The use of synthetic drugs is growing at an alarming rate, and some states are requesting that lawmakers put a stop to their use by enacting legislation that would prevent individuals from selling such substances.
“Synthetic drugs pose a number of problems,” begins a spokesperson for Mountainside
Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center. “One of the biggest problems is that casual use of such synthetics can cause a deeper desire for a stronger, longer high, causing the individual to resort to illegal substances. In addition, there are no FDA regulations on synthetics which means that there are no studies regarding the dangers of their use. More importantly, no FDA regulation means that there is no standard meaning that any additive, regardless of its danger, can be mixed with the synthetic, and no one would ever know because of that lack of standard.”
Many scientists and researchers have weighed in on this topic and have come to the same conclusions that leading drug rehab facilities have: using synthetics has the potential to be just as dangerous as using the real thing. Two particular synthetics, K2 and BZP, have resulted in calls to the poison control center after use by teens and young adults. K2 is a synthetic form of marijuana while BZP is known as “fake Ecstasy”, both of which have been known to cause rapid heartbeat, dizziness, confusion, muscle weakness, inability to walk, sensitivity to light and even labored breathing.
Fourteen states currently allow the sale of such synthetics; however the DEA has issued a temporary federal ban on the sale and distribution of them. That ban will that take effect at the end of December 2010 and will continue for a year (with a possible 6 month extension) while the DEA decides whether or not to enact a permanent ban.
For the past 12 years, Mountainside has established itself as an innovator within the addiction treatment field, and the treatment modalities that Mountainside utilizes are regarded as among the most cutting-edge approaches in helping individuals to get and to remain sober. In addition, its work in drug abuse prevention has been recognized on a national as well as global level.
The compassionate, caring treatment team at Mountainside is comprised of licensed and certified counselors and social workers as well as a Nurse Practitioner and a Registered Nurse, both of whom have specialization and extensive experience in drug addiction and alcohol treatment. For clients who may have psychiatric issues and/or a dual diagnosis, Mountainside provides the services of a Psychiatrist who also has specialization in addictions. As a result of their unique, innovative approaches to addiction treatment over the past 12 years, Mountainside has become the model for the addiction treatment field.
The program, along with its professional addiction treatment team, have earned national recognition and resulted in Mountainside being invited to Washington by the White House to meet with the White House Drug Czar, John P. Waters, for an in-depth meeting on what makes its program so successful. These accolades did not go unnoticed within the addiction treatment field and resulted in the adoption by many throughout the country of a more holistic approach to drug addiction treatment.
If you or someone you love is addicted to drugs or alcohol, or if you have any questions, please contact Mountainside
Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center for a confidential inquiry at 800-762-5433.
