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5-HT2A
Registered: 01/30/10
Posts: 1,794
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Thousands treated in ER for frightening symptoms as use of 'bath salts' and synthetic marijuana rock
#14247881 - 04/06/11 02:53 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1374093/Thousands-treated-ER-frightening-symptoms-use-bath-salts-synthetic-marijuana-rockets.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Thousands of Americans are arriving at ER with frightening symptoms after taking apparently harmless - and increasingly popular - synthetic drugs.
The drugs, legal in many states, are marketed as 'soothing' bath salts or incense and can be bought for as little as $10 a time.
But they have been implicated in nine deaths since last year, including the suicide of an 18-year-old boy who shot himself after taking marijuana-like substance K2.
A dozen students have been expelled from the U.S. Naval Academy for taking or possessing the same drug, which can cause seizures, hallucinations and extreme paranoia.
Synthetic drugs have surged in popularity this year as they become more widely available.
Figures released by the American Association of Poison Control Centers show at least 2,700 people have fallen ill after taking the drugs since January, compared to just 3,200 in the whole of 2010.
They have received 1,300 calls about synthetic marijuana this year alone - compared with 2,874 calls for the whole of 2010 - while calls for bath salts have rocketed, with 1,400 since January compared to just 301 last year.
If the figures continue to grow at such a pace, it means medical emergencies related to the drugs could go up nearly fivefold by the end of the years.
Symptoms range from laboured breathing and a rapid heartbeat to extreme paranoia, delusions and suicidal thoughts.
Dr Mark Ryan, director of the Louisiana Poison Center, said: 'Many of the users describe extreme paranoia. The recurring theme is monsters, demons and aliens. A lot of them had suicidal thoughts.'
The synthetically-produced drugs can be snorted or smoked and are popular because they do not show up in drugs tests.
Last year fake marijuana, known as 'Spice' or K2 was the most popular substance, but this year bath salts - sold under innocuous names like Bliss or Ivory Wave - have taken over.
One of the early victims was Indianola student David Rozga, who took K2 for the first time last June.
Afterwards, the 18-year-old athlete - who had never been depressed before - complained to a friend 'that he felt like he was in hell,' according to his father Mike.
Then he went home, found a shotgun - and killed himself.
Mr Rozga said: 'These kids weren't looking for anything bad to happen. The truth is they didn't know what they had gotten themselves into.'
Cases relating to Spice and bath salts are becoming increasing frequent.
Last month former Rutgers student William Parisio was charged with murdering his girlfriend after taking bath salts.
In January, Neil Brown, from Missouri, used a hunting knife to slit his face and stomach after taking bath salts.
Earlier this year in Kentucky, a young woman who had taken bath salts became convinced her two-year-old son was a demon when she was driving along the highway.
She allegedly stopped the car, got out - and dropped her 2-year-old son on the head. The child survived, but he was removed from his mother's custody.
Lawmakers are taking action to control the recent surge. The Drug Enforcement Administration has used emergency powers to outlaw five chemicals found in synthetic pot, placing them in the same category as heroin and cocaine.
At least 20 states have banned chemicals found in fake marijuana, and most others have legislation pending. Another nine have banned substances found in bath salts.
In Iowa, lawmakers have introduced a bill in David Rozga's name to ban five chemicals used in synthetic marijuana products.
But manufacturers are quick to adapt to changes in the law, often developing new formulas which are only a single molecule apart from the illegal ones.
Synthetic drugs were originally made in China and India, but have since spread to the UK, Germany and now the U.S.
To make synthetic marijuana, manufacturers spray dried plant material with one of several chemical compounds, most of which were created by a Clemson University scientist for research purposes in the 1990s. They were never tested on humans.
They package it to look like cannabis - and users generally smoke it - but the effects are more like cocaine or LSD.
Bath salts are crystallised chemicals which are snorted, swallowed or smoked. They contain two powerful stimulants which mimic cocaine, LSD and methamphetamine.
Lawmakers know they face a difficult task. Kentucky representative John Tilley said: 'These chemists are pretty sophisticated and creative and are going to stay one step ahead of us, I'm afraid.'
But owners of headshops, which stock the drugs, say it's an over-reaction - and the drugs are just as popular with middle-aged people as young students.
David Rozga's mother is hoping the legislation will stop any more deaths. She said: 'I did not stop being David's mother when he died.
'I still feel very protective over him, what happened to him, and I want to right that wrong for him.'
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masterfluffypants
The Psilocybin Psychospawn



