PCP (Phencyclidine) Information
 PCP
was developed in the 1950s as an intravenous anesthetic. Use of PCP in
humans was discontinued in 1965, because it was found that patients
often became agitated, delusional, and irrational while recovering from
its anesthetic effects.
PCP is illegally manufactured in laboratories and is sold on the
street by such names as "angel dust," "ozone,"
"wack," and "rocket fuel." "Killer joints"
and "crystal supergrass" are names that refer to PCP combined
with marijuana. The variety of street names for PCP reflects its bizarre
and volatile effects.
PCP is a white crystalline powder that is readily soluble in water or
alcohol. It has a distinctive bitter chemical taste. PCP can be mixed
easily with dyes and turns up on the illicit drug market in a variety of
tablets, capsules, and colored powders. It is normally used in one of
three ways: snorted, smoked, or eaten. For smoking, PCP is often applied
to a leafy material such as mint, parsley, oregano, or marijuana.
Health Hazards
PCP is addicting; that is, its use often leads to psychological
dependence, craving, and compulsive PCP-seeking behavior. It was first
introduced as a street drug in the 1960s and quickly gained a reputation
as a drug that could cause bad reactions and was not worth the risk.
Many people, after using the drug once, will not knowingly use it again.
Yet others use it consistently and regularly. Some persist in using PCP
because of its addicting properties. Others cite feelings of strength,
power, invulnerability and a numbing effect on the mind as reasons for
their continued PCP use.
 Many
PCP users are brought to emergency rooms because of PCP's unpleasant
psychological effects or because of overdoses. In a hospital or
detention setting, they often become violent or suicidal, and are very
dangerous to themselves and to others. They should be kept in a calm
setting and should not be left alone.
PCP Side Effects
At low to moderate doses, physiological effects of PCP include a
slight increase in breathing rate and a more pronounced rise in blood
pressure and pulse rate. Respiration becomes shallow, and flushing and
profuse sweating occur. Generalized numbness of the extremities and
muscular incoordination also may occur. Psychological effects include
distinct changes in body awareness, similar to those associated with
alcohol intoxication. Use of PCP among adolescents may interfere with
hormones related to normal growth and development as well as with the
learning process.
At high doses of PCP, there is a drop in blood pressure, pulse rate,
and respiration. This may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, blurred
vision, flicking up and down of the eyes, drooling, loss of balance, and
dizziness. High doses of PCP can also cause seizures, coma, and death
(though death more often results from accidental injury or suicide
during PCP intoxication). Psychological effects at high doses include
illusions and hallucinations. PCP can cause effects that mimic the full
range of symptoms of schizophrenia, such as delusions, paranoia,
disordered thinking, a sensation of distance from one's environment, and
catatonia. Speech is often sparse and garbled.
People who use PCP for long periods report memory loss, difficulties
with speech and thinking, depression, and weight loss. These symptoms
can persist up to a year after cessation of PCP use. Mood disorders also
have been reported. PCP has sedative effects, and interactions with
other central nervous system depressants, such as alcohol and
benzodiazepines, can lead to coma or accidental overdose.
Extent of PCP Use
Monitoring the Future Study (MTF)
NIDA's 1997 MTF shows that use of PCP by high school seniors has
declined steadily since 1979, when 7.0 percent of seniors had used PCP
in the year preceding the survey. In 1997, however, 2.3 percent of
seniors used PCP at least once in the past year, up from a low of 1.2
percent in 1990. Past month use among seniors decreased from 1.3 percent
in 1996 to 0.7 percent in 1997.
Percentage of 12th-graders who have
used PCP:
Monitoring the Future Study
| |
'79 |
'85 |
'91 |
'92 |
'93 |
'94 |
'95 |
'96 |
'97 |
| Ever used |
12.8 |
4.9 |
2.9 |
2.4 |
2.9 |
2.8 |
2.7 |
4 |
3.9 |
| Used Past
Year |
7.0 |
2.9 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
1.6 |
1.8 |
2.6 |
2.3 |
| Used Past
Month |
2.4 |
1.6 |
0.5 |
0.6 |
1.0 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
1.3 |
0.7 |
National Household Survey on Drug
Abuse (NHSDA)
According to the 1996 NHSDA, 3.2 percent of the population aged 12 and
older have used PCP at least once. Lifetime use of PCP was higher among
those aged 26 through 34 (4.2 percent) than for those 18 through 25 (2.3
percent) and those 12 through 17 (1.2 percent)
Information on this page courtesy of National
Institute on Drug Abuse.
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