In the late 1970s PCP (angel dust) was one of the leading causes of admissions to psychiatric wards. According to the latest available figures, 8% of all high school seniors have tried PCP. First developed as a pre-surgery anesthetic, doctors soon discovered PCP can create bizarre side effects. Bad trips are common with PCP. It can provoke strange and violent behavior as well as depression, psychosis, loss of speech, abnormally high and low blood pressure, and sometimes even death. After just one experience PCP can also cause serious mental illness. With its use on the rise again it is important that young people become aware of its dangers. This book provides timely information on The Dangerous Angel.

The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Drugs answers the questions that young people are likely to ask about drugs, as well as those they might not think to ask, but should. Topics include: what it means to be intoxicated; how drugs affect mood; why people take drugs; who takes them; when they take them; and how much they take. They will learn what happens to a drug when it enters the body. They will learn what it means to get 'hooked' and how it happens. They will learn how drugs affect their driving, their school work and those around them -- their peers, their family, their friends, and their employers. They will learn what the signs are that indicate that a friend or a family member may have a drug problem and to identify four stages leading from drug use to drug abuse.