Hallucinogens on the Internet: a vast new source of underground drug information.
OBJECTIVE
The illicit use of hallucinogens is reemerging in the United States, especially among well-educated adults and teenagers. These same groups are also frequent users of the Internet. The authors sought to characterize the extent of information about hallucinogens available to Internet users.


METHODS
Using standard Internet search techniques, the authors located 81 hallucinogen-related sites and categorized the information provided.


RESULTS
Internet sites offer thousands of pages of information-albeit of questionable accuracy-on how to obtain, synthesize, extract, identify, and ingest hallucinogens. Much of this information has yet to appear in textbooks. By contrast, the authors found few U.S. government agency sites offering cautionary material about hallucinogen use.


CONCLUSIONS
Using the Internet, potential hallucinogen users can bypass traditional channels of medical information and learn in great detail how to obtain and use numerous drugs with unknown hazards.
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Center and the Biological Psychiatry Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA. john_halpern@hms.harvard.edu
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Halpern
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Pope
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004346:Drug Information Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D006213:Hallucinogens