Synthetic Cathinones: A Case Study

When you think of the word "drug" what comes to mind? Probably marijuana, cocaine, lsd, prescriptions but what about bath salts? When I first heard stories about people on bath salts my reaction was you have to be kidding right, but no first popping onto the radar of the DEA and poison control in 2010, this product is causing quite a stir in the United States. Mark Ryan from the LA poison control says in an interview on the Dr. Oz television show "that he has never seen a drug that has caused the problem as quickly and severely as this". Making local and national headlines as the new designer drug that is completely legal, for now at least, and very dangerous. It doesn't stop people from purchasing it and snorting, ingesting, injecting

There were of course marketing and advertising campaigns launched by the drug companies producing this product that touted these narcotics as the cure for all types of physical and mental ailments ranging from alcohol withdrawal to cancer, depression, sluggishness, coughs, colds, tuberculosis and even old age. Most of the elixirs pitched by the old “snake oil salesmen” in their medicine shows contained one or more of these narcotics in their mix.

Prescription painkillers go by many names, opiates, opioids, and narcotics. There are also types of opiates; some legal and some not. Some types of legal opiates include: codeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, hydromorphone, and methadone (MSU). Each one of these have different potencies and side effects, but they are all equally as dangerous as the next one. There are too many of these dangerous drugs, therefore, people believe they are safe. The problem is that they are not safe; these drugs need to be banned immediately.

Methamphetamine, (a synthetic drug with more rapid and lasting effects than amphetamine, use illegally as a stimulant and as a prescription drug to treat narcolepsy and maintain blood pressure) was develop from its parent drug, amphetamine, (a synthetic, addictive, mood-altering drug, use illegally as a stimulant and legally as a prescription drug to treat children with ADD and adults with narcolepsy) and was used originally in nasal decongestants and bronchial inhalers (NIH, 2015). Meth is a dangerous and potent chemical and, as with all drugs, a poison that first acts as a stimulant, but then begins to systematically destroy the body, meth is a synthetic (man-made) chemical. Meth is commonly manufactured in illegal, hidden laboratories, mixing

The new drug Flakka remains a step ahead of the legal system’s list of banned synthetic substances. Because the drug is not illegal as of yet, users are able to purchase Flakka over the internet. Flakka is a synthetic cathinone that originated in China, Pakistan and India. Over the last 5 years reported cases of Flakka abuse have dramatically risen. In 2010, there were no reported cases of Flakka use in the United States, and only 85 cases in 2012. Fast forward to 2014, during 2014 there was an astounding 670 reported cases of Flakka use here in the United States. Drug rehab in South Carolina helps residents struggling with addiction problems like Flakka, cocaine, marijuana and heroin to overcome their dependence on drugs and regain control over their lives.

Methamphetamine is classified as a schedule II stimulant5 (meaning it has high potential for abuse), which makes it legally available through a nonrefillable prescription, although it is rarely used medicinally, and only at doses

a. Some examples of substances listed in Schedule I are: heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), marijuana (cannabis), peyote, and methylenedioxymethamphetamine ("Ecstasy").

This substitute is camouflaged as stain removers, plant food, and toilet bowl cleaners in packaging that is very distinguished, mainly in foil wrap. However, the package of powder, which is white, yellow, or brown sometimes, takes the form of capsules. They are sold online and in business that sell drug paraphernalia with the price varying from thirty dollars to fifty dollars. Bath salts are illegal, yet some shops were attempting to repackage and sell these substances under different marketing labels with a label that reads not for human consumption. Bath salts have surfaced in Illinois, Kentucky, Florida, and Missouri. Addicts resort to the consumption of bath salts because they are portrayed as legal, a great high, and would not show up on a drug screening.

Since they produce a euphoria as well as pain relief, they can be easily misused

The most dangerous drug to me is called flak ka word on the street is that Flakka (also called gravel or flock) is a combination of heroin and crack, or heroin and methamphetamines, but in the real world, Flakka is just a newer­generation version of bath salts. each time one type of bath salt is made illegal, the drug labs change the chemical structure slightly and a new drug that is technically not illegal is created. the chemical that in this drug is called alpha­PVP. and what make it so bad the individuals that take this drug has very bad, behavior problems it's so bad that the rescue crews and emergency department staff need to give sedatives to these patients to calm them and make them safe even a slight overdose.Since 6/1/ 2014,

The use of methamphetamine is a growing problem in the United States. One step taken in stopping the manufacturing, trafficking, and use of methamphetamine has been limiting the sale of methamphetamine precursor drugs: ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine. The United States government has implemented the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005. This act puts restrictions on meth precursor drugs, but 41 states have individually enacted laws limiting sales of these drugs as well.

Internet sales of pseudoephedrine are a booming business. Other countries such as china an abundance of pseudoephedrine ready for shipment (MERIT). Here the methamphetamine producers can

Loperamide, the active ingredient in Imodium, is an over-the-counter medication marketed and widely used as an anti-diarrheal. It also happens to be an opiate — though, theoretically, it can’t make you high. However that hasn’t stopped people from trying. Suggestions have been disseminated among internet discussion groups for how to “mega-dose” loperamide — take it in extremely high quantities — to achieve a high of sorts. And it works. Some try to use loperamide like this recreationally (sometimes combined with something like grapefruit juice or Tagamet in an attempt to ‘boost’ the euphoric effects); others use it as a “poor man’s Methadone” to ameliorate the symptoms of opiate withdrawal. Many end up hopelessly addicted to it.

"Bath salts" is the common name for a group of drugs called synthetic cathinones. These are drugs made of chemicals from a plant (khat). They may be sold as pills, crystals, or a powder that is white, tan, or brown. There is no medical use for bath salts. They are designed to have the same effects as cocaine, ecstasy, and amphetamines without being illegal (designer drugs). They work by stimulating the release of a certain brain chemical (dopamine). A high level of dopamine in the brain can cause high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, and seizures.

There are many different forms of stimulant which have been created to mimic the effects of illegal drugs such as cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy (See appendix B). As they cannot be sold for human consumption they are often sold as incense, bath salts or plant food to avoid breaking the law and can be found online or in many high street shops (Talktofrank.com, 2015). They are often produced in China and India and then imported to be packaged and sold as ‘legal highs’ (EMCDDA, 2015). The contents of NPS can vary greatly and the person taking the substance can never be 100% sure that what they are taking and the effects they could have. It is often found that many NPS do in fact contain illegal substances and so being in possession of these in an offence. The police have the power to confiscate any NPS in your possession for testing detain you and potentially arrest you (Know the Score, 2015).