation.

The hazards: High doses can damage neuron cell endings, leading to
irritability, insomnia, confusion, tremors, convulsions, paranoia and
anxiety. Can also cause convulsions, stroke, stomach cramps and shaking.

Using it with Ecstasy can produce more severe side effects than either
drug used alone because both raise heart rate, blood pressure and body
temperature.

Ketamine What is it? Sometimes called "Special K." A rapid-acting
general anesthetic usually used as an animal tranquilizer. Coming in
liquid or powder forms, it can be injected, smoked, mixed with drinks
or snorted. Causes everything from "feelings of pleasant
weightlessness to out-of-body or near-death experience," according to
the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Hallucinatory effects last an
hour or less.

Who uses it? Another of the so-called "club drugs," popular among
young adults at raves and other underground parties.

The hazards: In higher doses, can cause loss of consciousness, reduced
breathing rate and heart-rate abnormalities. DanceSafe, which promotes
safety within the rave and nightclub community, reports that it is
"extremely dangerous to combine with downers like alcohol, Valium or
GHB."

Rohypnol What is it? Brand name for Flunitrazepam, a powerful sedative
that, although illegal in the United States, is manufactured legally
in other countries and widely prescribed in Europe for the short-term
treatment of severe sleep disorders. A small white or green tablet;
can be swallowed, snorted or injected. Frequently used in combination
with alcohol and other drugs. Creates a sleepy, relaxed, drunk feeling
that lasts 2 to 8 hours.

Who uses it? Heroin and alcohol abusers; high-school and college
students; and those at raves and nightclubs.

The hazards: Often known as the date-rape drug; it has no taste or
odor when dissolved in a drink. Used with alcohol, it produces
disinhibition and amnesia. May cause blackouts. Can produce physical
and psychological dependence.

More information:

Partnership for a Drug Free America:
www.drugfreeamerica.org or 866-XTC-FACTS (982-32287).

Public Health - Seattle & King County:
www.metrokc.gov/health/atodp.