Registered: 10/31/10
Posts: 3,312
Loc: Electric Ladyland
Last seen: 5 years, 4 months
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Re: Thousands treated in ER for frightening symptoms as use of 'bath salts' and synthetic marijuana rock [Re: 5-HT2A]
#14248021 - 04/06/11 03:20 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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I dont do RC's and theres a good reason why.
-------------------- "You ever have that feeling where you're not sure if you're awake or still dreaming?" "Mmm...All the time. It's called mescaline, it's the only way to fly."
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ahchela
Tourist



Registered: 03/01/11
Posts: 399
Loc: Pacific North West
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Re: Thousands treated in ER for frightening symptoms as use of 'bath salts' and synthetic marijuana rock [Re: masterfluffypants]
#14248036 - 04/06/11 03:23 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
masterfluffypants said: I dont do RC's and theres a good reason why.
Fear?
This whole thing sounds like hogwash, but if they're serious then they should legalize pot and mushrooms. Past that these articles aren't even worth writing. No solution, no care.
-------------------- Psychedelics will not give you a lobotomy, but tv will.
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Khonga
Shpongled


Registered: 08/18/10
Posts: 267
Loc: The Quantum Matrix
Last seen: 11 years, 2 months
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Quote:
5-HT2A said: Afterwards, the 18-year-old athlete - who had never been depressed before - complained to a friend 'that he felt like he was in hell,' according to his father Mike.
Then he went home, found a shotgun - and killed himself.
If I had never been depressed once before in my life and I took something similar to meth I'd probably shoot myself on the comedown too...
Quote:
5-HT2A said: They package it to look like cannabis - and users generally smoke it - but the effects are more like cocaine or LSD.
Where can I buy some of this? 
Not to downplay something as serious as death and suicide, but this shit is ridiculous. If someone who is 18 years old decides to take a drug that hasn't been tested before and has a bad reaction, that's completely their own fault. It's the risk you take with these things, and I believe anyone who's 18+ should be able to make their own educated decisions of whether they want to partake in this kind of stuff or not. If something bad comes out of it, that sucks, but you chose to take the risk and lost. If you didn't know about the risk, you probably would die young anyways from something else because that shows you didn't have enough intelligence to research a potentially dangerous chemical before putting it in your body. Natural selection at it's finest...
-------------------- all i've had is 3 cups of coffee 50mg of MXE and a banana...
Edited by Khonga (04/06/11 03:30 PM)
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Newfound_wonder
Social Outcast
Registered: 03/14/08
Posts: 447
Last seen: 11 years, 11 months
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Re: Re [Re: Khonga]
#14248299 - 04/06/11 04:03 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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Clearly there is a high demand for drugs if so many people are willing to ingest novel synthetic substances without considering the risks. Banning these moderately dangerous substances will only make things worse.
-------------------- If it's good for fungus, it's good for us...
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masterfluffypants
The Psilocybin Psychospawn



Registered: 10/31/10
Posts: 3,312
Loc: Electric Ladyland
Last seen: 5 years, 4 months
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Re: Thousands treated in ER for frightening symptoms as use of 'bath salts' and synthetic marijuana rock [Re: ahchela]
#14249354 - 04/06/11 07:24 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
ahchela said:
Quote:
masterfluffypants said: I dont do RC's and theres a good reason why.
Fear?
This whole thing sounds like hogwash, but if they're serious then they should legalize pot and mushrooms. Past that these articles aren't even worth writing. No solution, no care.
No just no interest.
And ive had one of the above experiences on JWH. It was fucking horrifying.
-------------------- "You ever have that feeling where you're not sure if you're awake or still dreaming?" "Mmm...All the time. It's called mescaline, it's the only way to fly."
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ahchela
Tourist



Registered: 03/01/11
Posts: 399
Loc: Pacific North West
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Re: Thousands treated in ER for frightening symptoms as use of 'bath salts' and synthetic marijuana rock [Re: masterfluffypants]
#14250323 - 04/06/11 10:08 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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Got no interest in weed substitutes either, pheny's and tryps on the other hand
-------------------- Psychedelics will not give you a lobotomy, but tv will.
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masterfluffypants
The Psilocybin Psychospawn



Registered: 10/31/10
Posts: 3,312
Loc: Electric Ladyland
Last seen: 5 years, 4 months
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Re: Thousands treated in ER for frightening symptoms as use of 'bath salts' and synthetic marijuana rock [Re: ahchela]
#14250814 - 04/06/11 11:51 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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I still havent done any other RC's yet. I dont really care all that much to try them though. I love mushrooms. Theyre my !!
Acid is also good from time to time. Ive only done a low dose of mescaline once. It was amazing. Something i really want to do when i have the time and place. I have yet to try DMT
-------------------- "You ever have that feeling where you're not sure if you're awake or still dreaming?" "Mmm...All the time. It's called mescaline, it's the only way to fly."
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