Drugs and Chemicals of
Concern > Phencyclidine
PHENCYCLIDINE
(Street Names: PCP, Angel Dust, Supergrass, Boat, Tic Tac,
Zoom, Shermans)
August
2007
DEA/OD/ODE
Introduction:
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.
Licit Uses:
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.
Chemistry and Pharmacology:
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
Illicit Uses:
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.
User Population:
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.
Illicit Distribution:
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.
Control Status:
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.
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