The music blares as teens and young adults dance to the music of the all night dance party known as a rave. As they mindlessly dance to the beat, a dangerous element enters the atmosphere.

This dangerous element is club drugs. In the Community Drug Alert Bulletin, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Alan I. Leshner Ph.D., said, “Club drugs are drugs being used by young adults at all-night dance parties such as raves or trances, dance clubs and bars.”

Ecstasy, LSD, Ketamine, Rohyphol, and Methamphetamine are club drugs that have been gaining popularity recently.

“Users may think these substances are harmless, but research has shown that club drugs can produce a range of unwanted effects,” Leshner said.

All of these club drugs produce long-term and short-term effects. These effects are very dangerous and can cause many problems.

Ecstasy is a mind-altering drug that produces feelings of peace, empathy and excessive energy. The effects of this drug are excessive talking, impaired memory, depression and a wandering mind. Long-term use can lead to mental confusion, anxiety and panic reactions.

Many times users of Ecstasy are being rushed to the emergency room because their body is overheated. “The most common reason for admission is that the body overheats to a dangerous point, causing fainting and internal organ stress,” the Drug Abuse Warning Network said. Ecstasy users can die from this.

Heavy users of Ecstasy may also be risking brain damage. Doses of Ecstasy have been shown to significantly damage brain cells called neurons, which work as a chemical messenger in the brain to influence mood, appetite, sleep and other important functions. “Ecstasy selectively damages serotonin neurons in virtually all species examined to date,” said Dr. George Ricaurte, physician of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.

LSD can cause unpredictable behavior, weakness, nausea and sweating. Users also feel sleepy and have a lack of appetite. People that use LSD have an increased heart rate, high body temperature and increased blood pressure.

Over a long period of time heavy users can experience severe, terrifying thoughts or feelings and fears of losing control. They may also experience insanity, despair and death. Another effect is flashbacks in which a recurrence of taking the drug occurs without actually taking LSD. Users can manifest long lasting psychoses, such as schizophrenia or severe depression.

Ketamine causes a loss of attention span, learning ability, and memory. Fixed staring into space, delirium and amnesia can also occur from using Ketamine. Many users of this drug have severe breathing problems and high blood pressure. Impaired motor functions are also a side effect of Ketamine use.

Also known as the date rape drug, Rohyphol causes a slowing of psychomotor performance, muscle relaxation, memory impairment, drowsiness, and sleepiness. Users can also experience confusion and amnesia.

Methamphetamine stimulates brain cells to enhance mood and body movement. It has a neurotoxic effect which damages brain cells. This harmful drug can result in symptoms like those of Parkinson’s Disease, which is a severe movement disorder. An increased heart rate and blood pressure can cause irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain, which can lead to strokes.

Users become addicted quickly and use methamphetamine with increasing frequency and doses. Convulsions, anxiety, paranoia, and aggressiveness can be experienced, while hypothermia, cardiovascular collapse, and convulsions can result in death.

NIDA supported research has shown that the use of these club drugs alone can cause serious health problems and may even result in death. Club drugs should be avoided for the benefit of your health. The use of these drugs for one night of excitement is not worth your entire life.