PCPBy: Sara Garcia

What is PCP?

• Phenylcyclohexylpiperidine aka Phencyclidine (PCP) was developed in the 1950s as an anesthetic but, due to the harsh side effects its development for human medical use was discontinued in the 1960s by Parke Davis.

Short Term Side Effects• Sweating• Paranoia• Aggressive behavior• Difficulty concentrating• Delusions• Euphoria• Blurred vision• Difficulty communicating• Seizures• Coma• Decrease in heart rate and blood pressure• Disruption of the learning process• Interferes with hormones for normal growth and

development.

Long Term Side Effects

• Depression• Psychosis• auditory hallucinations• Flashbacks• memory loss• Anxiety• speech problems• aggressive behavior• psychological and physical dependence.

Street Namesangel dustrocket fuelwackdusthogozonecrystalElephantPeace PillsAmp

Withdrawal• anxiety• loss of appetite• Irritability• trouble sleeping• Decreased reflexes• Weight loss• Memory loss• Anxiety• Speech difficulties• Depression• Lack of impulse control• Coma

Pharmacokinetics

• Well absorbed following all routes of administration, although ~ 50% of PCP in cigarette smoke is converted to an inactive thermal degradation product.

• PCP is highly lipid soluble and is stored in fat and brain tissue. The plasma binding of PCP is 65% and its half-life ranges from 7-46 hours (average 21 hours).

• PCP is extensively metabolized to inactive metabolites by a variety of metabolic routes.

Signs People Are Using

• Dilated pupils• A blank stare• A decrease in the ability to communicate• Unpredictable• Aggressive or violent behavior• Decrease in sensory perception (example:

may not feel pain when injured)• Trouble with the law• A decrease in school or work performance• Withdrawing from friends and family

How You Use

• Smoked• Intravenous injection• Snorted• Added as eye drops• Oral ingestion• Transdermal absorption

How To Make It • PCP has no link that it is found in nature, the

only way to make it is to combine dangerous industrial

• chemicals. • One ingredient is cyanide (SY-uh-nide), a

deadly poison. • Other ingredients are chemicals that may

otherwise be used to make plastics, paint remover, motor fuels, and other products.

• One of the clues that frequently leads to the discovery of an illegal PCP laboratory is the strong odor of chemicals.

• PCP gives off a powerful odor like that of ammonia.

Have You Had PCP

• PCP is sometimes used to disguise poor-quality marijuana

• even to make regular herbs such as parsley seem like authentic marijuana

• Users may not be told that PCP is the real active ingredient in the matter

• When applied to marijuana or other leafy material in this way, PCP is referred to as killer joints, killer weed, lovelies, supergrass, superweed, and wets, with other names

Questions?

• 1) What is PCP’s real name?• 2) What is common ways PCP can

be used?• 3) Can PCP be used in other drugs?• 4) Is PCP made from nature?• 5) What are some short term

effects of using PCP?

Reference• http://www.drugs.com/illicit/pcp.html• http://www.drugabuse.ca/pcp • http://

www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/research/job185drugs/phencyclidine.htm

• http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/scic/ReferenceDetailsPage/DocumentToolsPortletWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&jsid=46e40922120f2ff88cc98fffd0a77e84&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CCV2646400045&u=gotitans&zid=9d734dee414365393f5b16c1f0dcf87f