Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens are drugs taken recreationally to alter thoughts, perceptions and emotions. The hallucinogens, more commonly known as psychedelics, produce visual, auditory and other sensory hallucinations--experiences that are not real. Euphoria may occur, but these drugs also commonly cause agitation, confusion, anxiety, paranoia, delusions, loss of social inhibitions, and wildly labile emotions. Large doses of hallucinogens can cause psychosis, ruptured brain blood vessels, brain damage, seizures, and potentially fatal respiratory and heart failure. According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 1.1 million Americans use hallucinogenic drugs.