Addictive drugs that are synthesized or manufactured to give the same subjective effects as well-known illicit drugs. Because the process is covert and illegal, tracing the manufacturer to check the drugs for adverse effects is difficult. Common examples are ecstasy and “Eve,” both of which are similar to amphetamines.
A drug that has been modified to enhance its properties (informal).
Synthetic copies of drugs that are illegal to use or sell.
Slang for drugs created by underground chemists to mimic illegal drugs. Designer drugs are usually created by changing the molecular structure of an existing drug to create a new substance, one that is not officially listed as a controlled substance. The best-known of the designer drugs, also known as club drugs, is MDMA, or Ecstasy, which resembles the stimulant methamphetamine and also has some psychedelic features. Use of Ecstasy is associated with “raves,” all-night underground dance parties attended by teenagers and college students who are attracted to Ecstasy because it helps them to stay up all night.
A group of chemical substances produced illegally whose properties and effects are similar to those of drugs of abuse. They may be derived from narcotic analgesic drugs, amphetamines or hallucinogens. Ecstasy is a widely used designer drug and has caused deaths among teenagers. Designer drugs are potentially dangerous, especially if taken with alcohol.
An illicitly produced drug of abuse. “Designer drug” was coined by Gary Henderson, a contemporary pharmacologist. Designer drugs include methamphetamine, fentanyl and its analogues, and phencyclidine hydrochloride (PCP); they have serious side effects or are addictive. Designer drugs are manufactured idiosyncratically; deaths and injury from overdose are not uncommon.
A new chemical substance that has been designed to be chemically similar to a controlled substance.
Designer drugs belong to a category of substances deliberately designed to evade conventional methods of detection, such as drug laws and testing. These substances frequently comprise multiple modified versions of an original compound or are formulated to mimic the effects of other illicit drugs that are commonly consumed.
An assemblage of unlawfully manufactured substances that imitate the impacts of particular illicit drugs. Fabricated within unauthorized laboratories, these substances are cost-effective to produce and undermine the prevailing prices of illicit substances on the streets. Designer drugs have the potential to induce both drug dependency and drug poisoning.
These substances can be categorized into three primary classifications: derivatives of opioid analgesics (pain relievers) like fentanyl, substances resembling amphetamines such as ecstasy, and variations of phencyclidine (PCP), a hallucinogenic drug.
These exceptionally potent substances are not subjected to comprehensive testing to determine potential adverse effects or the potency of tablets or capsules, thereby rendering their usage perilous. For instance, certain derivatives of fentanyl exhibit a potency 20 to 2,000 times greater than that of morphine. Amphetamine derivatives possess the capacity to induce brain damage at doses only slightly higher than those required for a stimulant effect. Moreover, numerous designer drugs are contaminated with impurities that can result in irreversible harm.
The usage of designer drugs entails a substantial peril of drug dependency, often accompanied by severe withdrawal symptoms, as well as the potential for drug poisoning, which can lead to detrimental outcomes like brain damage.