Pubdate: Tue, 14 Aug 2012
Source: Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan (SD)
Copyright: 2012 Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan
Contact:  http://www.yankton.net
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1046

TAKING AIM AT SYNTHETIC DRUGS

The words "synthetic drugs" are relatively new to a lot of people, 
but those words figure to linger and mutate in our culture for a long 
time to come.

You've probably heard a lot about this topic in the last several 
months, as more states and more law enforcement agencies work to 
combat the proliferation of these various substances. Since the 
problem was first detected in the U.S. in 2008, it has exploded 
across the national landscape like a plague.

Last week in Yankton, U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson discussed the 
problems and pledged to wage a vigorous fight on the matter.

Last June, the U.S. Senate passed a law that bans 28 chemicals used 
in the making of synthetic drugs.

And last winter, the South Dakota Legislature passed a law that takes 
aim at substances like certain types of incense and bath salts.

Synthetic drugs represent a new frontier of danger that skirts the 
lines of legality.

For instance, synthetic marijuana - which can carry names like Spice, 
K-2 and Leopard - and bath salts can be marketed in legal forms and 
sold in retail stores. According to the Office of National Drug 
Control Policy, these products are often labeled as being "not for 
human consumption," thus avoiding oversight from the Food and Drug 
Administration in regards to the manufacturing process.

But these products are laced with other substances that can produce 
sometimes strong reactions. Bath salts, for instance, contain 
chemicals that are related to amphetamines that can generate 
psychotic episodes.

What makes all this a nightmare is that the popularity of these drugs 
is growing madly. It's estimated that, in 2011, more than 10 percent 
of all high school seniors had used synthetic marijuana, making it 
one of the most commonly used illicit drugs in that age group. 
(Remember, it was first detected in this country just four years ago.)

Anecdotally, we've heard several reports from local officials of 
increasing use of these substances in the Yankton area, with some 
users even needing psychiatric treatment because of the adverse effects.

This problem is everywhere. Not just in the big cities. Not just on 
the reservations, where the reports of their usage have been common of late.

The problem is here.

How our law enforcement and lawmakers respond to this issue - which 
seems to have caught a lot of agencies by surprise (the Star Tribune 
in Minneapolis last year characterized the problem as hitting this 
country "like a freight train") - is important.

But public awareness and response are also vital.

This issue is not going away. The problem mutates as manufacturers 
adapt to new restrictions and hurdles. As such, with each new 
legislative move and legal crackdown, the problem morphs into a new 
form that existing laws may not precisely cover and current 
enforcement methods may not understand.

Public apathy looms as a major obstacle. For instance, a forum on the 
issue held in Yankton last spring drew a disappointing crowd, which 
suggests not so much that people don't care so much as that people 
still don't grasp the scope and the urgency of the issue.

The learning must never stop. Like the rest of the country, the 
residents of this area need to catch up fast on the issue of 
synthetic drugs, because it has bowled over this country, and it's 
bowling over kids. It's never too soon to start fighting back.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom