DESIGNER DRUGS
Important information regarding DESIGNER DRUGS use.
The "designer drugs" are all amphetamine derivatives (N-analogs.) They are currently manufactured in numerous clandestine labs (Amphetamine labs) and enjoy a growing market in spite of their danger!
Many chemical variations of mescaline and amphetamine have been synthesized for their "feel good" effects. 4-Methyl-2,5-dimethoxyamphetamine (DOM) was introduced into the San Francisco drug scene in the late 1960s, and was nicknamed STP, an acronym for "Serenity, Tranquility, and Peace." Doses of 1 to 3 miligrams generally produce mood alterations and minor perceptual alterations, while larger doses can produce pronounced hallucinations that last from 8 to 10 hours.
Other illicitly manufactured analogues include 4-bromo-2, 5-dimethoxyamphetamine (DOB), 3, 4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, also referred to as Ecstasy or XTC) and 4-bromo-2, 5dimethoxyhenethylamine (2C-B, NEXUS). These drugs differ from one another in their potency, speed of onset, duration of action and their capacity to modify mood with or without producing overt hallucinations. These drugs are widely used at "raves." (Raves are large all-night dance parties held in unusual settings, such a warehouses or railroad yards, that feature computer- generated, high volume, pulsating music.) The drugs are usually taken orally, sometimes snorted and rarely injected. Because they are produced in clandestine laboratories, they are seldom pure and the amount in a capsule or tablet is likely to vary considerably.
[Abstracted from D.E.A. website q.v.]
| DESIGNER DRUGS |
|---|
| Effects |
| Designer drugs, being amphetamines, are categorized as "stimulants." Because of the effects reported by users, however, they are classed by some experts as "hallucinogens." Ecstacy is being used legally in Switzerland as an adjunct in psychotherapy despite both U.S. and European data suggesting their association with numerous fatal intoxications! They are notoriously dangerous when mixed with alcohol and other drugs! |
| Incidence of Abuse |
| Frequent and widespread! |
| Chemical Name |
|
| Forms and Street Names |
| As above. |
| Preferred routes of administration |
| MBoth oral and I.V. |
| Metabolite Actually sought in urine |
| Even though these are Amphetamine analogs, THEY DO NOT METABOLIZE TO AMPHETAMINE and therefore ...ABUSERS OF DESIGNER DRUGS ARE NOT IDENTIFIED WITH CURRENT TESTING! |
| Can Anyone provide the Biochemical Cascades? |
| Please send email if you have info! |
| Facts for Verifying M.R.O |
| Both screening and gc/ms assays are available and cost effective for these drugs! MRO's should use their influence to advise employers that these substances should be included in testing profiles..... replacing some of the less useful assays such as Methaqualone |
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