What Kind of Drug Is It?

2C-B is an illegal and dangerous drug that has raised many concerns among medical experts and law enforcement officials worldwide. Its official name, 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine, is so difficult to pronounce that it is almost always referred to by its shortened name, 2C-B, or by the street name "nexus." 2C-B is usually sold as a tablet, a capsule, or a white powder. By 2004, however, it began appearing on the streets as both a red pill and an orange powder.

2C-B abuse is most common among teenagers and young adults who attend all-night dance parties, known as RAVES, on a regular basis. It is often taken in combination with other so-called rave or club drugs such as ecstasy (MDMA), GHB, ketamine, LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), and methamphetamine. (Entries on these drugs are available in this encyclopedia.)

It is important to note that...