Posted by azdrugrehabctr on September 16, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News, Synthetic Drugs | 
When methamphetamine use began to take over the country it took a while for government agencies to implement restrictions on the chemicals needed to manufacture the dangerous drug. But, eventually, pharmacies throughout the country began requiring ID to purchase Sudafed, an important ingredient in making meth. Certain cleaning supplies, also part of the recipe, were also placed behind locked cabinets, deterring addicts from purchasing large quantities.
So, methamphetamine stopped being produced in large batches in the United States. But in order to satisfy the demands of the addicts, Mexican drug cartels began funding businesses in Mexico. These businesses started to manufacture and smuggle in all the ingredients needed to make methamphetamine. With cooperation from the Mexican government, officials were able to shut most of these facilities down. The coca plant is another item that requires chemical processing in order to turn it into a drug – cocaine. These restrictions by U.S. and Mexican officials have also impacted cocaine manufacturers.
Now that these restrictions have been in place for some times it can be determined how effective they were at curbing the methamphetamine problem in the United States. According to researchers at the University of Arizona, these restrictions helped lower the number of people addicted to cocaine and methamphetamine. Data shows a 35% decrease in methamphetamine use over the last year. Cocaine abuse has also dropped significantly, by 32%.
“Strategies directed toward individual users – information campaigns and direct medical care, for example – have not yet full addressed the public health problem of cocaine and methamphetamine misuse. Additional approaches are needed. Chemical controls are relatively inexpensive. And there’s room to improve them through better international cooperation,” explained Dr. James Cunninhgam, a social epidemiologist at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine.
When officials can cut off, or minimize the supply of illicit drugs it allows addicts to get the help they desperately need. When the drugs are harder to obtain it makes it easier for family and loved ones to encourage treatment. Treatment often becomes easier to accept when it is more difficult to obtain the drugs.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on October 30, 2015 under Addiction Trends, Synthetic Drugs |
Earlier this month the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made an announcement about its progress in reducing the amount of synthetic drugs hitting the streets. According to their release, they seized thousands of kilograms of various types of synthetic drugs as well as weapons, cash and assets totaling more than 15 million dollars.
There are several types of substances that fit into this category, including synthetic marijuana, flakka, bath salts and more. The surge in these types of chemicals has fueled concerns throughout the country as more incidents involving users going to the emergency room are reported. The DEA reports that most of these substances come from china and then the final processing, packaging and distribution happens here in the U.S.
“This poison ruins and takes too many lives; this is incredibly dangerous stuff,” said DEA Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg. “Project Synergy III demonstrates our collective commitment to pursue those who produce and distribute this garbage to our children and I am grateful for the partnership of HSI and CBP on this operation.”
In addition to reducing the flow of synthetic drugs into the United States, the project continues to reveal the transfer of millions of dollars from the sale of these drugs to countries of concern in the Middle East.
It has also been revealed through national surveys that users of synthetic drugs like these are also much more likely to abuse other drugs. Aside from law enforcement tactics, the more people are aware of the dangers of the substances, the more lives we can save.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on March 24, 2015 under Synthetic Drugs |
Man-made drugs that mimic popular street drugs have become more popular among children and teenagers in Arizona and throughout the country. Manufacturers are producing drugs that create similar effects as many illicit drugs. One of the most popular types of synthetic drugs is synthetic marijuana, which is often called Spice or K2. Synthetic marijuana has been available gas stations and has been sold as other types of products. Manufacturers package and market the drug as potpourri, although it is understood that the intention is to smoke the dried leaves.
Once in the system, the synthetic marijuana quickly goes to work making the person feel high and lethargic, much like marijuana does. But this is where the similarities often stop. Synthetic marijuana has some dangerous side effects. Users of the drug, children and teenagers being the overwhelming majority, have reported feelings of intense paranoia, auditory and visual hallucinations, cravings and depression.
Recently, researchers set out to investigate the risk factors associated with synthetic marijuana usage. Researchers determined that young, white males were the main demographic who abused synthetic marijuana. Further study showed that teenagers that abused synthetic marijuana were more likely to abuse other drugs down the road. Despite the perception that synthetic marijuana is a safer alternative, most children were using the “potpourri” as a stepping stone to other illicit drugs down the road. The study indicated that teenagers that were abusing synthetic marijuana were twice as likely to suffer from alcohol problems in the future as well.
The main concept here is that regardless of the substance, if a young person is willing to ingest something looking to create some type of altered state, then that same intention translates to other drugs. In that sense, any first type of substance abuse ultimately becomes the “gateway drug.” Helping to eliminate that desire through other meaningful interaction is a great step in the direction of drug prevention.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on February 5, 2015 under Addiction Trends, Opiate Abuse, Synthetic Drugs |
Sometimes people in the addiction treatment and prevention fields believe there should be less law enforcement intervention. However, in some cases law enforcement officers wind up joining the ranks and spend time helping educate people about drugs and addiction.
For instance, retired policy Sergeant, Bruce R. Talbot is taking the experience that he gained while working on the police force and imparting what he knows to parents, educators and young people. Talbot understands that that many young people start abusing prescription painkillers and then graduate to heroin. Talbot believes that in order to address the increasing amount of people dying from heroin overdoses the link between prescription drug abuse and heroin drug abuse must be broken.
Heroin used to be a drug that was abused by long-time addicts and stayed mainly within city limits. Now, law enforcement is seeing heroin at high schools in the suburbs. They get called to heroin overdoses in quiet neighborhoods and wind up arresting people for heroin possession in areas that have never reported heroin problems in the past.
Talbot explained that heroin is increasing in purity and is cheaper than ever. In the 1970’s, when heroin experienced a growth in popularity among older males, $10 would buy an addict four doses of heroin with a 3% purity rate. Nowadays, that same $10 buys an addict 12 doses of heroin with a 63% purity rate.
Talbot insists that the biggest problem that has come about with time is that drugs are much more potent than they ever were before. These more dangerous and powerful drugs are creating addicts at an alarming rate, and more importantly they are killing users.
Even synthetic drugs like bath salts and synthetic marijuana are more potent than the street drugs they are replacing. Bath salts provides a similar high to cocaine or methamphetamine, however the drug is so powerful that it can cause psychotic breaks after just one use. Spice, or synthetic marijuana, is meant to provide the same high that marijuana does, however it has been known to induce extreme paranoia and auditory and visual hallucinations.
“Young people have no idea how powerful and dangerous these new synthetic drugs [are],” explained Talbot. He encourages parents to talk with their children about the dangers of drug use. Talking to children about drugs illustrates that parents know what kind of temptations and pressure young adults are facing.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on December 16, 2014 under Synthetic Drugs |
After Lance Dyer’s son passed away from smoking synthetic marijuana, he knew he had to do something to help other people suffering from this addiction and hopefully prevent any more deaths. Dyer decided to donate his dog to the local police station to be trained in sniffing out synthetic drugs like kind his son had passed away from.
The springer spaniel, named Dakota, is the first dog to ever be trained in sniffing out synthetic marijuana. Dyer hopes that other police departments will follow their lead and train more dogs to aid in the discovery and seizure of these dangerous drugs. In addition to donating the dog to the police department, Dyer also set up a foundation to bring about more awareness to the synthetic drug problem in our country.
“Our foundation recognizes the importance of education and our youth and getting them to realize how serious these synthetics are. And the dog Dakota is a great spokesperson. This will give the sheriff’s Department a way to detect and the District Attorney’s Office a way to prosecute,” he commented.
While many police departments have canines that are capable of sniffing out drugs like heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, none have a dog that is able to alert police officers to the presence of synthetic drugs. As the amount of synthetic drugs in our country continues to grow, it has become more important for police officers to adapt and out-think drug manufacturers and dealers. Hopefully canines like Dakota will help with this task.
Synthetic drugs are man-made substances that are designed to be similar to other street drugs but are slightly different chemically. These drugs are sold in gas stations and convenience stores disguised as potpourri, plant food and other packages labeled as “not for human consumption.” Due to their easy accessibility, more and more children are able to purchase and ingest these drugs.
Continued efforts like this to adapt to the changing drug climate are necessary to protecting young people across the country.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on June 24, 2014 under Addiction Trends, Synthetic Drugs |
Festival promoters Mike Bindra and Laura DePalma have announced the introduction of new robust safety measures planned for this year’s Electric Zoo festival on Randall’s Island in New York.
