Synthetic Drugs
Autor: missy12 • May 17, 2012 • Essay • 697 Words (3 Pages) • 1,062 Views
Some of us may not understand why people crave getting “high” and abuse drugs and we may never understand. Drugs have been around since before our time and many more have came around. If it is not natural like marijuana, then it is manmade like cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, and narcotics like vicodin, percoects, and oxycontin. The latest trend in getting “high” is bath salts and spice.
When we think of bath salts and spice, we think of spicing up food and throwing some relaxing scented bath salts into a nice hot bath. We never dreamed of these common items being used for recreational purposes like getting “high.”
Spice is a common brand name for a synthetic cannabinoid. a chemically engineered version of THC, which is the active ingredient in marijuana. Synthetic cannabinoids have been linked to more than 1,600 calls to poison control centers in the first four months of this year, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. ( LAWRENCE, A. (2011). A Bad Trip. State Legislatures, 37(6), 28-29.) There were also roughly 1,500 bath-salt-related visits to emergency rooms in the first quarter of this year. A common cause of death from the drug is suicide; kids who survive often endure long-term psychiatric symptoms. "The products are meant to create a similar reaction to marijuana," says Dr. Anthony J.Scalzo, medical director of the Missouri Poison Control Center. "But in fact, patients often report the opposite, a fast, racing heartbeat, elevated blood pressure, and nausea." Says Dr. Anthony J. Scalzo.
Law enforcement has tackled the use of illegal drugs and users are finding new ways to get “high.” The uses of these synthetic drugs have increased in the past three years. Poison control received only 14 calls about these drugs in 2009, and received 2,874 calls in 2010 according to the article A BadTrip. ( LAWRENCE, A. (2011). A Bad Trip. State Legislatures, 37(6), 28-29.)
As of March 1 2011, 19 states had banned Spice and six had banned bath salts, either through legislative or administrative action; and 38 state
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