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PCP
Powder, Liquid,
and Laced on Marijuana |
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| Synonyms:
Phencyclidine |
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| Drug Class:
CNS Depressant, General
Anesthetic, Hallucinogen |
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| Trade Names:
Sernyl, Sernylan |
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| Street Names:
Angel's Dust, Hog, Horse Tranquilizer, Ozone, Rocket Fuel |
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| Description:
PCP, commonly known as angel dust, is usually
classified as a hallucinogen. However, it also has the effects of a
stimulant, an anesthetic, or a narcotic pain-killer, depending on
how much is taken. PCP has powerful and unpredictable hallucinogenic
properties. As a result, individual PCP episodes can vary greatly. Many
PCP users are brought to emergency rooms because of its unpleasant
psychological effects or because of overdose. Continued PCP use can
lead to psychological dependence, as well as tolerance. |
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| PCP was developed in
the 1950's 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 still used as a veterinary
tranquilizer and is also illegally manufactured in laboratories. PCP
is a white crystalline powder that is readily soluble in water or
alcohol. It has a distinctive bitter chemical taste. It can be mixed
easily with dyes and turns up on the illicit drug market in a
variety of tablets, capsules, colored powders, and liquids. It
is sometimes sold to unsuspecting users as LSD, mescaline, or other
hallucinogens. PCP is typically taken by the oral ingestion of
tablets or capsules containing the powdered form. It is also
commonly sniffed or smoked in combination with marijuana or tobacco. |
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| Excretion:
In the 24-hour
urine, 4% to 19% of a PCP dose is excreted as unchanged PCP and 25%
to 30% as conjugated metabolites. PCP urine concentrations in
ambulatory users were most frequently between 40 ng/ml and 3,400
ng/ml. |
| Beyond the ABC's
Information for Professionals - Hallucinogens.
Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission. 07 Sept.
2001 <http://www.nadc.gov.ab.ca/aadac/addictions/beyond/beyond_hallucingens.htm>. |
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| Criminal Justice
Home Page. Lincoln Land Community College. 07 Sept.
2001 <http://www.llcc.cc.il.us/justice/drugs/drugsclass.html>. |
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| Drug Photos from
the IPRC Website. Indiana Prevention Resource Center.
07 Sept. 2001 <http://www.drugs.indiana.edu/prevention/iprcpics.html>. |
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| NIDA Infofax
13554 - PCP (Phencyclidine). National Institute on Drug Abuse. 07 Sept.
2001 <http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofax/pcp.html>. |
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