What You Need To Know About This Deadly New Drug

Drug use and addiction is one of a parent’s worst fears, especially in the adolescent years.

With so many different drugs available, and access to them becoming increasingly simple, there is reason to fear their existence.

Some drugs pose more of a risk than others. With drug dealers trying to expand their market, one drug is hitting the streets with dire consequences.

In Connecticut last Wednesday and Thursday, nearly a hundred people overdosed on a synthetic version of marijuana, leaving dozens hospitalized.

ABC News reported:

On Wednesday morning, first responders found dozens of people who appeared to have overdosed on the New Haven Green, with 25 of those overdoses occurring within a three-hour span in the morning and some four to six at a time, officials said.

By Thursday afternoon, the number of overdose cases had climbed to the “high-80s,” New Haven Police Chief Anthony Campbell said in a press conference. That number may rise because some of the people who received the drug may not have used it right away, according to the police chief.

The drug is called K2, synthetic marijuana, or “spice” typically. It is plant material that is sprayed with other chemicals and often colored brightly to look attractive.

It is bought in little packets that are drastically cheaper than natural marijuana, making it a popular choice among young people and the homeless.

K2 is not regulated and the effects on the brain are much different than marijuana, despite their similarity in appearance.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is testing some samples of K2 to find out what components are making the Connecticut batch so dangerous.

Emergency room doctors reported, according to ABC News, that some of the victims had fentanyl in their systems, leading them to believe that it may have been in the “spice.”

Those who were brought into the hospital from the New Haven Green were experiencing “multiple of signs and symptoms ranging from vomiting, hallucinating, high blood pressure, shallow breathing, semi-conscious and unconscious states,” according to Rick Fontana, director of the city’s Office of Emergency Operations on ABC News.

Thankfully, no deaths were reported, but as more people continue to take the drug that could change.

It was quite a site Wednesday morning as emergency personnel showed up in response to 911 calls, attending to motionless bodies scattered all over the park.

Apparently, smoking or ingesting the drug causes a quick reaction in the body, with people dropping “right in their tracks” after consuming the substance this way, according to ABC News.

Many were in cardiac arrest and needed resuscitation. We are thankful emergency personnel responded so quickly to the extreme cases.

Three people have been arrested in connection with the distribution that hospitalized so many users, one of which is John Parker.

In an eerie investigation, it was discovered that most of the drugs were being passed out for free, leaving one to wonder what the purpose of the whole event was.

Many states, such as New Hampshire, Nebraska, and New York, are staying on top of legislation banning production of the harmful product.

Rolling Stone reported:

New York, like many other cities, has banned the manufacture and sale of K2, reportedly bringing hospital visits down by 85 percent. But the problem is nowhere near gone.”

Unfortunately though, in states across the nation, untrained individuals are manufacturing synthetic marijuana and selling it to our youth.

Synthetic marijuana is not illegal, thus making it a desirable alternative to kids, and those who have to get tested for drug use.

Kids are unaware of the harsh repercussions this drug has on the mind and body, putting them in the hospital or mental institutions.

Naloxone, a antidote for narcotic overdoses, works at countering the negative effects of K2, but it has to be administered in a timely manner.

Drug distribution, consumption, and addiction is a national epidemic that has crept into the homes of the most unsuspected individuals.

If you suspect your adolescent is using drugs, don’t ignore the topic in order to avoid a tough conversation.

Make them aware of stories like this one. Let them know that it’s just not your fear that something may happen, but the inevitability of destruction.

Just because something is legal doesn’t mean that it is safe or smart.

Talk with your teens and tweens about synthetic marijuana and other controlled substances.

Come from a place of love and support, not judgment or anger, and they will hear you out.

Please let us know if you have had an incident with your child and synthetic marijuana.