After two drug-related deaths at the festival last year, the organizers are reportedly cracking down this year with drug-sniffing dogs, thorough pat-downs and undercover security officers with backgrounds in narcotics investigations.
Assuming that city officials from the Department of Parks and Recreation will grant a site permit and the five-year-old festival will go on as planned this Labor Day weekend. For the first time, festival goers will be required to watch an anti-drug public-service announcement online, delivered by electronic music stars, before their wristbands can be activated to gain admittance to the event.
Event organizers are also cutting the length of each of the three days by several hours to reduce attendee’s exposure to the sun, hopefully minimizing the risks of dehydration and overheating. Electric Zoo organizers are also considering offering “amnesty bins” at the entrance gates, where fans could anonymously discard illicit substances and avoid penalty. Amnesty bins have been used for years in Europe and were offered at last summer’s inaugural TomorrowWorld festival outside Atlanta, which attracted more than 50,000 attendees.
Promoters report that safety measures cost about $428,081 last year. The safety package included on-site emergency centers, free bottled water and announcements between DJ sets instructing fans to stay safe and hydrated and to seek medical attention if needed. This year, the cost of the safety efforts is set to cost several hundreds of thousands of dollars more than last year’s package.
Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren joined the organizer’s advisory board to lend his support after his Electric Zoo performance was canceled last year after the deaths. “If they prohibit Electric Zoo, you’ll have more underground raves,” which can be far more dangerous, he said.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on May 21, 2014 under Synthetic Drugs |
Synthetic drugs hit the market decades ago. Most people are familiar with ecstasy and MDMA – “club” drugs that are known for producing a long lasting euphoria. Lately, synthetic marijuana, opiates and cocaine have grown in popularity as well. Teens across the country have found an easier way to get high – go to the store and buy your drugs. In addition to being about to purchase some of these drugs at the local market, users are securing the drugs online as well.
It didn’t take long for officials to catch on to this new trend. In response, they set up nationwide surveillance and set out to arrest those responsible for bringing these synthetic drugs to children. After months of hard work, the DEA announced they had arrested over 150 people, seized over 20 million dollars in cash and obtained hundreds of thousands of synthetic drugs.
DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart commented that the agency was focusing on individuals “who are all too willing to experiment on our children and young adults.”
Synthetic drugs are quickly becoming more dangerous than street drugs. Because the drugs are designed in a lab they are more potent and pose a greater risk for overdose. Due to the different ingredients, many of which have never been tested, and the way the drugs are produced, many addicts suffer from serious side effects. Violent episodes, extreme paranoia and hallucinations are just some of the extreme reactions to synthetic drugs.
The most common forms of synthetic drugs are; bath salts, spice (synthetic marijuana), ecstasy and Salvia. Some of these drugs can be purchased at the grocery store or online; however, officials are starting to regulate and prohibit the sales of these substances. With the joint efforts of the DEA and local officials, the push to end the use of synthetic drugs is well under way. In fact the first phase of the round up lasted from December 2012 to June 2013. In that time period the DEA announced more than 227 arrests.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on November 21, 2013 under Synthetic Drugs |
Last week the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) carried out its intent to place three more synthetic drug compounds on the Schedule I list as having no medicinal value and made them illegal. The compounds are powerful hallucinogens called synthetic phenethylamines.
The move from the DEA makes them outlawed for two years initially, at which point a decision can be made to have them become permanently illegal. According to a release the Administration, these drugs have been responsible for at least 19 deaths in the past year or so.
The abbreviate chemical names for the drugs are 25I-NBOMe, 25C-NBOMe and 25B-NBOMe and have reportedly been found in powdered form, liquid solutions on blotter paper and combined with edible items.
The DEA says that NBOMe compounds are substantially more potent than other hallucinogenic compounds, and the data suggest that extremely small amounts of these drugs can cause seizures, cardiac and respiratory arrest, and also death, as evidenced by the recorded loss of lives.
The continued pursuit of identifying and outlawing synthetic compounds have had the DEA constantly playing catch-up, and the aftermath caused by the new drugs in terms of damage to lives has been a difficult transition for treatment professionals. If you have a loved one in need of help for a problem with synthetic drugs of any kind, contact us today for treatment solutions.
