Zeplike
Active Member
By Conor Feehan
Monday June 14 2010
A NEW head shop drug called 'whack' has led to dozens of users suffering psychotic reactions.
The substance, which mimics the effects of cocaine, has been responsible for a fresh spate of hospital admissions among users, doctors said.
Medical staff said that people who have taken the drug have suffered increased heart and breathing rates and raised blood pressure.
The National Poisons Information Centre said last night it had received 50 reports of people suffering severe adverse reactions after using 'whack'.
Dr Cathal O'Connor, of the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick, said that since last Thursday 20 patients had been brought to the hospital after taking the substance.
"We have had patients who have become acutely psychotic," he said. "They have developed symptoms that four, five, six, seven days after taking the drug have still not abated."
Less than a month ago, the Government moved to ban a list of specified drugs sold in head shops.
However, manufacturers of the legal highs are now attempting to get around that law by changing the components of the substances in laboratories.
According to gardai, 36 of the 102 shops that were open before the ban are still trading.
But Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Pat Carey has said the Government has pledged to eradicate "decisively and comprehensively" the dangerous new legal high.
The vow came as hospitals yesterday revealed they were struggling to care for patients who have consumed 'whack'.
In a statement last night, Mr Carey said he was confident the new law would "put the remaining head shops out of business".
He said it would "broaden the definition of selling psychoactive substances and deal with the issue of operators claiming their products are not for human consumption".
Head shops hit the headlines this year when stores in Dublin and around the country were targeted by arsonists determined to close them down.
Gardai suspect the attacks were carried out by organised crime gangs, whose own supply of illegal drugs was being undercut by the sale of the legal highs.
http://www.herald.ie/national-news/new-head-shop-drug-causing-psychosis-2219951.html
I don't know anything about this and I'm not trying to get any, just curious since I buy spice sometimes although I don't think it is related to jhw. All I know is that it's supposed to be naphyrone based? Also not sure if this is only in europe or the us as well. Any info would be appreciated
Monday June 14 2010
A NEW head shop drug called 'whack' has led to dozens of users suffering psychotic reactions.
The substance, which mimics the effects of cocaine, has been responsible for a fresh spate of hospital admissions among users, doctors said.
Medical staff said that people who have taken the drug have suffered increased heart and breathing rates and raised blood pressure.
The National Poisons Information Centre said last night it had received 50 reports of people suffering severe adverse reactions after using 'whack'.
Dr Cathal O'Connor, of the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick, said that since last Thursday 20 patients had been brought to the hospital after taking the substance.
"We have had patients who have become acutely psychotic," he said. "They have developed symptoms that four, five, six, seven days after taking the drug have still not abated."
Less than a month ago, the Government moved to ban a list of specified drugs sold in head shops.
However, manufacturers of the legal highs are now attempting to get around that law by changing the components of the substances in laboratories.
According to gardai, 36 of the 102 shops that were open before the ban are still trading.
But Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Pat Carey has said the Government has pledged to eradicate "decisively and comprehensively" the dangerous new legal high.
The vow came as hospitals yesterday revealed they were struggling to care for patients who have consumed 'whack'.
In a statement last night, Mr Carey said he was confident the new law would "put the remaining head shops out of business".
He said it would "broaden the definition of selling psychoactive substances and deal with the issue of operators claiming their products are not for human consumption".
Head shops hit the headlines this year when stores in Dublin and around the country were targeted by arsonists determined to close them down.
Gardai suspect the attacks were carried out by organised crime gangs, whose own supply of illegal drugs was being undercut by the sale of the legal highs.
http://www.herald.ie/national-news/new-head-shop-drug-causing-psychosis-2219951.html
I don't know anything about this and I'm not trying to get any, just curious since I buy spice sometimes although I don't think it is related to jhw. All I know is that it's supposed to be naphyrone based? Also not sure if this is only in europe or the us as well. Any info would be appreciated
