Club drugs, as the name indicates, are popular at nightclubs, parties, and raves. They cause users to feel euphoric, sedate, or less inhibited. Users may experience hallucinations or altered states of reality. Club drugs can also diminish anxiety.

There are many club drugs available, but the most common are methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), often referred to as ecstasy; gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), also known as liquid ecstasy or Georgia homeboy; flunitrazepam, more commonly known as a roofie; and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and ketamine (special K).

Club drugs are illicit substances that are not considered medicinally beneficial in any way. Most club drugs look like prescription medication, but they are illegally made. Because there is no regulation on these substances, the content of many club drugs is unknown and can vary greatly, which makes them especially dangerous. Club drugs tend to be tasteless, odorless, and colorless, which makes them easy to be mixed in beverages of other people without their knowledge. Certain club drugs, such as GHB and roofies, are used in this way to sedate victims and commit sexual assaults.

It is possible for users of club drugs to become addicted, especially if they are used frequently and repeatedly. The use of these drugs can cause severe, adverse, long-lasting symptom, such as:

• Muscle control loss

• Blurred vision

• Seizures

• Memory loss

• Hypothermia

• Damaged nerve cells in the brain

• Depression

• Antisocial behavior

• Suicide and homicide

• Change in physical appearance - lack of hygiene, weight or hair loss

• Increased chance of unprotected sex

Club drugs like MDMA are stimulants that increase heartbeat and blood pressure, whereas GHB is a depressant that can lead to breathing problems and loss of consciousness. Club drugs used in combination with alcohol can be even more dangerous, since alcohol can exacerbate a drug's effects.

Many people are under the misconception that taking small amounts of club drugs once in a while will not cause any harm. But even a single pill can result in serious complications or even death because the dosage strength is unknown and can vary greatly from pill to pill.