Synthetic drugs have forced their way into the D.C. metropolitan area. According to an October 2015 University of Maryland study more than half of synthetic drug users are teenagers. However, those in their upper 20s and lower 30s have also suffered repercussions from the drugs. In August, synthetic drug were cited as a contributing factor in the death of Christopher Barry, son of D.C’s former Mayor Marion Barry.
“Among 456 synthetic cannabinoid intoxication cases, 322 (70.6 percent) occurred in persons aged 19 – 65 years and 125 (27.4 percent) occurred in persons aged 13–18 years,” Lakia Bryant, Health Communication specialist for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention told the AFRO.
Synthetic drugs are a chemically induced cannabinoid versions of marijuana. According to D.C. officials, consumption has increased in the city, citing one to two reported overdoses per day.
According to DrugAbuse.org, out of 11,406 emergency room cases related to the abuse of the synthetic drug K2, 75 percent of patients were between the ages 12 – 29 and 77.5 percent of those cases were male. Other types of synthetic drugs are labeled Spice, Mojo, Scooby Snax, Black Mamba, and Annihilation.
The chemicals used in synthetic drugs can produce side effects such as psychotic reactions, kidney failure, hallucinations, seizures, amnesia, suicide, death, and more. The herbs are also sometimes sprayed with phenazapam, a prescription drug. All of the drugs run high risks of addiction and dependency.
The current market price for synthetic drugs is $20 – $30, according to a 2013 CNN report.
However, the drug doesn’t seem to resonate at local institutions of higher education. “There are no dealers on this campus who sell K2,” a junior business management major at Howard University said. “That’s not the sort of thing you would find here. It’s easier to find cocaine or something of that nature before you’d see someone selling a synthetic.”
Even so, local schools and universities are making strides toward combatting the use of these life-altering and sometimes deadly drugs on campus. Howard University’s plan of action is rooted in education, according to Kenneth Holmes, vice president of Student Affairs.
“We are putting together a drug and alcohol task force that will address the effects of K2 and other altering substances,” Holmes told the AFRO. “Our first initiative will be going into the halls in September (2017) and doing a series of interactive educational workshops.”
George Washington University plans a similar route to educate its students as a main part of the drug prevention tactics. George Washington’s media relations specialist, Kurie Fitzgerald, told AFRO they educate students on a wide variety of substances to impact their initial decision making.
George Washington University offers online resources, programs, and in-person discussions where students learn about alcohol, drugs, sexual health, tobacco, nutrition, and stress, among other topics. The university’s Colonial Health Center works with campus and community partners to recommend individualized treatments as appropriate, according to Fitzgerald.
The chief of staff at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) did not respond to AFRO on awareness and prevention efforts by press time. However, the UDC Employee Assistance Program provides confidential counseling and referral services to employees and students with problems related to drug use and alcohol abuse.
ROTC cadets suffering from drug usage on college campuses, whether it is narcotics or synthetic, are able to receive help through their program. “ROTC students on scholarships are tested for synthetic drug use, and they are generally removed from ROTC if they test positive,” Department of Defense spokesman Eric Pahon told AFRO. “Sometimes there might be a punishment in rehabilitation. It is not always one positive and they are done. This is usually decided by a local unit commander and rehabilitation happens with their permission.”