With 70 pounds of synthetics from China seized at Dulles Airport last month, Drug-Free World urges increased education to reduce demand

WASHINGTON, DC, USA, August 23, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- The proliferation of synthetics was highlighted by the seizure of 70 pounds of synthetics last month at Dulles Airport. Earlier this year, a raid was conducted in Mexico on the largest synthetics lab found to date. The Mexico raid found almost 630,000 pills containing the synthetic opioid fentanyl as well as 282 pounds of powdered fentanyl and 220 pounds of suspected methamphetamine. (1)

Thalia Ghiglia from the Foundation for a Drug-Free World explained the urgency for increased education at this time: “Illegal and dangerous drugs continue to be created and sold, leading to overdoses and deaths. The public and particularly parents and teachers have to stay up to date on these developments and educate youth and young adults on the dangers. This is why the Foundation for a Drug-Free World is urging people to utilize the free Drug-Free World materials to learn more.”

What exactly are synthetics? The Foundation for a Drug-Free World’s website has downloadable booklets on various drugs, including synthetics.

"The Truth About Synthetic Drugs" booklet focuses on some of the most popular chemically altered versions of common drugs. According to the booklet, synthetic drugs are referred to as designer drugs and it is important to note the facts given as follows in order to deter people from taking them by knowing their harmful and fatal effects:

A designer drug is a synthetic (chemically made) version of an illegal drug that was slightly altered to avoid having it classified as illegal. It is essentially an experiment by a chemist done to create a new drug that can be sold legally (on the Internet or in stores), allowing dealers to make money without breaking the law. As law enforcement catches up with new chemicals that are so created and makes them illegal, manufacturers devise altered versions to steer clear of the law. So, the cycle repeats.

Due to the constantly growing number of chemicals that are developed, designer drug users have no way of knowing what the drugs they take might contain. Further, as a small modification made to a known drug may result—and often does—in a new drug with greatly different effects, users cannot predict the impact on health from the substances they experiment with.

The booklet covers vital information as well as going into detail on what each drug actually is, the history, short and long-term effects, and all its street names so one can't be fooled.

Spice and K2 are synthetic marijuana, one of the most popular synthetic designer drugs. According to "The Truth About Synthetic Drugs" booklet, "What is sometimes referred to as ‘synthetic marijuana’ is really nothing like marijuana. It is a mixture of hergs and spices that are sprayed with unknown and harmful chemicals intended to simulate THC, the mind-altering ingredient found in marijuana.” The chemical that gives the high is sprayed on herbs that give the leaf-like appearance of marijuana. It is promoted as being safe and natural, but the opposite is true. The chemicals in these drugs are toxic and dangerous and there is no way their composition and potency can truly be known. The booklet points out these facts and lists 33 street names for Spice and K2 that one might hear. A few are Fake weed, Black Mamba, Scooby Snacks, and Sence. Some of its effects include hallucinations, potential suicide, and loss of consciousness.

Results from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported statistics on the use of synthetic marijuana in the previous 12 months by respondents aged 12 or older. The survey showed 483,000 people had used it. (2) The number of people using this synthetic drug shows the need for education on its dangers and potentially fatal toxicity.

Synthetic drugs sold as "Bath Salts,” according to the "Synthetic Drugs" booklet, “are not bath salts used in a tub, but toxic drugs whose effects are unpredictable." Bath Salts are referred to as synthetic stimulants and they can cause hallucinations like those caused by LSD. The following facts are given in the “The Truth about Synthetic Drugs” booklet so that people can make a well-informed decision on this drug:

Bath Salts often contain a varied mix of chemicals, so even if the packaging looks the same, one never knows what the product actually contains. It is usually sold in powdered form in small plastic or foil packages. It can be white, off-white, yellow or brown and may also be sold in capsules or tablets, or in small jars in liquid form.

Bath salts can cause severe agitation, self-harm, nosebleeds, seizures, and increase of pressure inside the skull that can cause death, according to “The Truth about Synthetic Drugs.”

The third designer drug the booklet describes is N-bomb which is sold as an alternative to the powerful hallucinogen LSD. Some of its street names include Legal Acid, Smiles, and Dime. The danger of this drug is described in the booklet to make people aware that "drug dealers produce various versions of N-bomb in secret laboratories or import them in bulk from China, India and other countries. Manufacturers vary the formula in attempts to get around the government bans, and users never know what they are taking or how potent it will be.”

The loss of a fifteen-year-old boy in Montana, Sean Brown, occurred after his first time taking what he thought was LSD but was actually N-Bomb, and overdosed on it. He took it with his two brothers who also suffered overdoses, however theirs were not fatal. His friends and family were devastated by this tragedy and three people were arrested and sentenced in connection with his death. This is but one example of the threat posed by synthetics. (3)

The Foundation for a Drug-Free World produces and widely distributes high-impact, effective drug education materials. The Washington, DC, chapter continually disseminates these materials as broadly as possible with well over 100,000 booklets distributed in the DC area alone.

Always looking for opportunities to reach individuals and communities, the foundation has been most grateful to its many partners who help multiply the reach of the information contained in the educational booklets through their networks. From setting up tables of free information at various Washington, DC, agency events, to giving talks for local organizations, the foundation has been focused on educating anyone who will listen. Disseminating knowledge about the dangers of drugs statistically lowers the number of people using those drugs.

Drug-Free World offers fourteen free illustrated drug information booklets that include facts about commonly abused drugs and make it easy to learn by focusing on a certain drug or drug category per booklet.

Internationally, the Foundation for a Drug-Free World has distributed millions of copies of booklets in 22 languages. The booklets are published by the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, a nonprofit public benefit organization headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Used widely by many local community organizations, nonprofits, and service providers, The Truth About Drugs booklets and videos empower youth and adults with the facts so they can make informed decisions and avoid the tragedy of drug overdoses.

Materials can be ordered or downloaded from www.drugfreeworld.org. The free online courses help in learning about specific drugs and how to talk about them with friends and family.



Works Cited
1. https://apnews.com/article/opioids-mexico-city-caribbean-health-035c9d69b2f71bca5ee4381fd6d2207d
2.https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt39443/2021NSDUHFFRRev010323.pdf
3. https://www.justthinktwice.gov/true-stories/montana-sean-brown-15-25i-nbome-0

Thalia Ghiglia
Foundation for a Drug-Free World
+1 202-667-6404
email us here

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