K2, Spice and Bath Salts - New Recreational Drugs For Teens

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     Adolescents have begun using 2 different kinds of man-made drugs to get high. Both are legal, easily obtained in tobacco stores and gas stations and over the Internet, and both are dangerous.

     The first are synthetic forms of the active ingredient in marijuana – THC. THC is the compound that causes the high that marijuana gives and it is in a class of drugs called cannabinoids.. The synthetic forms of cannabinoids were developed for medical use and scientific research. They are stronger than the compounds found naturally in plants and animals. These drugs are marketed to adolescents as being a “safe” high and have over 100 names with the most common being “K2” and “Spice”.  They have the same “high” effects of marijuana including the less common effects of marijuana such as paranoia, sadness and sedation. Because they have a stronger effect on the nervous system, all of these effects can be magnified along with more serious panic attacks, headaches and hallucinations. These drugs are similar to THC but they are not THC, therefore they do not show up on a routine drug screen.

     The second group of drugs currently being abused by adolescents is called cathinones. These drugs are called “bath salts” but I don’t know why because they have nothing to do with the powders you add to your bath. The canthinones are stimulants – basically synthetic amphetamines. They have names like “Rave” and “Ecstasy”. Cathinones are more dangerous than the cannabinoids. They can have the same effects as “Meth” and cocaine – heart attacks, seizures strokes and death. They can cause the adolescent to harm himself or others and, like all amphetamines, they are addictive. They cannot be detected by routine drug testing.

     Parents need to be aware of the signs of adolescent drug use: sudden lack of interest in school, dropping grades, quitting previously enjoyed activities, acquiring a new group of friends who don’t seem to be interested in school or sports and dramatic changes in schedules or routines. If you think your adolescent is doing drugs, don’t let the teen’s excuses keep you from talking to the child’s caregiver. Because the drugs cannot be detected, the parent’s only recourse is straight talk.