The Indiana Poison Center reports major decreases in the number of reported overdoses from synthetic drugs such as bath salts and Spice, according to the Associated Press.
The increasing popularity of designer drugs is an alarming public health problem, according to a new report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The number of new synthetic drugs rose by more than 50 percent in less than three years, the report states.
The Iowa Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy is trying to find ways to stay one step ahead of synthetic marijuana manufacturers.
Kidney damage caused by synthetic marijuana was reported in 16 patients in six states last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All were admitted to the hospital, and five required hemodialysis, a treatment for advanced kidney failure.
A new report links acute kidney injury with use of synthetic marijuana. Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham say doctors should consider the possibility of synthetic marijuana use in young adult patients with negative urine drug screens who have acute kidney damage.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi signed an emergency rule this week that outlaws 22 new synthetic drugs. The outlawed drugs are various forms of baths salts, or synthetic marijuana, known as K2 or Spice, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
More than 11,000 people ended up in emergency rooms after using synthetic marijuana in 2010, according to a new government report. Most were teenagers and young adults, USA Today reports.
New Jersey has made its temporary ban on synthetic marijuana permanent, state Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa announced Monday.
Six young men—five of them teenagers--developed kidney failure after using synthetic marijuana in recent months, health officials in Oregon and Washington report.
Emergency room doctors are learning the signs of designer drug use in teens and young adults as the substances continue to grow in popularity, The Miami Herald reports.
High-potency marijuana, and the synthetic form of the drug, known as “K2” or “Spice,” can harm a developing embryo’s brain, a new study concludes.
Local and federal law enforcement officials raided businesses in almost 100 cities on Wednesday, in the first nationwide crackdown on synthetic drugs, USA Today reports.
Law enforcement at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, has prohibited a new synthetic drug called “Pump-It! Powder.” A warning issued at the Army installation notes the drug can cause convulsions, paranoia, chest pains or increased heart rate that can cause cardiac arrest.
Law enforcement officials in Florida are facing the thorny question of how to handle people on probation who get caught using synthetic drugs, the Sun Sentinel reports.
President Obama on Monday signed legislation that bans synthetic drugs. The law also expedites the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of new drugs and medical devices.
“Bath salts” are the latest synthetic drug to gain popularity among Marines, a development that concerns health officials. The Marine Corps is already wrestling with synthetic marijuana, or Spice.
Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear signed into law a measure that makes it illegal to sell or possess synthetic drugs, including “bath salts” and synthetic marijuana.
New York state has banned the sale of synthetic marijuana, which is sold under brand names such as “Spice,” “K2” and “Mr. Nice Guy,” the Associated Press reports.
Many emergency room physicians are not familiar with symptoms caused by synthetic marijuana such as “K2” and “Spice,” which are sending a growing number of teenagers to the hospital, according to USA Today.
The Navy and Marines announced they will start conducting random alcohol breath tests as part of a larger initiative to improve health and safety.
“Spice” caused kidney failure in three young people, and vomiting and back pain in a dozen others in Wyoming, health officials report.
The Drug Enforcement Administration announced this week it is extending its ban on synthetic drugs such as “Spice” and “K2,” which mimic the effects of marijuana, for another six months.
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has been blocking Senate action on legislation to outlaw a host of synthetic drugs, which are growing in popularity and have been linked to illnesses and deaths.
Parents are a key part of the fight against the emerging threat of synthetic drugs, said Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy. He spoke Thursday at a working group session on synthetic drugs, which was co-hosted by The Partnership at Drugfree.org.
A counter-terrorism lab in Little Rock, Arkansas, is helping law enforcement officials identify the synthetic drug “Spice.”
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