Hallucinogens

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is commonly known as "acid." It belongs to a family of drugs known as hallucinogens.

LSD is very powerful. Pure LSD the size of an aspirin is enough for 3,000 doses. Odourless and tasteless, pure LSD is a fine white powder that is sold in capsules or tablets. It can also be diluted in liquid and then absorbed into blotter paper, sugar cubes, gum, candy, cookies, or even postage stamps that can be eaten or licked.

LSD sold on the street often contains PCP (phencyclidine), a potentially more dangerous drug.

PCP (phencyclidine), also known as "angel dust," is usually considered a hallucinogen. However, it can also have the effects of a stimulant, an anesthetic or a narcotic painkiller, depending on how much is taken. PCP has been used medically as an anesthetic, first on humans and later on animals. For this reason, it sometimes goes by the street name of "horse tranquillizer."

PCP can be sold as a powder, liquid or tablet, and can be smoked, swallowed or injected. It is sometimes passed off as LSD, marijuana or other drugs.

Effects on general health

Use of hallucinogens puts users at increased risk for

• increased heart rate and blood pressure, fever, dilated pupils, tremors, nausea, chills and numbness
• impaired judgment (of distance, speed, time, etc.) and altered memory
• problems with concentrating and communicating
• Some chronic heavy users show apathy, lack interest in the future, and are easily frustrated.

Effects during pregnancy

There is no known safe level of hallucinogen consumption for pregnant women.

It is unclear whether a child's health problems are caused solely by a mother's use of drugs during pregnancy or in combination with other factors including

• poor nutritional habits
• smoking
• alcohol consumption
• use of more than one drug
• lack of sleep
• a mother's general health prior to pregnancy
• genetics
• how much alcohol, tobacco or other drugs are consumed during pregnancy
• at what stage in the pregnancy the substance is consumed
• the length of time the substance is consumed

The effects of hallucinogens such as LSD or PCP have been difficult to study because these other factors also have an impact on the pregnancy. Until more is known about the specific effects of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, it is safest to avoid using them while pregnant.

Effects on the fetus

If a mother uses needles and contracts HIV/AIDS, or hepatitis B or C, she can pass these on to her unborn child.

PCP has been shown to cross through the placenta, collecting in the tissue of the fetus and remaining in the fetus's circulation for an extended period after the mother's last ingestion of the drug. This means that the fetus is exposed to the drug for longer periods of time than the mother.

Negative outcomes that may arise due to hallucinogen consumption during pregnancy include

• premature labour and delivery: the baby is born before full term
• maternal abruption: the premature separation of the placenta from the wall of the uterus, a potentially very serious situation for both mother and baby
• low birth weight: a child born smaller than average is at increased risk for developing health problems as it grows
• birth defects: PCP is suspected to contribute to some physical abnormalities noted at birth, including facial deformities

Effects on breastfeeding

A mother who continues to use hallucinogens should not breastfeed her child.

Because substances like PCP have a long half-life, concentrations of the drug may remain in a mother's breast milk for hours -- maybe even days -- after the mother's last use. There is speculation that the breastfeeding infant will continue to ingest the drug after the mother has stopped using, and will continue to experience the behavioural and psychological changes associated with hallucinogen use.

Effects on child development

PCP exposure has been associated with poor attention, rigid muscles and decreased reflexes in infants.

Infants exposed to hallucinogens prior to birth are at risk of experiencing withdrawal symptoms once they are no longer exposed to the drug.

Children prenatally exposed to hallucinogens are at increased risk for experiencing functional and behavioural impairments.

Because not everything is known about how using alcohol, tobacco or other drugs during pregnancy may affect child development, it is safest to avoid using them while pregnant.