Flakka Drug Facts Learn More About Flakka Effects & It’s Dangers

Researchers from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) state the effects of Flakka are unique to any other drug they’ve studied. The most obvious and disturbing effect is the trance-like state it causes, earning it the nickname zombie drug. Because of its constantly changing chemical composition, every batch of Flakka will vary in appearance, potency, desired effects, and side effects. In such instances, it’s imperative to seek medical help right away, as these symptoms indicate a critical situation that could escalate rapidly. Flakka’s potency and the unpredictability of its effects add to its danger.

What Do People Feel After Using Flakka?

Cathinones are hydrophobic molecules that easily cross the blood-brain barriers and reach the synaptic cleft between neurons. Excessive Dopamine influx in the brain will cause an intense state of euphoria and an altered mental state. Cathinone metabolites like norephedrine and cathine are also central nervous system stimulants. Flakka is a man-made drug that is created from a synthetic version of a stimulant in the cathinone class known as alpha- Pyrrolidinopentiophenone. Cathinone is a chemical substance that is naturally found in khat plants, where the leaves of the plant are chewed on to produce a mildly stimulating effect.

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It is common to hear reports that it takes multiple people to restrain and sedate these patients. Rescue crews and emergency department staff need to give sedatives to these patients to calm them and make them safe. Flakka is a dangerous drug, and seeking help is crucial if you suspect someone is using it. If you or someone you know needs assistance, consider reaching out to a professional or a helpline. Most people who abuse flakka use a vaporizer to inhale a smoke filled with the toxic drug.

Cognitive effects

However, dopamine depletion or receptor damage can lead to crashes, depression, or psychosis over time. Flakka is a synthetic substance that has earned sensational nicknames like the “zombie drug.” However, there’s a lot more to it regarding its chemistry, effects, and impact on the community. Hall said that there are about three or four hospitalizations a day in Broward County in South Florida, and more on weekends. It is unclear why the Sunshine State is a hotbed for flakka abuse; “it’s a major question in our community,” Hall said.

Flakka Effects

A man in South Florida who broke down the hurricane-proof doors of a police department admitted to being on flakka. A girl in Melbourne, Florida, ran through the street screaming that she was Satan while on a flakka trip. Individuals with flakka overdose were isolated to a few geographic regions of the country. The epicenter of the flakka epidemic was Broward County, Florida, which includes the city of Fort Lauderdale. Internationally, the legal status of flakka varies by country, but many countries have taken steps to control its use due to its dangerous effects.

These instances highlight the profound and often alarming effects that flakka can have on behavior and mental state, emphasizing its dangers to both users and the community at large. At the height of the flakka craze, emergency rooms in Florida reported seeing as many as 30 cases per day of flakka overdose. When the drug first hit stores in Broward County, Florida, there were 60 deaths directly caused by flakka between September 2014 and December 2015. The epidemic in Broward County still accounts for about 20 percent of flakka abuse and overdose cases nationally.

Tolerance, Dependence and Withdrawal

According to Forbes contributor Robert Glatter, the US Drug Enforcement Administration has seen a nearly 780% increase in the number of reported cases in the last three years. Always conduct independent research (e.g. Google, DuckDuckGo, PubMed) to ensure that a combination of two or more substances is safe to consume. It is strongly recommended that one use harm reduction practices when using this substance. Whether you’re an educator, a concerned parent, or a community member looking to protect vulnerable neighbors, knowledge is the key to fostering safer environments and supporting those most at risk. Below, we’ll explain flakka, why it can be so dangerous, and how communities can respond with both precaution and compassion.

Likewise, adverse effects become increasingly likely with higher doses and may include addiction, severe injury, or death ☠. Α-PVP, or alpha-Pyrrolidinovalerophenone, is a synthetic substance belonging to a group called the substituted cathinones. Substituted cathinones are derivatives of the naturally occurring substance cathinone, which is one of the psychoactive principles in khat (Catha edullis). Cathinone is composed of a phenethylamine core with an alkyl group attached to the alpha carbon, and a ketone group attached to the beta carbon.

And because flakka, like bath salts, hang around in the brain for longer than cocaine, the extent of the destruction could be greater. This caused people most at risk, poor desperate drug addicts and homeless people, to use it instead of more expensive drugs like cocaine or methamphetamines. Flakka was added to the Schedule I list in 2014 by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This was part of an effort to curb the abuse of synthetic drugs, which were becoming increasingly popular and causing significant health issues. However, there are other areas that have been deeply affected by the drug’s spread.

Becoming addicted is also an enormous risk because the ingredients are so unpredictable. You may have seen the emergence of this drug overwhelm recent news, as it traveled up the coast of South Florida to New York City, stretching to Maine, Kentucky, Illinois, and beyond over the last year. You may have what is flakka drug wikipedia seen the headlines or heard national warnings to protect your children from this new substance. To educate your teen, to spread awareness about this drug, however, you must first understand what it is and how it works.

• Below, we’ll explain flakka, why it can be so dangerous, and how communities can respond with both precaution and compassion.
• The severity of these side effects underscores the importance of seeking help for flakka abuse.
• The drug takes on the form of a pink or white, nasty-smelling crystal that can be snorted, eaten, injected or even vaporized in an e-cigarette.
• Flakka, a potent synthetic stimulant similar to bath salts, carries a high risk of overdose, with even minimal amounts posing a significant threat to life.
• Researchers have discovered everything from meth to gelatin powder to oral numbing cream in batches of synthetic cathinones.

Agitated patients can go into a state called ”excited delirium,” which is a medical emergency. In the excited delirium state, restrained patients struggle to free themselves, scream, flail, and can even have seizures. The combination of a high body temperature and extreme muscle overactivity can cause other metabolic problems to happen in the body. Muscle tissue begins to break down, releasing proteins and other cellular products into the bloodstream, in a process called rhabdomyolysis. The result of the cellular products and proteins released during rhabdomyolysis and dehydration can impair the filtering function of the kidneys, leading to renal failure and death. In addition, such agitation may trigger Taser use or other methods that have the potential to harm the individual when law enforcement personnel have to intervene.

People with co-occurring disorders are at high risk for experiencing psychotic breaks and long-lasting mental health effects from Flakka abuse. Using flakka can elicit highly unusual episodes of profound mental illness. It is a euphoric stimulant and has a short-acting duration of physical and psychological effects similar to other stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamines. Flakka is cheap and highly addictive, two factors that predominantly led to its recent surge. According to one study, users need ten times less the amount of Flakka as they do cocaine in order to get addicted to the drug. Flakka blocks a user’s dopamine and norepinephrine transporter proteins from functioning properly in the brain.

Misusing these substances through smoking, snorting, injecting, or oral consumption can have fatal consequences, including overdose and death. It induces central nervous system stimulation and causes altered mental status in individuals after usage. Even low doses of Flakka can induce alteration in consciousness and an excited state.

It will probably take several years to get the data necessary to put a federal ban on flakka, he added. Researchers have not thoroughly clinically studied the long-term effects of flakka, but renal failure can occur that is irreversible. Cathinones are chemically similar to cocaine or amphetamines, two famous types of stimulant drugs. This family of drugs induces a high by forcing neurons to release dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine; these neurotransmitters are responsible for elevated emotions. We look at all aspects of your life to help you work through your pain points and heal holistically. Once we have instilled a set of coping mechanisms you will return home free from Flakka addiction, but still with the reassurance of 24/7 support from your personal therapist and group mentors.