Pubdate: Fri, 28 Oct 2005 Source: Parksville Qualicum Beach News (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 Parksville Qualicum Beach News Contact: http://www.pqbnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1361 Author: Cst. Beth Blackburn WHEN DRUGS ARE USED BY PREDATORS Ketamine is an anesthetic that is abused for its hallucinogenic properties. It is legally used in veterinary medicine, usually as a tranquilizer for animals. Abuse of the drug gained popularity when users discovered that it produced effects similar to those associated to PCP. Ketamine has also been used by sexual predators to incapacitate their intended victims. What does it look like? Ketamine is generally sold as either a colourless, odourless liquid or as an off-white powder. How is ketamine abused? In either its powder or liquid forms ketamine is mixed with beverages or added to smokable materials such as marijuana or tobacco. As a powder the drug is snorted or pressed into tablets - often in combination with ecstasy. What are the risks? Ketamine causes users to have distorted perceptions of sight and sound and to feel disconnected and out of control. Users also have a very high tolerance to pain and have increased strength. This is symptom is very concerning to law enforcement when dealing with clients under the influence of ketamine. Ketamine can cause depression, delirium, amnesia, impaired motor function, high blood pressure and potentially fatal respiratory problems. What are street names for ketamine? Special K , K , cat valium, Kit Kat Ecstasy, also known as the 'hug drug,' causes euphoric effects. Ecstasy gives the user a generalized feeling of peace and happiness, emotional closeness to others, sensory enhancement - touch, taste, smell, etc. The downside to the use of ecstasy is confusion, anxiety, panic attacks, disorientation, delusions, lapses in memory, liver damage, kidney failure, convulsions, coma, stroke, paranoia and suicide. Using MDMA (Ecstasy) may result in death, however, permanent brain damage is more prevalent amongst users. MDMA use is wide-spread among youth. Studies in B.C. Show some tablets being sold to youth as ecstasy are in fact less than 50 per cent, by analysis, pure MDMA. Commonly, analysis reveals that the tablets are in fact a combination of drugs, namely methamphetamine, ketamine, PCP, LSD, codeine and caffeine just to name of few. This creates a false sense of security for the user who believes they are ingesting ecstasy. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth