One type of drug that has become increasingly common on college campuses is hallucinogens. Hallucinogens, such as peyote, LSD, and shrooms, are a class of drug that alter the thoughts and feelings of the user, and can change the way the user sees their environment (NIDA 2016). The biggest danger when it comes to ingesting hallucinogenic drugs is not addiction; however a frequent user can build up a tolerance to the drugs (NIDA 2016). The most dangerous aspect of hallucinogens is their ability to change the way the user sees the world around them and the unpredictable reactions they can have on users. A user can attempt to control the environment as much as possible, but it is impossible to predict someone’s reaction to the drugs. If the user has a negative reaction, this can be very dangerous to the user and the people around him or her (NIDA 2016). Common short-term side effects of hallucinogens are sleep problems, mixed senses, feelings of detachment, paranoia, sweating, and heart palpitations (NIDA 2016). Common long term effects include speech problems, memory loss, and depressed or suicidal thoughts (NIDA 2016). There are more rare long term effects, such as prolonged psychosis and flashbacks (NIDA 2016).
