What you need to know about flakka, the latest drug causing erratic behaviour National

Combining other drugs with flakka can result in intense symptoms likened to those from the heavy use of benzodiazepines. According to a survey from February 2019, 1% of the teens in America have used flakka knowingly, and more have used it unknowingly. The high feeling that one gets after using flakka can last up to three hours. Flakka is part of a group of drugs referred to as New Psychoactive Substances (NPS).

Is Flakka illegal?

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. When vaporized, overdosing on the drug may happen as the drug quickly enters into the bloodstream. Flakka is dose-specific that even a minute amount will give the user his desired effect.

Short-Term Flakka Effects

• Some of the other side effects include; hypertension, aneurysm, renal failure, and narrowed blood vessels.
• Flakka, sometimes known as gravel, is closely related to bath salts, a synthetic cathinone that police linked to the infamous face-eating attack in Miami four years ago.
• Individuals with flakka overdose were isolated to a few geographic regions of the country.
• In another incident, a Palm Beach resident stood from a rooftop, waving a gun.
• Most reports of flakka after 2016 turned out to be other similar chemicals in the bath salt family.
• One of the primary reasons is that it is inexpensive and stimulates a high feeling equated to cocaine.

The drug can also raise body temperature dangerously high, leading to kidney damage or failure. Flakka is an addictive drug that people use to obtain a cheap, quick, and euphoric high. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter involved in the pleasure and reward center of the brain, which gives off that euphoric feeling. Effective treatment typically includes a combination of medical detoxification, behavioral therapies, and ongoing support to manage cravings and prevent relapse. 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.

Flakka (Alpha-PVP) Overview, Effects, Abuse, Addiction, & Treatment

• We offer various therapeutic services such as cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused, psychodynamic, trauma-informed, spirituality, Jungian, family, breathwork, and dialectical-behavioral therapy.
• Muscle tissue begins to break down, releasing proteins and other cellular products into the bloodstream, in a process called rhabdomyolysis.
• In other words, Flakka is a type of bath salt, but not all bath salts are Flakka.
• One single dose—costing under five dollars—can give a user an intense, fleeting high.
• Due to its potent psychostimulant effects and unknown toxicity profile, it is highly advised to use harm reduction practices if using with this substance.
• If you need FREE help please contact the National Helpline about mental and/or substance use disorders, prevention, treatment, and recovery in English and Spanish.

While terminology varies, and those who purchase illicit drugs can rarely be 100% sure of the product they purchase, Flakka generally refers to Alpha-PVP, a specific synthetic cathinone. Flakka, being related to amphetamines, causes alertness, hyperactivity, anxiety, profuse sweating, and extreme agitation. In some cases, the individual can have bizarre behaviors, hallucinations, delusions, confusion, or health distress. Learn to spot the warning signs of abusing common prescription drugs and learn about treatment options for pill addiction. As flakka is a new drug, there is still a lot to learn about the treatment of the substance. Little information is known about flakka outside what is reported from users.

Flakka is a very powerful psychoactive stimulant that is similar to MDPV and pyrovalerone. It is abused mostly for its euphoric effect, alertness, excitement, improved productivity, strength and endurance. This compound has been available online as recreational designer drug. The United States Code (USC) Controlled Substance Act is the system followed and implemented by the Drug Enforcement Administration. There are five schedules of controlled substances labeled from 1-V, with the classification based on the pertaining drug’s medical applications, safety, and abuse potential. “Baths salts” is a term used to refer to synthetic cathinones as a whole, some of which may cause far more intense hyperstimulation than others.

Spring Hill Recovery Center

Not only does the drug sit on neurons, it could also destroy them, Hall said. And because flakka, like bath salts, hang around in the brain for longer than cocaine, the extent of the destruction could be greater. Despite the DEA’s efforts to ban flakka, the drug is still being manufactured and sold illegally, often through online vendors. The core chemical compound used to make flakka, alpha-PVP, is still legal in many parts of the world. It is also worth noting that these effects will not necessarily occur in a predictable or reliable manner, although higher doses are more liable to induce the full spectrum of effects.

Flakka was banned by the Drug Enforcement Administration in early 2014. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration placed a temporary ban on a-PVP and nine of synthetic cathinones in March 2014. The designer drug is still classified by the DEA as a Schedule I Controlled Substance as of May of this year. At least 20 other countries have banned or regulated a-PVP in some way. The Chinese government banned flakka and 115 other synthetic drugs as of October 1st – just weeks before the U.S.

Subjective effects

When someone goes through a flakka detox, they will usually experience withdrawal symptoms such as those listed above. When someone is addicted to flakka, they can experience withdrawal symptoms without it. Like other stimulants of this type, flakka can cause excited delirium, otherwise known as agitated delirium. This condition occurs when there’s an excessive influx of sympathetic activation.

Knowing the dangers of this street drug is essential since it is compelling, and an individual’s first flakka use can be life-endangering and maybe the last in the case of death. Located in Los Angeles, California, The Detox Center of Los Angeles is a fully licensed top-rated drug and alcohol detox, rehab, and PHP, which is also fully accredited by several reputable associations. We offer programs such as outpatient, detox, and residential treatment programs. Our clients work flakka drug wikipedia hand in hand with our trained professional therapists to maintain emotional and physical strength during recovery. It is often mixed with ecstasy, a party drug not to access the drug components.

Effective addiction treatment programs are tailored to each individual. However, it generally involves a combination of detoxification, group and individual therapy, educational presentations, and aftercare planning in order to ensure long-term recovery. Upon arrival at The Detox Center of L.A., you can expect our professionally trained staff to create an individualized treatment plan based on your needs and treatment goals. Despite the detrimental effects due to the use of flakka, the big question arises on why one would dare use this highly risky drug. One of the primary reasons is that it is inexpensive and stimulates a high feeling equated to cocaine. Cocaine snorting results in a high that lasts up to half an hour, while flakka high tends to last up to five hours.