These are “people who are already disadvantaged in terms of chronic disease and access to health care,” he added. The result is to “flood the brain” with these chemicals, Hall said. Cocaine and methamphetamine have similar modes of action in the brain, but the chemicals in flakka have longer-lasting effects, Hall said.
The epicenter of the flakka epidemic was Broward County, Florida, which includes the city of Fort Lauderdale. Flakka is a dangerous drug that has many bad side effects, mostly including changes in behavior or mood. At low doses, Flakka is a stimulant with mild hallucinatory effects.
Historical references to the chewing of khat leaves for their euphoric and stimulant effects date back many centuries, and today, this tradition remains widespread in countries such as Somalia, Yemen, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Synthetic cathinones are a class of lab-made stimulants that are designed to mimic the chemical properties of khat. Effective treatment typically includes a combination of medical detoxification, behavioral therapies, and ongoing support to manage cravings and prevent relapse. 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.
What is flakka? Florida’s dangerous new drug trend
“The cost is what really alarmed us … a lot more people can get their hands on it, and that’s always a problem,” Fort Lauderdale police Sergeant Nick Coffin told Dispatch Times. Cathinone use can also cause rhabdomyolysis, which is a melting of the muscle tissue and the release of muscle fibers into the blood stream. This can lead to kidney failure and result in a user needing permanent dialysis. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. If ingested orally, absorption is rapid with a peak “rush” at 1.5 hours, the effect lasting 3 to 4 hours, then a hard “crash”. The total experience may last upwards of 8 hours or longer.1 Snorting and injecting the drug can be especially hazardous.
Managing Flakka Intoxication and Addiction
- You may see hyperactivity; dilated pupils (with the pupils having a minimal reaction to light); an elevated body temperature; elevated pulse; possible increased respiratory rate; paranoia; and hallucinations.
- These hallucinations, called “trips,” can last as long as 12 hours.
- Medical professionals take into consideration that Flakka users often abuse it alongside other drugs and will experience withdrawal effects from those drugs as well.
- Its street name, gravel, accurately describes its appearance in both texture and size.
Like many other stimulant drugs, users of Flakka are at risk of becoming addicted to this substance. Users who take Flakka are seeking euphoric stimulation, but often experience anxiety, an accelerated heart rate, paranoia, agitation, and psychosis. As alpha-PVP is a stimulant, a state of hyper-stimulation, hallucinations and paranoia that could result in self-injury and violent aggression are possible.
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Experts worry that some survivors of flakka overdoses may be on dialysis for the rest of their life. The allure of Flakka, despite its well-documented dangers, often comes down to its cost-effectiveness. Cocaine, for instance, might set someone back $80 per gram, a price out of reach for many, including college students, individuals experiencing homelessness, and those with limited income. In stark contrast, Flakka is priced between $3 to $5 per dose, making it an affordable, albeit risky, alternative.
Internationally, the legal status of flakka varies by country, but many countries have taken steps to control its use due to its dangerous effects. According to Hall’s research, alpha-PVP is often purchased online in bulk from locations such as China, typically at $1,500 per kilogram. 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. Flakka is one of a number of cathinone-based drugs that are produced in China and sold online to small-time drug gangs in the U.S.
These hallucinations, called “trips,” can last as long as 12 hours. Here’s a rundown of common street drugs and the health threats they can pose. In fact, it can be downright bizarre – including this case in Florida, where a man apparently using the drug offered a ride to the woman whose car he stole.
It began with the khat plant that grows in East Africa and Southern Arabia. From there it became a new synthetic drug made from α-PVP, which is a cousin of amphetamine, which is much stronger than the khat plant. 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. So what if you come across someone who is under the influence of Flakka? Their signs of intoxication will be consistent with a CNS Stimulant, and possibly a hallucinogen.
Hall says that with small investment of only a few thousand dollars, a dealer can walk away with as much as $75,000. Although the Drug Enforcement Administration has placed a temporary ban on flakka, drug makers can work around this ban, such as by sticking a “not for human consumption” label on the drug, Watterson said. It will probably take several years to get the data necessary what does flakka smell like to put a federal ban on flakka, he added.