What They Are, the Risks, and Finding Treatment

Clubbing drugs are a variety of psychoactive substances commonly used in bars, nightclubs, concerts, music festivals, and dance parties.[1] These wide ranges of substances are often categorized together, although they are chemically diverse. As such, the effects of these drugs vary from stimulatory and energetic to sedative, hallucinogenic, or dissociative.

Some people start taking clubbing drugs to feel socially connected to other people or to prolong their ability to engage in an activity. Others report taking these drugs to enhance their senses or feelings of closeness to others. Although many people view their use of clubbing drugs as a form of recreation or relaxation, many of these substances are controlled substances, meaning they are illegal drugs. These classifications mean that they have a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical use in the United States.

While the effects of club drugs can vary greatly depending on the substance taken, dosage administered, environmental influences, and any other substances being consumed simultaneously, there are a number of recurring risks among clubbing drugs:

• Changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature, such as hyperthermia, potentially causing seizures, organ failure, or death.
• Dehydration and heatstroke, particularly during crowded events, has contributed to deaths involving MDMA.[6]
• Nausea, vomiting, jaw clenching, and tremors.
• Impaired cognition, confusion, disorientation, and inability to think clearly, raising risk for injuries, incidents, and inability to respond appropriately.[7]
• Loss of memories and blackouts, particularly with GHB and Rohypnol, both of which have been associated with date rape and drug-facilitated sexual assaults.
• Depression and anxiety, particularly when using MDMA repeatedly, alters serotonin function in the brain.
• Death from overdose, a possibility with all clubbing drugs listed previously.

These effects cannot be predicted. The same quantity of a substance may induce euphoria one evening, whereas it may result in a life-threatening condition on another day, particularly since clubbing drugs are often unregulated and contain various unknown or dangerous additives.[8]

Recognizing signs of club drug addiction, whether in oneself or a loved one, represents a critical milestone toward receiving the help required to address the issue.[9] Given that club drug use is often embedded in social activity and lifestyle, identifying signs can easily be dismissed as incidental or explained away. 

Common signs may include:

• Engaging in club drug use more frequently than initially anticipated or reasoned
• Taking higher doses of a drug to achieve desired results
• Spending considerable time thinking about or planning for future use, recovering from previous use, or finding additional sources for a given substance
• Experiencing anxiety, depression, irritability, or unwell sensations post-use
• Continually engaging in club drug use despite adverse impacts on overall health, work, school, or personal relationships
• Avoiding social contacts or activities that were previously meaningful
• Mixing club drugs with alcohol or other substances to amplify or enhance the experience
• Being unable to stop or reduce using even when the user wants to

If several of these factors resonate with you, those characteristics represent information regarding your current state of being, not a definitive assessment regarding your identity. Those patterns indicate your body, brain, and emotional systems may need help.

One of the greatest hazards associated with clubbing drugs is the widespread practice of combining them with alcohol or other substances. As most clubbing drugs are CNS depressants or stimulants, combining them with other substances may lead to unforeseen, unpredictable, and life-threatening reactions.[10]

GHB or Rohypnol mixed with alcohol dramatically raises the risk for respiratory depression, loss of consciousness, and overdose, as all three will slow down CNS functions.[11] Masking depressive effects of alcohol with MDMA or methamphetamine makes it more likely for individuals to exceed dangerous drinking limits before recognizing symptoms indicating a need for caution.[12] Using numerous stimulants at the same time puts greater strain on the cardiovascular system and can trigger cardiac events.

Effective recovery from club drug addiction involves addressing two primary issues: the physiological alterations created by the drug within an individual’s body and brain, and the underlying motivation for using clubbing drugs. At Agape Detox Center, no two treatment programs will ever be identical, just as no two people share identical backgrounds or experiences.