What Is a Wet Substance?
Wet substances, also known as wet drugs, are any drugs that have been dipped in or laced with either phencyclidine (PCP) or embalming fluid. Wet drugs are very dangerous because you can experience life-threatening side effects even when used occasionally.
Are you or a loved one suffering from wet drug abuse? We can help. Zinnia Health offers a wide range of inpatient and outpatient treatments with varying levels of care. You can search online for a rehab center near you or give us a call at (855) 430-9439.
What Substances Make Up Wet Drugs?
Wet drugs can be made using a combination of various substances and drugs. Typically, people mix another drug or tobacco with PCP or embalming fluid.
1. PCP (Phencyclidine)
PCP, which is short for phenylcyclohexyl piperidine, is a white crystal-like power that’s classified as a hallucinogen, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). PCP is a Schedule I Controlled Substance and is no longer produced or used for medical purposes. It’s primarily used as a recreational drug.
On the streets, people who misuse or abuse illegal drugs can find PCP in the form of a powder or liquid. Sometimes, it’s available as a crystal, tablet, or capsule. PCP is mostly smoked by making a cigarette out of tobacco, marijuana, mint, parsley, oregano, or other leafy materials dipped in PCP. It can also be snorted in the nose, swallowed by mouth, and injected into veins.
Some of the names for PCP that you might hear on the streets include:
- Angel dust
- Crystal
- Hog
- Ozone
- Rocket fuel
- Shermans
- Wack
2. Embalming Fluid
Embalming fluid is primarily made from formaldehyde, glutamate, ethanol, and methanol. Embalmers use it to preserve the bodies of the deceased at funeral homes, and researchers use it in medical labs to preserve specimens. Over the years, embalming fluid has become a popular drug that’s abused.
What Is Wet Called on the Street?
Wet drugs, also referred to as “smoking wet,” are called many different names on the street. These names are used to hide the true identity of illicit drugs.
The most common street names for drugs laced with PCP or embalming fluid include:
- Amp
- Fry
- Killer joints
- Lovelies
- Milk
- Purple Rain
- Sherm
- Shermstick
- Smurfs
- Super grass
- Wets
- Waters
What Is a Wet High?
Wet drugs, whether PCP or embalming fluid, are abused due to their ability to make you “high.”
“Wet” cigarettes are commonly used by people with substance use disorders (SUDs). In this case, marijuana joints and tobacco cigarettes are dipped in PCP or embalming fluid before they’re smoked. PCP and embalming fluid produce a similar feeling. As such, many people use wet drugs because of the “high” they often experience.
What Are the Effects of Wet Drugs?
Based on results from the 2021 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), more than 7% of people ages 12 and older used hallucinogens. Taking hallucinogens — ecstasy (MDMA), DMT/AMT/5-MeO-DiPT, ketamine, mescaline, LSD, PCP, peyote, psilocybin mushrooms, and Salvia divinorum — can be extremely dangerous.
According to the National Library of Medicine, PCP is a mind-altering drug. This drug affects the central nervous system of the brain, changing your behavior, mood, and interactions. Embalming fluid acts in similar ways to PCP as it pertains to how it affects the body and produces a high.
What Does PCP Do to Your Body?
PCP is a hallucinogen as well as a “dissociative” anesthetic. That means it causes you to experience distorted sights and sounds and feelings of detachment. In the 1950s, PCP was produced in the United States to be used by medical professionals.
However, this intravenous anesthetic was discontinued for medical purposes because patients often suffered from delirium following surgical procedures. If you use wet drugs, you could experience the following short-term and long-term effects of PCP.
Short-term effects of PCP include:
- Increased blood pressure
- Elevated heart rate
- Rapid, shallow breathing
- Elevated temperature
- Feeling detached from surroundings
- Slurred speech
- Loss of coordination
- Blank stare
- Rapid, involuntary eye movements
- Hallucinations
- Sedation
- Immobility
- Amnesia
- Analgesia
Long-term effects of PCP include:
- Dependency
- Withdrawal symptoms when stopping
- Memory loss
- Altered thinking
- Speech difficulties
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Social withdrawal
- Suicidal thoughts
The way PCP affects your body and mind depends on how you consume it and how much you consume.
When PCP users smoke a laced marijuana joint or tobacco cigarette, they may experience a high within 2-5 minutes, whereas swallowing a pill can take 30-60 minutes before you feel the effects. These effects may last anywhere from 4-8 hours to 24-48 hours after using PCP.
What Does Embalming Fluid Do to Your Body?
Like PCP, embalming fluid has a hallucinogenic effect on the mind and body. In addition, cigarettes dipped in embalming fluid burn more slowly, which can enhance the high experienced by marijuana users. The slow burn also enhances the unpleasant side effects you may experience. In addition, embalming fluid is a known carcinogen (cancer-causing).
Effects of embalming fluid include:
- Bronchitis
- Lung damage
- Respiratory failure
- Brain damage
- Body tissue damage
- Impaired coordination
- Sores in the throat, nose, and esophagus
- Cancer
Addiction can be a life-long struggle, but it’s treatable. That’s why Zinnia Health offers solutions to help you throughout the addiction treatment process. Don’t hesitate to call our drug abuse helpline at (855) 430-9439. Our team of substance abuse professionals is standing by 24/7.
What Is Wet Drug Abuse?
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is the term used for any condition that involves drug abuse or addiction. As defined by the National Institute of Mental Health, SUD is “a treatable mental disorder that affects a person’s brain and behavior, leading to their inability to control their use of substances like legal or illegal drugs, alcohol, or medications.”
Consuming wet drugs, whether PCP or embalming fluid, can lead to dependence on the drugs. If you have wet drug abuse, you likely are unable to control your habit and find it difficult to stop. This may also happen even though you realize the dangers of using wet drugs.
Wet drugs abuse may involve any or more of the following SUDs, which can further increase your risk of addiction and harmful effects:
When abusing wet drugs, you can also have co-occurring mental disorders associated with it. These might include:
- Anxiety disorders
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Personality disorders
- Schizophrenia
Cannabis use disorder is the 3rd most common SUD after alcohol and tobacco use. Marijuana or any other drugs mixed with PCP or embalming fluid can lead to addiction, overdose, and even death. That’s why it’s vital to seek treatment from a substance abuse professional or treatment facility for wet drug abuse.
Get Started on a Treatment for Wet Drug Abuse Today
Whether you use cigarettes, marijuana, or other drugs laced with PCP or embalming fluid, it’s important to recognize the dangers of doing so. Not only do these mind-altering drugs produce feelings of joy or floating in space, but they can also be highly addictive. In turn, you could find yourself in a cycle of abuse that’s difficult to break without professional help.
When you or someone you know is having a hard time leading a sober life, there are ways to overcome addiction. Zinnia Health has treatment facilities located throughout the U.S. You can get a customized substance abuse treatment program, including PCP detox, suited to your individual needs. Act now by calling us at (855) 430-9439 and get on the road to recovery.