Terrence D. Walton, MSW, CSACChief of StandardsNational Association of Drug Court Professionals

Latest Street Drugs and Use Patterns

Trends, Traits, Signs, & Symptoms

Synthetic Cannabinoids

Spice, K2, Scooby Snax, Cloud 9, Mojo, Relax, Crown

Synthetic WeedUse &

Detection Smoking,

vaping GCMS

Detectable Scent:

incense or potpourri

Foil packages $30-$40 per 3

gm bag

Side Effects• Red eyes• Dilated pupils• Accelerated

heartbeat• Hypertension • Nausea• Blurred vision• Hallucination • Agitation

Special Dangers

Addiction Acute

psychosis Psychosis

reemergence Chronic

psychosis in vulnerable users

Synthetic Cathinones

Flakka, gravel, alpha-PVP, Bath Salts

Crack and Heroin

Crack and Methamphetamine

Heroin and Methamphetamine

What It Is Not

Alpha-PVPalpha-

Pyrrolidinopentiophenone

What It Is

Cathinone Alkaloid found in

Khat Leaf

What It Is From

Synthetic Speed: Flakka Use &

Detection Swallowed,

snorted, smoked, vaped, injected

GCMS Detectable

Small plastic or foil packages

5 gm for $40 $.80 per dose

Side Effects• Racing heart • High blood

pressure• Chest pain• Paranoia • Hallucinatio

ns, Panic attacks

Special Dangers

Addiction Excited

delirium Dehydration Breakdown of

skeletal muscle tissue

Kidney failure

The worst-case after effects of the drug to what can happen, in rare instances, to

someone who runs a marathon, wherein muscle tissue starts to decompose and break down into the blood stream. That

can lead to kidney failure and death.

Flakka at its Worse

According to Broward County Sherriff’s office, Alpha-PVP use jumped from zero to 190 in 2014. In the first three months of 2015, police have already seen 275 cases. The numbers pushed synthetic drug reports in Broward county to account for 34% of all narcotic cases, eclipsing cocaine for the first time in his two-decade tenure with the county sheriff's office.

Synthetic Hallucinogens

(and Hallucinogenic amphetamines)

Ecstasy, Molly, N-Bomb, 251-NBOMe, Smiles , 2C-I

Synthetic Hallucinogen: 2C-I ~ NBOMe

Use & Detection Blotter or

powder (mixed with candy)

Psychedelic and stimulant

Harder to detect via urine testing

$.25-$5.00

Side Effects• Strong

chemical taste• Mouth

numbing• Nausea• Vomiting• Anxiety • Panic attacks

Special Dangers

Fatal dehydration,

arrhythmia and stroke Psychotic

break (self harm)

Smiles/ 2c-I

• Mixed with candy or chocolate• Combines stimulant and hallucinogenic

effects

Synthetic Opiates(and Semi-Synthetics)

Fentanyl, Dilaudid, Methadone, Buprenorphine, OxyContin (Thebaine), Zohydro (Codeine), Opana (Thebaine)

Synthetic Opiates: OpanaUse &

Detection Injected or

snorted Detectable

in urine $35 to

$150 per pill

Side Effects• Constipation

,• Nausea,• Vomiting,• Dizziness, • Dry mouth • Drowsiness

Special Dangers

Addiction HIV/AIDS Overdose Death

Signs of Prescription Opiate Misuse

CrushingBuyingGettingFaking

DrinkingLosingPanicking

Natural Opiates

Morphine, Heroin, Codeine, Thebaine, Oripavine, Syrup (Codeine)

Syrup• Codeine ~ prescription strength cough

syrup ~ mixed with an antihistamine (promethazine)

• Mixed in soda or with hard candies• Sizzurp, Purple Drank, Lean, Purple Lean,

Intox

ODDetox

Opiate Intoxication• Pupils will contract and appear small• Muscles are slack and droopy• They might “nod out”• Scratch a lot due to itchy skin• Speech may be slurred• They might be out of it, but they will respond to outside stimulus like loud noise or a light shake from a concerned friend.

Opiate Withdrawal

•Nausea•Vomiting•Diarrhea•Fever•Sweating•Cold and flu-like symptoms

•Restlessness•Muscle and bone pain•Muscle spasms• Irritability and mood swings•Seizures

Opiate OverdoseAwake, but unable to talk

Body is very limpFace is very pale or clammy

Fingernails and lips turn blue or purplish black

For lighter skinned people, the skin tone turns bluish purple, for darker skinned people, it turns grayish or ashen.

Breathing is slow & shallow, erratic, or has stopped

Pulse (heartbeat) is slow, erratic, or not there at all

Choking sounds, or a snore-like gurgling noise

VomitingLoss of consciousnessUnresponsive to outside stimulus

Emergency Overdose Intervention

Naloxone

Dishonorable Mentions

Caffeine Powder, e-Cigarettes, Superman pills, Desomorphine (Krokodil)

Caffeine Powder

Bulk bags of pure caffeine powder One teaspoon = 25 cups of coffee Fast & erratic heartbeat Seizures Vomiting Diarrhea Disorientation

E-CigarettesClick icon to add picture Flavored nicotine aerosol

No burning tobacco Delivers highly-addictive

nicotine Vapors found to contain

carcinogens and other toxins

Can be used to vape other drugs

Superman Pills Being sold in Europe as Ecstasy (MDMA) Actually containing a lethal dose of a

different, drug (PMMA) Distinctive Superman log Several deaths in the U.K., not yet

reported in U.S.

Krocodil Semi-synthetic Opiate Ravishing poor, rural Russia Codeine tablets combined with lighter

fluid or industrial cleaners More powerful than heroin, but shorter

high

National Drug Early Warning

System

Terrence D. Walton, MSW, CSAC

Chief of StandardsNational Association of Drug Court Professionals

Twalton@allrise.org