Phencyclidine, 1-(1-phenylcyclohexyl) piperidine, is also known as PCP and ‘Angel Dust’. It is a synthetic drug developed in the 1950s as an anaesthetic and analgesic but was removed from the market due to its hallucinogenic properties and unpredictable behavioural reactions, which occurred following anaesthesia. PCP still has a legitimate use as a veterinary tranquilliser; however, in the 1960s PCP became a popular recreational drug leading to widespread street drug use and often resulting in incidences of overdose intoxication and death. The toxic effects include hypertension, seizures, coma and respiratory depression. PCP is used by smoking, nasal insufflation, intravenous injection and oral ingestion.
