Parents, Know the Facts! – PCP (Phencyclidine)

PHENCYCLIDINE (PCP) IS A MIND-ALTERING SUBSTANCE THAT MAY LEAD TO HALLUCINATIONS (A SIGNIFICANT DISTORTION IN A PERSON’S VIEW OF REALITY).

As a dissociative substance, it causes one to experience a warping of one's perception of reality, including their own identity and the world around them. PCP on the illicit drug market, ranges in colour from light to dark brown, and in texture from powdered to a sticky mass, due to the presence of various contaminants.

Forms of PCP: Powder and liquid (PCP base is dissolved most frequently in either.) It is often sprayed over cannabis, mint, oregano, tobacco, parsley, or ginger leaves, and then smoked.

HOW IS IT USED?

Injected (intravenous or IV), orally (by mouth), smoked, snorted.

EFFECTS OF PCP

There is no safe level of substance misuse. The following effects may be experienced:

Euphoria; sound, image and body distortion; depersonalization or feelings of detachment; loss of balance and coordination; loss of sensation and inability to feel pain; acute anxiety, agitation, and mood swings; feelings of impending doom; numbness in the arms and legs; confusion and disorientation; rigid muscles; delusions; amnesia, or memory loss; chills and sweating; irregular heartbeat and low blood pressure; reduced breathing rate; dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

WITHDRAWAL

When a person becomes tolerant or addicted to a substance, the sudden stop of misusing the substance might cause withdrawal. These symptoms can include:

Elevated body temperature, seizures, muscle breakdown, muscle twitching, agitation, hallucinations, Acidosis, depression, memory loss, confusion, cravings.

LONG TERM EFFECTS / HIGH DOSES

Seizures, coma, damage to the skeletal muscles, known as rhabdomyolysis, death, stuttering and difficulty speaking, problems with reasoning and memory, anxiety and depression, suicidal thoughts, social isolation and withdrawal, flashbacks.