In some of the documented delusions, individuals’ experiences are of a typical paranoia, where the drug users feel they are being chased by a large group of people trying to kill them. These patients are a threat to themselves, the people around them, and the first responders (police, EMS) who are there to help them. It is common to hear reports that it takes multiple people to restrain and sedate these patients.
When heated up, it gives off a foul-smelling smoke characterized as smelling like dirty socks. Like bath salts, flakka simulates the effects of cocaine and methamphetamine without the price tag. That’s why the designer drug has become so popular among college-age adults – since it’s 10 times more powerful than coke. “The high is pretty high and getting off takes longer,” Cidambi said. The drug, which has the street name of Flakka, is a synthetic stimulant that is chemically similar to bath salts.
Is street drug flakka gone for good?
Doses typically sell on the street for $4 or $5, and because each dose is so tiny, that means dealers can net about $50,000 from their initial investment, as long as they have the networks to distribute the drug. Last year, police in Florida, where flakka has a stronghold, busted a 22-year-old woman for importing the drug from China, the Broward Palm Beach New Times reported. The year before, a 22-year-old student at Hunter College in New York City was arrested for trafficking more than a pound of alpha-PVP from Shanghai into the U.S., according to the New York Post.
Treatment Options for Flakka Addiction
According to one study, users need ten times less the amount of Flakka as they do cocaine in order to get addicted to the drug. Flakka blocks a user’s dopamine and norepinephrine transporter proteins from functioning properly in the brain. This leads to an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and dopamine production, making the brain demand more and more of the drug to register reward. Flakka is known to spike your body temperature up to 104 degrees, if not higher. An extremely high body temperature can have dire consequences – it can lead to kidney damage or kidney failure, and even death. The synthetic drug can also elevate your blood pressure, which can cause a heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, or heart failure, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Slang terms for Flakka
- You may have seen the headlines or heard national warnings to protect your children from this new substance.
- Despite its street-level reputation as a “zombie drug,” it’s primarily a chemical cousin of other stimulants like amphetamines and “bath salts,” with a high risk of severe side effects.
- From medically assisted interventions to harm reduction policies, a multi-layered approach can help individuals and communities manage and prevent this dangerous drug.
- While flakka may not be as widespread as opioids or methamphetamine, it has made substantial inroads in specific regions, particularly in pockets of the Southeastern United States.
- Because Flakka is a synthetic, lab-made drug, its effects are unpredictable.
Rescue crews and emergency department staff need to give sedatives to these patients to calm them and make them safe. In the United States, flakka is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule I drugs are defined as substances with a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision. This classification means that it is illegal to manufacture, distribute, or possess flakka. The expert team at Delamere is used to treating all kinds of drug addiction and has direct experience of helping people overcome their dependence on Flakka.
A new drug that gives people superhuman strength, but leads to violent delusions, is gaining attention. In 2015, police in Florida reported an outbreak of extremely bizarre behaviors by people after using flakka. In one case in Miami, one man chewed another man’s face after using flakka. Baumann agrees that such public health campaigns can be very effective.
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High doses deliver a similar high to cocaine or methamphetamine, which can cause paranoid delusions and involuntary muscle jerks. In small doses, Flakka can give users an immediate sense of euphoria, boost confidence, lessen inhibitions and increase libido. When the brain gets used to these pleasant sensations, it is hardwired to want more, leading to a higher tolerance, greater dependence and a potentially deadly addiction.
Internationally, the legal status of flakka varies by country, but many countries have taken steps to control its use due to its dangerous effects. You may have seen the emergence of this drug overwhelm recent news, as it traveled up the coast of South Florida to New York City, stretching to Maine, Kentucky, Illinois, and beyond over the last year. You may have seen the headlines or heard national warnings to protect your children from this new substance. To educate your teen, to spread awareness about this drug, however, you must first understand what it is and how it works.
