Drug type: Synthetic Drugs
In recent months, more reports have surfaced of teens using the drug 25i, commonly known as “smiles” or “N-Bomb”, and often resulting in grave medical consequences. Part of a family of drugs known as phenethylamines, this synthetic drug promises young adults a high similar to LSD or other hallucinogens, but can be extremely dangerous, sometimes leading to death.
Just this week, authorities in Loudoun County, Va. responded to several medical emergencies of teens under the influence of 25i. In addition, police in Michigan City, Ind. sent out an alert on the drug to members of the community after the drug was used by teens over spring break.
Between March 2012 and August 2013, at least 19 young adults were reported to have died from taking the drug. Data show that in 2006 only 12 states reported emergency department cases involving 25i, compared to 32 states reporting cases in 2010. The frequency of reported cases also intensified, with only three states reporting more than six cases in 2006, compared to 12 states reporting over six cases in 2010.
Synthetic drugs are difficult for law enforcement agencies to regulate, because of the constantly evolving formulas manufacturers use to avoid prosecution. In November 2013, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) made three varieties of NBOMe drugs, including smiles, illegal for two years under the Controlled Substances Act. A DEA spokesperson noted that sources are more quickly able to modify their formulas and share this information online, making the evolution of drugs a much faster process, and more difficult to regulate.
25i has psychedelic effects that mimic LSD, but is in the class of phenylethylamines, which share many properties to amphetamines. The drug is particularly difficult to identify, as it can be a liquid, a powder, laced into paper, and even mixed into edible goods. The death of a 17-year-old in North Dakota was linked to a supply of the drug which had been melted into chocolate.
Smiles has the potential negative side-effects of LSD and other hallucinogens, such as anxiety, psychosis, and frightening hallucinations. However, the drug is doubly dangerous because it also acts as a stimulant, potentially causing nausea, vomiting, irregular heartbeat, respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest, and seizures.
Another danger of synthetic drugs is they are often sold as derivatives or replacements for more commonly known drugs, often without the customer’s knowledge. This was the case for an 18-year-old Arizona high school student who died from nasally taking a liquid form of 2c-I-NBOMe, believing it was LSD. Synthetic drugs are frequently more potent and unpredictable than some illegal street drugs.
Despite the risks, there are many reasons these drugs appeal to teens and young adults. Because the drugs are initially legal, many teens assume this means that they are safe, rather than the reality that they are unregulated and unpredictable. The drugs are also sold online, marketed as household products or laboratory chemicals, making them easy to obtain. Standard drug tests are not designed to detect these products, making them appealing for those who fear being caught.
It is important for CADCA coalitions to reach out to teens, and to explain the dangers posed by 25i and other synthetic drugs. Untested, unregulated, and constantly evolving, these drugs demonstrate a variety of challenges for communities and law enforcement.
Just this week, authorities in Loudoun County, Va. responded to several medical emergencies of teens under the influence of 25i. In addition, police in Michigan City, Ind. sent out an alert on the drug to members of the community after the drug was used by teens over spring break.
Between March 2012 and August 2013, at least 19 young adults were reported to have died from taking the drug. Data show that in 2006 only 12 states reported emergency department cases involving 25i, compared to 32 states reporting cases in 2010. The frequency of reported cases also intensified, with only three states reporting more than six cases in 2006, compared to 12 states reporting over six cases in 2010.
Synthetic drugs are difficult for law enforcement agencies to regulate, because of the constantly evolving formulas manufacturers use to avoid prosecution. In November 2013, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) made three varieties of NBOMe drugs, including smiles, illegal for two years under the Controlled Substances Act. A DEA spokesperson noted that sources are more quickly able to modify their formulas and share this information online, making the evolution of drugs a much faster process, and more difficult to regulate.
25i has psychedelic effects that mimic LSD, but is in the class of phenylethylamines, which share many properties to amphetamines. The drug is particularly difficult to identify, as it can be a liquid, a powder, laced into paper, and even mixed into edible goods. The death of a 17-year-old in North Dakota was linked to a supply of the drug which had been melted into chocolate.
Smiles has the potential negative side-effects of LSD and other hallucinogens, such as anxiety, psychosis, and frightening hallucinations. However, the drug is doubly dangerous because it also acts as a stimulant, potentially causing nausea, vomiting, irregular heartbeat, respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest, and seizures.
Another danger of synthetic drugs is they are often sold as derivatives or replacements for more commonly known drugs, often without the customer’s knowledge. This was the case for an 18-year-old Arizona high school student who died from nasally taking a liquid form of 2c-I-NBOMe, believing it was LSD. Synthetic drugs are frequently more potent and unpredictable than some illegal street drugs.
Despite the risks, there are many reasons these drugs appeal to teens and young adults. Because the drugs are initially legal, many teens assume this means that they are safe, rather than the reality that they are unregulated and unpredictable. The drugs are also sold online, marketed as household products or laboratory chemicals, making them easy to obtain. Standard drug tests are not designed to detect these products, making them appealing for those who fear being caught.
It is important for CADCA coalitions to reach out to teens, and to explain the dangers posed by 25i and other synthetic drugs. Untested, unregulated, and constantly evolving, these drugs demonstrate a variety of challenges for communities and law enforcement.
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