I was a guest of theTOYOTA COLLABORATIVE SAFETY RESEARCH CENTER for the conference – all opinions are my own
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending the 2013 Lifesavers Conference in Denver, Colorado. As the wife of nearly 30 years to a fire fighter, I’ve always been interested in public safety, medical, etc, as it relates to my husband’s job. As our children became teens that knowledge came in handy when it came time for them to start driving.
But even though I have 30+ years of knowledge, I learned quite a bit at the event. One of the most eye opening sessions was on Designer Drugs. First, it’s helpful to know what the term Designer Drug means. Generally it means that a legal compound is changed and becomes a derivative of its legal form. But this new drug has an entirely different chemical makeup and it can produce similar effects to illegal drugs. Unfortunately, these are sold on the black or grey market and not regulated as drugs.
One of the most common is Bath Salts. No, not the stuff you have in your bath, these are chemically changed and then snorted or shot into a vein. I wrote a story about it in 2012 – read: Why Every Parent Should Watch A&E’s “Intervention.” If you have teens, show them the video. I think showing them what this “legal” substance can do to them will arm them with information that will hopefully help them resist peer pressure to try this drug.
Designer Drugs – Celebrity Connection
Another designer drug which has been made famous by teen idol Miley Cyrus is fake Pot. Also known as K2, Spice, Herbal Incense, etc. This “legal” potpourri is smoked by abusers and this can put users in the emergency room with convulsions, an elevated heart rate, disorientation, and anxiety attacks.
The laws are having a hard time keeping up with the number of chemical changes being completed in backrooms and alleyways. It’s a shame that people can kill while on these “legal” drugs and not face tough penalties.
If you have teens, learn about these drugs and the warning signs. I would have bet money my kids had never tried drugs or alcohol as teens. I found out last year that I would have lost that bet. We did everything right, and they still tried it, but that doesn’t mean you should accept the fact that kids will use. Teach them the consequences and look for signs.
Because something is legal does not render it harmless. Look at all the misery due to alcohol abuse over the years – all the DUIS, all the senseless deaths – common sense has to play a part in this. WITHOUT the help of the ACLU!
So horrible.. stuff I would never expect! Thanks for the heads up!
What’s scary is people think it’s harmless because it’s legal. SCARY when you find out what really happens. My husband has seen a ton of people high on this stuff and it’s not pretty.
I don’t live under a rock, I swear, but bath salts and potpourri? OMG ~ what in the world are people thinking? This world needs more ppl like you to spread the word! I will be talking with my son about this. I am very lucky, he is almost 24 and does not drink or do drugs, but I hope he will help anyone that has this addiction. This was a lot of very eye opening info. Thank you so much for sharing.
Show him that episode I linked to. It also has spray cleaner people are huffing. Once he sees it he’ll never try it. So horrible!
Wow. Individuals are becoming so “creative”. If only we focused that same amount of energy on changing the world (finding cures, stopping violence, useful inventions), this world would be great.
Isn’t that the truth! I feel the same way about hackers. Think of what we could accomplish if their talents were used for good.
Thanks for the information. I didn’t even know things like this existed. Scary.
Good to know what to look out for, for sure!
I found out by necessity just what K2 was and the effects. It was all the craze around here when mine were in their late teens a few years ago. Locally it could be bought in the ‘head shops’, perfectly legal. Amazing that it was so easy to get. It’s now been recently outlawed but you’re right, it seems kids have this desire to try something without realizing the dangers.