Signs and symptoms of Flakka abuse
Dealers range from college kids needing some extra cash to street gangs who hire younger children to sell to their friends. Because one can buy Flakka for as little as three dollars a dose, the target market is typically young, poor people looking for an easy high. The information contained on this website is not intended to be a substitute for, or to be relied upon as, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. According to Hall’s research, alpha-PVP is often purchased online in bulk from locations such as China, typically at $1,500 per kilogram.
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Flakka is a dangerous drug, and seeking help is crucial if you suspect someone is using it. If you or someone you know needs assistance, consider reaching out to a professional or a helpline. Popularly known as Flakka, formally known as alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (alpha-PVP), the chemical cousin of bath salts has made its way into the hands of drug users nationwide. As with other stimulants, the chronic use of α-PVP can be considered highly addictive with a high potential for abuse and is capable of causing psychological dependence among certain users. When addiction has developed, cravings and withdrawal effects may occur if a person suddenly stops their usage.
- It is also worth noting that these effects will not necessarily occur in a predictable or reliable manner, although higher doses are more liable to induce the full spectrum of effects.
- Like bath salts, flakka simulates the effects of cocaine and methamphetamine without the price tag.
- Baumann agrees that such public health campaigns can be very effective.
- Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Effective treatment typically includes a combination of medical detoxification, behavioral therapies, and ongoing support to manage cravings and prevent relapse. Flakka was added to the Schedule I list in 2014 by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This was part of an effort to curb the abuse of synthetic drugs, which were becoming increasingly popular and causing significant health issues. A typical dose is just 0.003 ounces (0.1 grams), but “just a little bit more will trigger very severe adverse effects,” Hall told Live Science. “Even a mild overdose can cause heart-related problems, or agitation, or severe aggression and psychosis.” Flakka itself is related to a group of drugs known as “bath salts,” which were banned in 2012.
Maybe as a result there is not really demand for a stand-in for flakka, which gets its name from the Spanish word “flaca,” for a thin, attractive woman. Understanding who is most affected and the broader societal implications sheds light on why it remains a public health concern. Below, we’ll explain flakka, why it can be so dangerous, and how communities can respond with both precaution and compassion. Always conduct independent research (e.g. Google, DuckDuckGo, PubMed) to ensure that a combination of two or more substances is safe to consume.
Known as the poor man’s cocaine, Flakka is both cheap and accessible, further increasing the potential for abuse, especially among young people. Man-made in China, Flakka is a synthetic version of naturally occurring amphetamine-like drugs called cathinones. Like its close cousins “Bath Salts” and “Molly”, Flakka is popular with young clubbers who want the mind-altering effects of acid combined with the euphoric feelings of ecstasy. Like cocaine and methamphetamine, Flakka stimulates the release of feel-good brain chemicals such as dopamine and norepinephrine, Hall said. The drug also prevents neurons, or brain cells, from reabsorbing these brain chemicals, meaning the effects of the drug may linger in the system longer than people anticipate.
Α-PVP is chemically related to prolintane and belongs to a group called the substituted cathinones, which includes compounds like MDPV, hexen, and a-PHP. Like most synthetic drugs, the bulk of flakka seems to come from China and is either sold over the Internet or through gas stations or other dealers. A dose can go for $3 to $5, which makes it a cheap alternative to cocaine. Dealers often target young and poor people and also try to enlist homeless people to buy and sell, Hall said. These are “people who are already disadvantaged in terms of chronic disease and access to health care,” he added. People who are abusing Flakka will likely display some of these symptoms and their behaviour may seem bizarre or uncontrollable.
Many flakka users become agitated or panicked, sometimes exhibiting violent outbursts. Excess dopamine floods the brain’s reward circuits, triggering intense euphoria. flakka wikipedia The norepinephrine buildup also drives rapid heart rate and elevated blood pressure, causing dangerous overstimulation. Flakka, sometimes called alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (α-PVP), is a synthetic cathinone known for its stimulant properties and unpredictable potency.