Many people are under the mistaken impression that LSD is a drug of the past and is no longer available. The drug, commonly referred to as acid, is still being used nationwide. Facts about LSD include:
How it is sold: Liquid LSD is dropped onto small squares of absorbent paper. The paper is decorated with small printed cartoon characters and then the drug is sold as Looney Toons. In most cases, however, it comes in tablets or gel caps. Infrequently it’s sold as a liquid in a small vial.
What it Does: LSD causes the brain to disconnect from reality with regard to hearing, sight and physical sensations. Hallucinations in what is seen and heard are common reactions to LSD. In addition to hallucinations, the person taking LSD may experience physical sensations that feel real but are imagined. For example, the feeling of ants crawling all over the body may be felt when there are no ants.
Physical Symptoms: LSD may cause dilated pupils, a dry mouth, shaking hands and excessive sweat. The drug also removes the appetite and causes an inability to sleep. A trip on acid lasts approximately 12 hours, but flashbacks can continue for months.
A Good Trip: During a good acid trip, the taker will feel euphoric, have a heightened sense of enjoyable sounds, sights and touch, and will lose track of time. A general feeling of confidence and happiness is also common.
A Bad Trip: Unfortunately, until the acid takes effect, there’s no way to know if a good trip is coming or a bad on. A bad trip includes severe, scary hallucinations; feelings of extreme panic, loss of mental control and negative delusions that may last the entire trip.
Outcomes: Even during a good trip, hallucinations can put a person in life-threatening situations. People on acid have been known to leap out of windows to their death because the drug made them believe they could fly. On a bad trip, people have been killed running into traffic to escape imaginary monsters and murderers.