PCP,
technically known as Phencyclidine, is a hallucinogen that was
first distributed as a surgical anesthetic in the 1950’s.
However, it was soon removed from the market because people that
had used it soon became delirious and experienced intense
hallucinations. The effects of PCP range from mood swings,
euphoria, hallucinations and self harming. It can be taken by
inhalation, smoking, orally or intravenously. Not a common drug
of abuse today, it is however still used frequently enough to
need to be tested for.
Phencyclidine, also known as PCP
or Angel Dust, is used in powder, capsule, and tablet form. The
powder is either snorted or smoked after mixing it with
marijuana or vegetable matter. Phencyclidine is most commonly
administered by inhalation but can be used intravenously,
intra-nasally, and orally. After low doses, the user thinks and
acts swiftly and experiences mood swings from euphoria to
depression. Self-injurious behavior is one of the devastating
effects of Phencyclidine.
PCP can be found in urine within 4
to 6
hours after use and will remain in urine for
7 to 14 days, depending on factors such as
metabolic rate, user's age, weight, activity, and diet.5
Phencyclidine is excreted in the urine as an unchanged drug (4%
to 19%) and conjugated metabolites (25% to 30%).6
