Flakka is a dangerous drug that has many bad side effects, mostly including changes in behavior or mood. Internationally, the legal status of flakka varies by country, but many countries have taken steps to control its use due to its dangerous effects. The epicenter of the flakka epidemic was Broward County, Florida, which includes the city of Fort Lauderdale. Researchers have not thoroughly clinically studied the long-term effects of flakka, but renal failure can occur that is irreversible.
Legal status
Law enforcement and community activists were instrumental in limiting the damage done by the drug’s dangerous effects. Most reports of flakka after 2016 turned out to be other similar chemicals in the bath salt family. Effective treatment typically includes a combination of medical detoxification, behavioral therapies, and ongoing support to manage cravings and prevent relapse. In the United States, flakka is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act.
- This classification means that it is illegal to manufacture, distribute, or possess flakka.
- Flakka is a dangerous drug, and seeking help is crucial if you suspect someone is using it.
- Some complications of flakka drug abuse can happen while the drug user is acutely agitated if they were to harm themselves or others; however, medically, the severe consequences of the agitation caused by the drug appear later.
- Internationally, the legal status of flakka varies by country, but many countries have taken steps to control its use due to its dangerous effects.
- 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.
What happened to the “Man on Flakka?”
Flakka has gained fame due to its ability to cause erratic and dangerous behavior in users. Despite the DEA’s efforts to ban flakka, the drug is still being manufactured and sold illegally, often through online vendors. The core chemical compound used to make flakka, alpha-PVP, is still legal in many parts of the world. 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.
Is Flakka illegal?
Some complications of flakka drug abuse can happen while the drug user is acutely agitated if they were to harm themselves or others; however, medically, the severe consequences of the agitation caused by the drug appear later. Agitated patients can go into a state called „excited delirium,“ which is a medical emergency. In the excited delirium state, restrained patients struggle to free themselves, scream, flail, and can even have seizures. The combination of a high body temperature and extreme muscle overactivity can cause other metabolic problems to happen in the body.
Statistics on Flakka drug:
Muscle tissue begins to break down, releasing proteins and other cellular products into the bloodstream, in a process called rhabdomyolysis. The result of the cellular products and proteins released during rhabdomyolysis and dehydration can impair the filtering function of the kidneys, leading to renal failure and death. In addition, such agitation may trigger Taser use or other methods that have the potential to harm the individual when law enforcement personnel have to intervene. Flakka is a highly potent alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone wikipedia drug that can be snorted, injected, eaten, smoked, or vaporized in e-cigarettes.
It is common to hear reports that it takes multiple people to restrain and sedate these patients. Rescue crews and emergency department staff need to give sedatives to these patients to calm them and make them safe. 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. This caused people most at risk, poor desperate drug addicts and homeless people, to use it instead of more expensive drugs like cocaine or methamphetamines.
- Muscle tissue begins to break down, releasing proteins and other cellular products into the bloodstream, in a process called rhabdomyolysis.
- The term „man on flakka“ does not refer to a specific individual but rather describes the behavior typically exhibited by individuals under the influence of flakka (alpha-PVP), a synthetic cathinone known for inducing extreme and unpredictable actions.
- The result of the cellular products and proteins released during rhabdomyolysis and dehydration can impair the filtering function of the kidneys, leading to renal failure and death.
- Most reports of flakka after 2016 turned out to be other similar chemicals in the bath salt family.
- Researchers have not thoroughly clinically studied the long-term effects of flakka, but renal failure can occur that is irreversible.
- In the United States, flakka is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act.
When heated up, it gives off a foul-smelling smoke characterized as smelling like dirty socks. Bath salts, in general, are psychoactive synthetic drugs (designer drugs) made in large quantities in foreign drug labs. These drugs are all related to a broader group of chemical compounds known as synthetic cathinones, chemically similar to a substance found in the khat plant, which is known for its amphetamine-like stimulant effects.
It is an ongoing challenge, as each time one type of bath salt is made illegal, the drug labs change the chemical structure slightly and a new drug that is technically not illegal is created. In the case of flakka, the new chemical is called alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone or alpha-PVP. Drug users take flakka to get a feeling of euphoria, a heightened sense of awareness, stimulation, and energy.
If you or someone you know needs assistance, consider reaching out to a professional or a helpline. Word on the street is that flakka (also called gravel or flocka) is a combination of heroin and crack cocaine, or heroin and methamphetamines, but in reality, flakka is just a newer-generation version of a type of synthetic drug called bath salts (MDPV). The term „man on flakka“ does not refer to a specific individual but rather describes the behavior typically exhibited by individuals under the influence of flakka (alpha-PVP), a synthetic cathinone known for inducing extreme and unpredictable actions.
What are the symptoms of flakka abuse?
Some brand names of synthetic cathinones include Bliss, Vanilla Sky, Lunar Wave, Cloud Nine, and White Lightning. Flakka is the street name for the synthetic cathinone called alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (Alpha-PVP). The legal status of flakka remains a moving target as authorities try to keep pace with the evolving synthetic drug market.
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. Various instances of „Man on Flakka“ have been captured in videos on news channels and social media platforms such as YouTube. These instances highlight the profound and often alarming effects that flakka can have on behavior and mental state, emphasizing its dangers to both users and the community at large. Law enforcement agencies and health care providers have expressed significant concerns about the widespread use of flakka, particularly among younger demographics and in clubbing scenes where synthetic drugs are more prevalent. Flakka is a dangerous drug, and seeking help is crucial if you suspect someone is using it.