Phencyclidine (PCP): a local and national perspective.

Phencyclidine (PCP) is an illicit drug with a high potential for negative effects. It is easy to synthesize and difficult to control because the precursors are easy to obtain. DAWN data shows that PCP episodes in emergency rooms and hospitals have increased from the twenty-third most frequently observed drug in 1973 to sixteenth in 1975. One explanation for the increase in PCP use is the change in the mode of administration from pill to smoking. An exploratory study of a local outbreak of PCP describes the effects of PCP and the dilemma facing the user. Regular PCP use is difficult to hide, but since stigma is attached to PCP use, the PCP user is reluctant to admit to regular use.