What Parents Should Know About the Latest Drug Craze and what your kids probably already know Yolanda Ro
It's not illegal. It can be purchased at stores. It doesn't require a doctor's prescription.
The latest teen drug craze happens to be something you might already have around the house: Incense. Of course we know that incense is sometimes used to cover up the smell of certain drugs. But who knew it would someday become the drug?
Some call it legal pot, but it's being sold as potpourri. It is a chemically enhanced incense, usually sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids or hallucinogens, being sold under the names K-2, Serenity Now, and Spice.
For kids, the big appeal of this drug is not only obtaining a high, but being able to do so without breaking the law. And the authorities are in no hurry to add K-2 to the already massive drug bust workload which includes cocaine, meth, and marijuana. Only a few states (Alabama included) are taking measures to have the ingredients for K-2 declared illegal. For now, it remains available for the purchase price of about $45.
Aside from the $45, the use of this drug comes with a high price. Like most drugs, the side effects of K-2 are life threatening. Teen users have shown up in the local emergency rooms, with irregular heart beats and dizzy spells, even weeks after the drug had been discontinued.
This also will undoubtedly be another opportunity for some to push their twisted theory of why legalizing marijuana would prevent people from smoking harmful products in the first place. But what they fail to understand is that if a 14 year old (or anyone else) is seeking an escape from reality, through drugs, then there is a deeper problem at hand. They need help, not someone to legalize their habit.
Parents, here is yet one more drug you have to keep your eyes peeled for. Pray, warn your kids, and stay vigilant in the fight against drugs!
It's not illegal. It can be purchased at stores. It doesn't require a doctor's prescription.