Last week, Colorado health authorities announced that they, in partnership with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, will be beginning an investigation into the hospitalizations and three deaths believed to be a result of smoking synthetic marijuana. What's ironic is that real marijuana is actually legal in the state of Colorado. These drugs such as spice, bath salts, or herbal incense, are hard to totally ban, law enforcement says, due to the constant changing of the chemical compounds in order to evade the law. Retailers are also skirting prosecution by labeling the drugs as "not for human consumption," but there is an underground market that know exactly how to abuse the product to get high. Synthetic drugs such as "molly" have unpredictable effects on the human body and human behavior. Emily Bauer went from being a normal 16 year old to nearly dying after trying a form of synthetic marijuana. Her parents blame her several strokes, which have limited her physical and mental abilities, on the drug.
I knew very little about synthetic drugs before reading this article. I knew that they were dangerous, of course, but I wasn't sure why they didn't just make them illegal. I believe this audience was geared towards teenagers, the prime market for these drugs. It was written to educate teens on the facts of these substances so as to scare them into not using the drugs. The author, Tricia Escobedo, does not mention whether she is a mother, which would greatly influence her opinion on the subject, but her tone throughout the article is concerned and warning, which would suggest that she is against the use of the drugs and is concerned about the effects that they have.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/13/health/synthetic-drugs-7-things/index.html?hpt=us_c2
Comment by Tyra Harris
ReplyDeleteI feel like people, especially teens, are fully aware that they are doing harm to their bodies when they smoke/inhale/shoot drugs, whether they be synthetic or not. I find it extremely ironic that Colorado is performing this investigation as a drug that leads to less brains cells is legal in the state. Also,the gov't can take whatever they choose off of retail counter, but who can control the black market? NO ONE.
One day people are going to have to realize how damaging drugs are to their bodies. I don't know why people do them but I have to wonder why its so important that they are willing to risk their health. Hopefully people will smarten up soon.
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