Synthetic Drug Popularity Rising
Local News
by
Adam Uhernik
last edited on
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Some officials say synthetic drugs are becoming an epidemic not only in the Black Hills, but across the country.
Those drugs mimic the effects of illegal drugs and more students are experimenting.
Synthetic marijuana, bath salts, also brand names like K-2 and spice, have both largely become trademarks used to refer to any synthetic cannabis product.
At a recent forum in Rapid City on the topic, a panel of experts told the public synthetic drugs won't show up on test results, which is one of the reasons why more people are experimenting with them.
But that makes them dangerous because chemists are switching the ingredients to stay ahead of the law and the side effects people experience from the drugs can be scary.
Dr. Harry Hamlyn, the medical director at RC Behavioral Center says, "Often we have information from family or from the patient themselves that they have taken these substances, but we don't know exactly what is in them. We are seeing that sometimes it’s a much more difficult condition to treat with longer lasting symptoms than we normally would expect."
Local experts say high school students are experimenting with synthetic drugs.
Students in middle schools are aware of the products.
So as a parent you should talk with your kids and explain the dangers.
Michelle Mott a chemical dependency counselor says, "It’s pretty misleading since they are legal, and it’s being marketed to teens. So a lot of them go into the experience thinking that it's safe and it's ok. They are having bad reactions, some of them are scared away, some of them still continue to use as alternative to other drugs so that it doesn't come up in their UA's.”
If someone is on a synthetic drug, they will most likely be really agitated, maybe even hallucinating or having delusions.
And another note, students and even adults of all walks of life are trying synthetic drugs, so experts say talk with your kids and do some research on the topic.