PHENCYCLIDINE

(Street Names: PCP, Angel Dust, Supergrass, Boat, Tic Tac, Zoom, Shermans)

August 2007 DEA/OD/ODE

After a decline in abuse during the late 1980s and 1990s, phencyclidine (PCP) has re-emerged as a drug of abuse. PCP is considered a "club drug" and is abused by young adults involved in the "rave culture." Street names include Angel Dust, Hog, Ozone, Rocket Fuel, Shermans, Wack, Crystal and Embalming Fluid. Street names for PCP combined with marijuana include Killer Joints, Super Grass, Fry, Lovelies, Wets, and Waters.

Once marketed as an anesthetic in the United States under the trade names, Sernyl and Sernylan, PCP is no longer produced or used for medical purposes in the United States.

Phencyclidine, 1-(1-phencyclohexyl) piperdine, is a white crystalline powder that is readily soluble in water. PCP is clandestinely manufactured for purposes of abuse.

PCP is known as a "dissociative anesthetic" because it distorts sight and sound and produces feelings of detachment from one’s environment and self. Its pharmacological effects include the ability to produce sedation, immobility, amnesia, and marked analgesia. The drug effects of PCP vary by the route of administration and dose. The effects can be felt within 2 to 5 minutes after smoking and 30 to 60 minutes after oral ingestion. PCP intoxication may last between 4 and 8 hours when consumed as recreational dose, although some users report subjective effects lasting between 24 and 48 hours. Low to moderate doses (1 to 5 mg) of PCP often cause the user to feel detached, distant and estranged from his surroundings. Numbness, slurred speech and loss of coordination may be accompanied by a sense of strength and invulnerability. A blank stare, rapid and involuntary eye movements, and an exaggerated gait are among the more observable effects. High doses (10 mg or more) of PCP produce illusions and hallucination (auditory). Physiological effects include increased blood pressure, rapid and shallow breathing, elevated heart rate and elevated temperature.

Chronic use of PCP can result in dependency with a withdrawal syndrome upon cessation of the drug. Chronic abuse of PCP can impair memory and thinking. The user can have persistent speech difficulties such as slurred speech, stuttering, inability to articulate and inability to speak. Other symptoms from long-term use include suicidal ideation, anxiety, depression, social withdrawal and social isolation

PCP is abused for its mind altering effects. It is abused in one of three ways: snorted, smoked, or swallowed. Smoking is the most common method of abusing PCP. Leafy material such as mint, parsley, oregano, tobacco, or marijuana are saturated with powdered PCP which is than rolled into a cigarette, called a joint, and smoked. Marijuana joint or cigarette dipped in liquid PCP is known as a "dipper." PCP is typically used in small quantities with 5 to 10 mg being considered an average dose.

PCP is abused by young adults and high school students. According to the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2.7% (6.6 millions) and 0.1% (164,000) of Americans aged 12 and older surveyed reported PCP use in their lifetime and past year, respectively. The 2004, 2005, and 2006 Monitoring the Future survey reported that 0.7%, 1.3% and 0.7% of high school seniors acknowledged using PCP within the past year, respectively.

PCP is available in powder, crystal, tablet, capsule, and liquid forms. It is most commonly sold in powder and liquid forms. Tablets sold as MDMA (Ecstasy) occasionally are found to contain PCP. Prices for PCP range from $5-$15 for tablets, $20-$30 for a gram of powder PCP, and $200-$300 for an ounce of liquid PCP. The "dipper" sells for $10-$20 each.

The Los Angeles area is the primary source of the majority of PCP found in the United States. According to the El Paso Intelligence Center National Clandestine Laboratory Seizure System (EPIC) data, six PCP laboratories seized in 2004 were in the Los Angeles County. Several major PCP producers operating in Southern California were arrested in 2005 and 2006. It is typically produced in liquid form and subsequently distributed to mid-level distributors in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Newark, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. PCP is available throughout the county; however, primarily it’s found in metropolitan areas such as Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

According to the System to Retrieve Information from Drug Evidence, DEA forensic laboratories analyzed 494 PCP exhibits from 271 cases in 2003. PCP exhibits declined to 207 (121 cases) and 266 (152 cases) in 2004 and 2005, respectively. In 2006, there were 400 PCP exhibits (222 cases). According to the National Forensic Laboratory Information System, state and local forensic laboratories analyzed 3,386 (3,044 cases), 2,765 (2,501 cases), 2,827 (2,580 cases), and 2,990 (2,634 cases) PCP drug items in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006, respectively.

On January 25, 1978, PCP was transferred from schedule III to schedule II under the Federal Controlled Substances Act.

Comments and additional information are welcomed by the Drug and Chemical Evaluation Section, FAX 202-353-1263 or telephone 202-307-7183.