Other Dangerous Drugs

The other dangerous drugs (ODD) category includes club drugs, hallucinogens, and illegally diverted pharmaceuticals, in addition to household products and over-the-counter medications abused mostly by youth.   

Club Drugs

Other dangerous drugs include those classified as "club drugs." Club drugs are used by teens and young adults at all-night dance parties called raves that are generally held in clubs in cities and beach resorts in South Carolina. Raves feature loud music, flashing light displays, and often extensive drug use. Some club drugs are MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate), Rohypnol (flunitrazepam), and ketamine. These drugs run the gamut from stimulants to sedatives to hallucinogens. Local law enforcement agencies in South Carolina report increases in the popularity of club drugs in the larger metropolitan areas and in some beach communities. However, low levels of abuse are reported throughout the rest of the state. Club drugs primarily are distributed by Caucasian criminal groups and local independent dealers.

GHB and GBL

Of the club drugs available in South Carolina, GHB poses the greatest threat. GHB, also known as liquid ecstasy, scoop, grievous bodily harm, and Georgia home boy, is abused for its euphoric, sedative, and anabolic effects. However, use can induce coma and cause insomnia, anxiety, tremors, and sweating. When GHB is combined with methamphetamine, there is an increased risk of seizures. Overdoses can occur quickly; some of the signs include drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, and impaired breathing, and even death. The drug increasingly is involved in poisonings, overdoses, date rapes, and fatalities nationwide, including South Carolina. GHB can be made from easily obtainable ingredients such as GBL (gamma-butyrolactone), a solvent commonly used as a paint stripper, or butanediol (1,4-butanediol), a chemical used in the production of plastics and adhesives. Both GBL and butanediol are metabolized into GHB in the body. GHB, GBL, and butanediol are difficult to trace because they quickly leave the body and may be difficult to detect in emergency rooms and other treatment facilities. In South Carolina, during 2000, distributors could purchase GHB illegally for $400 a gallon, and users could purchase GHB illegally for $5 to $20 per dose.

Law enforcement agencies report incidents of GHB abuse and distribution in South Carolina.

Greenville area hospitals in western South Carolina reported weekly occurrences of GHB overdoses, and the county coroner confirmed two deaths due to GHB overdoses in 2000.

In 2000, three Virginia men were convicted of producing and distributing GHB in Myrtle Beach. The defendants testified that they used GHB to get high and because they believed it increased muscle mass.

In 2000, a Charleston medical student received 500 milliliters of GHB from a relative in Iowa via a package delivery service. When arrested, he told police he intended to treat two women who were suffering from illness and depression.

GBL, sometimes called liquid ecstasy, a controlled chemical used in the production of GHB, is a widely available industrial strength commercial cleaner used as a solvent in floor and furniture stripping as well as in engine cleaning. On January 21, 1999, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about food supplement products containing GBL and requested that producers recall all products containing the additive. According to a January 2000 report, GBL has been implicated in at least six deaths nationwide. GBL is sold in powdered and liquid form at gyms, fitness centers, and some health food stores. GBL is a precursor used to make GHB, and produces similar effects. Once ingested, GBL metabolizes into GHB.

Law enforcement agencies in South Carolina report incidents of GBL abuse across the state.

In 2000, a 21-year-old Greenville man drank a soda bottle cap full of "home brew" after which he collapsed into a seizure and nearly died. He later discovered the substance was "Blue Nitro," a common name for GBL.

In 2000, two Charleston brothers sold "date rape" drug kits--disguised as computer-cleaning solvents--on their web site. The $55 kits consisted of enough GBL and sodium hydroxide to make 15 to 20 doses of GHB. Police seized a 55-gallon drum of GBL and 10 pounds of sodium hydroxide from the brothers' home.

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MDMA

MDMA, also called ecstasy, XTC, E, X, or Adam, is a synthetic psychoactive drug with amphetamine-like and hallucinogenic properties. MDMA was patented in Germany in 1914 and sometimes was given to psychiatric patients to assist in psychotherapy. The American Psychological Association or the FDA never approved this practice. Users say MDMA, sometimes called the "hug drug," makes them feel good. However, the drug may cause psychological difficulties similar to those associated with methamphetamine and cocaine abuse including confusion, depression, sleep problems, anxiety, and paranoia. The physical effects include muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching, blurred vision, and increased heart rate and blood pressure.

Taken in high doses, MDMA can be extremely dangerous. It can cause a marked increase in body temperature, leading to muscle breakdown and kidney and cardiovascular system failure. MDMA use may lead to heart attack, stroke, and seizure, as reported in some fatal cases at raves. Recent research links MDMA to long-term, possibly permanent, damage to parts of the brain that are critical to thought and memory. There is also evidence that individuals who develop a rash after using MDMA may suffer severe liver damage or other serious side effects.

According to DEA estimates, about 80 percent of the MDMA consumed worldwide is produced in laboratories in the Netherlands and Belgium. While much of the MDMA in South Carolina is transported from other states, some local independent distributors are producing the drug. In 1999, DEA seized three MDMA laboratories in Charleston County.

MDMA distribution and use are most prevalent in the metropolitan and tourist areas of South Carolina. Local independent dealers dominate the retail distribution of MDMA. They travel to Atlanta, Charlotte, New York, Washington, D.C., and cities in Florida to purchase MDMA and transport it back to South Carolina. Dealers can purchase MDMA at the wholesale level for $12.50 a pill. Teenagers and young adults purchase MDMA at raves, nightclubs, or from retail distributors, generally between $20 and $30 per dose.

LSD

LSD, also known as acid, boomers, and yellow sunshines, is a hallucinogen that induces abnormalities in sensory perceptions. The effects of LSD are unpredictable depending on the amount taken, the environment in which it is used, and the user's personality, mood, and expectations. Users may feel the effects within 30 to 90 minutes. The physical effects include dilated pupils, higher body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth, and tremors. LSD users report numbness, weakness, or trembling, and nausea is common. Two long-term disorders associated with LSD are persistent psychosis and hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (flashbacks).

LSD is available in many forms, and law enforcement agencies report that its abuse and availability in South Carolina are increasing, primarily among high school and college aged youth frequenting rave parties and clubs. LSD is available as a powder or liquid and is found in tablets and capsules, on pieces of paper that absorb the drug, on small candies, or as microdots. Some users hide the powder or liquid in tiny breath mint vials. LSD typically is taken by mouth, but officials in South Carolina report some users administer the drug by dropping liquid LSD from breath mint vials directly into the corners of their eyes. The SLED reported an increase in the amount of LSD seized from FY1997 (1,470 dosage units) to FY1999 (8,235 dosage units). In South Carolina, a 1,000-dosage-unit blotter sheet sells for $1,500 and a 100-dosage-unit blotter sheet costs $300. The price of a single dose of LSD is $25.

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Rohypnol

Across South Carolina, teenagers and young adults abuse Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) as a club drug and as a date rape drug. Also called roofies, rophies, Roche, and the "forget-me pill," Rohypnol belongs to the class of drugs known as benzodiazepines, but is not approved for prescription use in the United States.

In South Carolina, law enforcement reports that teenagers and young adults sporadically abuse Rohypnol along with other club drugs. Rohypnol is odorless, tasteless, and dissolves in liquid. It can cause severe retrograde amnesia. Rohypnol produces sedative-hypnotic effects including muscle relaxation and amnesia, and can also cause physiological and psychological dependence. The effects of Rohypnol can impair or incapacitate a victim for 8 to 12 hours, and are exacerbated by the use of alcohol. In 1998 the manufacturer changed the formula, adding blue dye and making it more difficult to dissolve so that intended victims of sexual assault could detect the drug in a drink more easily, but these changes are discernible only in transparent containers.

Ketamine

Ketamine abuse is currently a minor problem in South Carolina because its use has decreased since August 1999, when the federal government classified it as a Schedule III drug. Ketamine, also called K, special K, vitamin K, and cat valium, is an anesthetic that has been approved for both human and animal use. It is available in liquid, powdered, or pill form, and as a powder is often snorted or smoked with marijuana or tobacco products. The effects of ketamine are similar to those of PCP (phencyclidine) or LSD, but much less intense. At high doses, it can cause delirium, amnesia, impaired motor function, high blood pressure, depression, and potentially fatal respiratory problems. Low-dose intoxication from ketamine results in impaired attention, learning ability, and memory. Short term use causes hallucinations. During 2000, a vial of ketamine could be purchased for $80 in South Carolina.

