ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED IN THE 1950'S, PCP WAS FOUND TO HAVE ANESTHETIC EFFECTS WHILE NOT INHIBITING REFLEXES. HOWEVER, TESTING WITH HUMAN SUBJECTS INDICATED THAT THE DRUG COULD CAUSE SEVERE POSTOPERATIVE PSYCHOSES. TESTING WITH ANIMALS SHOWED IT WAS SUITABLE FOR ANIMAL ANESTHESIA, AND THIS IS ITS ONLY LEGITIMATE USE. ALTHOUGH AVAILABLE ON THE STREETS AS EARLY AS 1967, PCP DID NOT BECOME A DRUG OF ABUSERS' CHOICE UNTIL THE 1970'S, INDUCING IN ITS PREDOMINANTLY WHITE, MIDDLE-CLASS ADOLESCENT USERS A WITHDRAWN AND ANOMIC CONDITION BORDERING ON, AND OFTEN CROSSING OVER TO, A VIOLENT SCHIZOPHRENIC STATE. DESPITE HORROR STORIES AND SIGNIFICANT MEDIA ATTENTION OUTLINING THE DANGERS OF PCP ABUSE, RATES OF ARREST FOR ILLICIT PCP MANUFACTURE AND PCP-RELATED HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS AND DEATHS CONTINUE TO RISE. THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION HAS RECENTLY MOVED PCP FROM SCHEDULE 3 TO SCHEDULE 2, THUS MAKING THE SUBSTANCE A MORE URGENT PRIORITY FOR FEDERAL DRUG AGENTS; LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE MOVING TO STIFFEN SANCTIONS AGAINST POSSESSION AND/OR DISTRIBUTION OF THE DRUG. ALTHOUGH LEGITIMATE MANUFACTURE OF PCP IS STRICTLY CONTROLLED, IT IS EASY TO SYNTHESIZE ILLICITLY. FOR INSTANCE, AN ILLICIT LABORATORY OPERATED BY SOMEONE WITH LITTLE OR NO KNOWLEDGE OF DRUG SYNTHESIS CAN TURN $125 WORTH OF EASILY OBTAINED RAW MATERIALS INTO $100,000 WORTH OF PCP IN A MATTER OF WEEKS. NUMEROUS VARIANTS OF PCP CAN BE SYNTHESIZED, SOME OF WHICH ARE SO UNKNOWN THAT THEY ARE NOT YET ILLEGAL. PCP CAN BE PRODUCED IN LIQUID FORM AND SPRAYED ON PARSLEY FOR SMOKING OR IN A SOLID WHITE POWDER FOR ORAL CONSUMPTION OR INHALATION. BRIEF ACCOUNTS OF USERS' EXPERIENCES ARE PRESENTED. IT IS NOTED THAT PCP HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH A NUMBER OF VIOLENT CRIMES, INCLUDING MURDER. CRIMINAL USERS HAVE CLAIMED COMPLETE AMNESIA WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE DRUG. DRUG EDUCATION, COMPASSION FOR THE PCP USER, AND MORE STRINGENT SANCTIONS AND ENFORCEMENT, PARTICULARLY IN REGARD TO DEALING, ARE RECOMMENDED. SOURCES OF MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ARE CITED. (JAP)