Phencyclidine, otherwise known as PCP, is a hallucinogenic, dissociative drug that comes in the form of a white crystalline powder or a clear, yellowish liquid.
It’s often referred to as angel dust, amp, rocket fuel, and animal tranquilizer, among other names. Introduced as an intravenous anesthetic in the 1950s, the drug is now used for its psychoactive effects. Phencyclidine can be ingested as a tablet or capsule, or snorted as a powder. People also smoke PCP by mixing it with tobacco or marijuana. It can be added to eye drops as well. Smoking or injecting the drug causes a more rapid onset of effects.
What Are the Effects of PCP?
The psychological effects of PCP can include:
- Euphoria.
- Calmness.
- Lethargy.
- Disorientation.
- Hallucinations.
- Changes in body awareness.
- Loss of coordination.
- Distorted sensory perceptions.
- Sense of detachment.
- Lack of concentration.
- Agitation.
- Combativeness.
- Bizarre behavior.
- Memory loss.
- Stupor.
A person on PCP often has a strong sense of strength and invulnerability, leading them to actions that may be unintentionally harmful and dangerous. The drug also causes a range of physiological effects in those who use it, including:
- High blood pressure.
- Elevated heart rate.
- Profuse sweating.
- Flushed skin.
- Numbness in the extremities.
- Inability to feel pain.
- Blurred vision.
- Difficulty speaking.
- Uncontrolled eye movement.
- Lack of body control.
- Rigid muscle
- A staring gaze.
- Unconsciousness.
Why Do People Abuse PCP?
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2023, 24,000 individuals aged 12 and older used PCP for the first time in the year preceding the study. About 8.8 million people used hallucinogens in that year.1 In all, millions of people have tried PCP, an addictive drug that prompts cravings, compulsive behavior, and psychological dependence.2
People use PCP intentionally for various reasons. It is a mind-altering drug.3 When phencyclidine acts on the brain, it changes a person’s mood and behavior. The drug can prompt hallucinations in the form of realistic sights, sounds, and feelings that do not have a basis in reality. Individuals also take PCP to experience separation from their body and its surroundings. This can make a person feel like they are floating, uninhibited, and have no fear. People often admit to being able to think more clearly after taking phencyclidine.
Information from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that most individuals who use PCP stick to intermittent use; however, people may also develop tolerance to the drug and use it daily. When one becomes addicted to phencyclidine, they often resort to drug-seeking behaviors that are characteristic of addiction.
The onset of PCP’s effects is quite rapid, taking hold within 1 to 5 minutes when PCP is smoked or injected, and within 30 minutes if taken orally or snorted. It can take 4 to 6 hours for the major effects to decline, and a person may not fully return to their normal state for 24 hours.