August is...

SpiceAwarenessMonth

The Research (2011)LCDR Donald Hurst, a fourth-year psychiatry resident at San Diego’s Naval Medical Centre, said the hospital is believed to have seen more cases than any other health facility in the country. He studied 10 cases of Active Duty members who had smoked marijuana or drank alcohol and others who only smoked Spice. Of the 10, nine had lost a sense of reality and seven babbled incoherently. The symptoms for the seven lasted four to eight days. Three are believed to now be schizophrenic.

LCDR Hurst believed the drug may have triggered the symptoms in people with that genetic disposition. His findings were published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in October.

Resource: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2080614/New-enemy-infiltrates-U-S-ranks-Use-synthetic-pot-causes-day-long-hallucinations-schizophrenic-symptoms-skyrocket-military.html#ixzz22GX6TGWm

Health Facts1. Civilian deaths have been reported and emergency crews have responded to calls of ‘hyper-excited’ people doing things like tearing off their clothes and running down the street naked.

2. Navy investigators compare the drug to “angel dust” [or PCP] because no two batches are the same.

3. Some may just feel a euphoric buzz, but others have suffered delusions lasting up to a week.

4. There are more than 200 other chemicals used in the drug. They remain legal and their effects on the mind and body remain largely unknown.

5. Doctors at San Diego’s Naval Medical Centre saw users experiencing bad reactions once a month, but now see them weekly. Users suffer everything from vomiting, elevated blood pressure and seizures to extreme agitation, anxiety and delusions.

Resource: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2080614/New-enemy-infiltrates-U-S-ranks-Use-synthetic-pot-causes-day-long-hallucinations-schizophrenic-symptoms-skyrocket-military.html#ixzz22GX6TGWm

Not knowing...is not a defense.

Statistics1. Two years ago, only 29 Marines and Sailors were investigated for Spice. This year, there has been more than 700.

2. The Air Force has punished 497 airmen for Spice related issues so far this year, compared to last year’s 380, according to the Pentagon.

Resource: http://www.militarytimes.com/forum/showthread.php?1591700-Synthetic-Marijuana-Use-Becoming-Problem-for-U-S-Military

Interviews of USNH Yokosuka StaffHMC (SEL) Jason Legare (FMF)(AW) - “I have served for fourteen years and I have never seen it or smelled it, but I know the consequences Spice has had on our Marines and Sailors.”

HM1 Andrea Lewis – “I have been at Yokosuka since 2010 and I have witnessed four incidents in which Sailors went through Captain’s Mast and were kicked out because of Spice.”

HM2 Keith Ferguson (FMF) - “Everybody was shocked, I couldn’t believe it. A friend of mine got caught with Spice and went to Captain’s Mast.”

HM3 Tomas Gutierrez - “I have seen people pass out, hyperventilate, and even have seizure-like symptoms.”

The Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions