Legal, but still Deadly - Salvia, Inhalants, Mephedrone
A lot of focus in the world of drug abuse prevention has been on the rampant taking of prescription medications by teenagers. So much so, that when we hear the term “legal highs” that may be our first thought. However, many teenagers think of a different kind of legal high that drug lawmakers aren't even aware of.
What happens with new underground drugs is that it takes time for the rest of society to realize that there is a new drug and to fully understand its affects. It normally starts with parents or police officers searching a young person’s belongings and finding what is obviously a drug, but something they can’t identify. Soon after, the drug will start to show up in the hospitals as people begin to overdose or have adverse reactions.
After this happens repeatedly, or a single tragic incident garners enough attention, the media will begin to take notice, and after they do, lawmakers begin looking into writing laws banning the drugs.
As you can see, this is not an immediate process, and until that time, the drug can quickly gain in popularity as young adults try it, often having no idea what the dangers are since little is really known about it. In the mean time, many teens will mistake the legality of the drug as a sign that it must be safer than drugs classified as illegal.
Parents too will run into the same problem of possibly mistaking the dangers of the drug when they find out that it is legal. Most parents have heard of illegal narcotics like Ecstasy, Cocaine or Heroin, and would respect the seriousness of finding out their teen possessed them. But, if they find their children holding a green plant that looks like Marijuana but is instead a legal herb order off the internet, they may think it’s not as serious a problem.
One drug that is taking this route is Salvia, as previously written about in the article, Salvia Divinorum A Potentially Harmful Drug. This same trend is now being followed by a new drug that has become immensely popular in the UK club scene and is reported to be growing in popularity in the United States as well. You probably haven’t heard of it yet, but its name is Mephedrone, and it is deadly (The street names so far are: Drone, Bubbles, MCAT, 4-MMC or as it is most commonly referred, Meow Meow).
With YouTube videos showing teens getting high on Mephedrone, and many websites legally selling the drug (albeit often labeled as a “plant food”), the Internet seems to facilitate the quick spread of information on these new drugs to today’s youth. And Mephedrone seems to be quickly becoming the new “it” drug.
Although it is difficult to tell how many young adults have already overdosed on Mephedrone, at least one death of a 14 year old girl in the UK and another 18 year old Swedish girl have both been attributed to the drug in its already short history; and the media is beginning to take notice.
The truth of the matter is, even if lawmakers act quickly to make drugs like Salvia and Mephedrone (and other inhalants) illegal, teens will always find new ways to get high. The only real way to combat the problem is to stay informed and seek help for chemically dependent relatives. Look for the signs of drug abuse and addiction, and remember to communicate with your kids. And remember, if you suspect your children of abusing drugs or alcohol, the quicker you get them help, the better. Call us at 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 866-540-5242 and we can help you.
