K2 and Spice is Nothing Nice

Today, bath salts and spice are not the same as they were when you found them in your grandmother's pantry. The new pushers have perverted these items into substances that are used as recreational/designer drugs that will produce the ultimate “high.” These substances are often made in home labs with no oversight whatsoever, and thus the facilities may be filthy and the process shoddy and dangerous. Surprisingly, because these drugs are new and have not been analyzed by the FDA or the DEA, they often can be sold legally at your local minimart or at other convenience stores.

One such designer drug that has attracted a lot of attention is herbal incense known by names such as “Spice” or “K2.” Individuals inhale this “incense” to get high. Spice and K2 are called fake pot, and sellers tout it because it doesn’t show up on standard drug tests. On the Internet it’s promoted as the “cool, new, legal high” and even comes in flavors such as “K2 Sex on the Mountain” and “K2 Thai Dream.”

Medical experts are particularly concerned about Spice and K2 because the side effects of smoking this herbal incense can be serious. Fast heart rates and waves of psychosis are not uncommon, and sometimes these symptoms last for an entire week. One new type of incense is called “Atomic Bomb” and one scientist notes ominously that the effect of this type of substance on a developing adolescent brain is unknown. He stated: “It is like a science experiment.” The problem is that a child is serving in the role of a lab rat…. In order to be able to sell these products, the producers and sellers hide behind the label on the package that says “Not for human consumption.” But don’t be fooled. They know exactly how these products are actually being used – and you should too. Some of the names to watch out for include Vanilla Sky, Loco Motion, Ivory Wave, Aura, Zoom 2, White Lightning, and Hurricane Charlie. Due the long-lasting negative effects – and even deaths – caused by these drugs, many states have sought to ban the sale of bath salts and spice. Progress is being made in getting them deemed a controlled substance.
Somehow, these drugs are making their way into the hands of our youth despite the fact that they have been banned in Lumberton, Purvis, Hattiesburg and other surrounding cities. Someone is bringing these items into our city and they're getting into the hands of our children. But I guess parking tickets is more of a threat to this city than making sure our kids don't get access to designer drugs.