Diverted Pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceutical drugs often are diverted in South Carolina. Primarily low-income Caucasian users obtain prescription narcotics and stimulants, as well as many drugs in a class of depressants called benzodiazepines, in a variety of ways. Users may purchase diverted drugs on the retail market or via the Internet from other countries. "Doctor shopping," forged prescriptions, and prescriptions stolen from pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, or legitimate users are other ways that users obtain illegal pharmaceuticals. Diverted pharmaceuticals primarily are distributed by Caucasian criminal groups and local independent dealers.

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Narcotics

Hydrocodone and oxycodone, both opium derivatives, as well as methadone, a synthetic narcotic, are the most frequently abused pharmaceuticals in South Carolina.

Hydrocodone is a narcotic that, when combined with acetaminophen (Tylenol) or aspirin, is sold legally under the brand names Lortab and Lorcet. Lortab is sold illegally for $9 a dose, and Lorcet is sold for $5 a dose in South Carolina.

Percocet is a narcotic that contains oxycodone and acetaminophen, and can be purchased illegally for $10 per dose in South Carolina.

OxyContin, the brand name for timed-release oxycodone, is preferred more often than the other diverted pharmaceuticals, but because doctors typically prescribe OxyContin to cancer patients only, it is more difficult to obtain. Individuals obtain OxyContin for sale to retailers by fraudulently obtaining prescriptions from several different doctors. Retailers sell it to users for approximately $25 per pill. State and local agencies see OxyContin distribution and use as a growing problem.

Methadone, commonly used as a treatment for addiction, particularly heroin, can be purchased illegally in South Carolina for $50 per 100 milliliters or $0.65 per milliliter.

Stimulants

Methylphenidate (Ritalin), a stimulant commonly prescribed for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is misused primarily by youth in South Carolina. Law enforcement agencies report cases of legitimate users and other young people crushing the tablets and snorting the drug to experience a high.

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines, including alprazolam (Xanax), diazepam (Valium), and lorazepam (Ativan), frequently are diverted in South Carolina. Law enforcement agencies report that the diversion of Xanax is a problem across the state. Xanax is sold illegally in South Carolina for $6 per tablet and Valium is sold for $3 a tablet. The number of admissions to South Carolina publicly funded treatment centers for benzodiazepine abuse more than doubled from FY1998 (43) to FY2000 (99).

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Others

Young people in South Carolina are using common household products and cough preparations to achieve a high, but the inhalation and ingestion of these over-the-counter products constitutes a serious danger.

Inhalants

Inhalant use, commonly called "huffing," threatens South Carolina's youth. Huffing is the sniffing of common household products such as paint, gasoline, and hair spray. Sniffing these inhalants can introduce toxins into the body and cause damage to the liver, lungs, kidneys, brain, and even death. The number of inhalant users admitted to publicly funded treatment centers has decreased in South Carolina, with 54 admissions in FY1997, 52 in FY1999, and 25 admissions in FY2000.

According to the DAODAS, the primary users of household inhalants are preteens and young teenagers. Adults also use inhalants in South Carolina, but not as frequently as teenagers. Adult users typically have been using inhalants regularly since their teenage years. Young males generally use inhalants more than young females. The majority of these teenagers use inhalants only experimentally or occasionally, and do not become addicted. However, even one use can be dangerous or fatal. According to the 1999 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance survey, 14.2 percent of South Carolina high school students have used inhalants at least once during their lifetime and 4.1 percent currently use inhalants, compared with 14.6 percent and 4.2 percent nationwide, respectively.

DXM

A recent trend among young people in South Carolina is the misuse of over-the-counter cough suppressants and cold remedies, particularly DXM (dextromethorphan, also called dextro). When users consume DXM in large doses, they may experience hallucinations, impaired motor skills, and behavioral changes. Prolonged use carries the risk of addiction, loss of consciousness, and even death. Some users ingest DXM directly from the bottle, but others, trying to minimize the unpleasantness of the flavor, heat the liquid to crystallize the substance. Law enforcement agencies report that many young people who tried abusing DXM once resist using it again due to the bad taste and unwanted side effects, such as headaches, nausea, and vomiting.

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