Synthetic drugs are apparently dangerous. If added to the real thing they stretch further and cost less?What's the lure of synthetics and would you gamble with your life?

First we must define synthetic... Made from chemical synthesis. That means virtually all medicines are synthetic even if they are made from natural substances. Aspirin doesn't grow on trees.

The synthetics that are a huge problem right now mostly relate to marijuana and opiates. With synthetic marijuana, it's sold in smoke shops and such as "incense" or some non-drug name and kids(mostly) smoke it to get high. It's readily available, so there's that. The opiate issue that's emerging now is largely the result of the feds cracking down on the abuse of prescription painkillers. America didn't form a plan with that one. We just blocked access to opioids. Well, duh... people moved onto heroin and other street drugs, including synthetics, when they couldn't get their prescriptions anymore. There are synthetic opioids coming in from other countries. The really scary part is that there are medications that, if given early enough, will save the life of someone who is overdosing on an opiate. They don't work on synthetics. 

People who do drugs are gambling with their lives anyway. I'd venture to guess with synthetic marijuana, it's largely youthful ignorance. They don't understand how they could buy something off a store shelf that "everyone" is smoking that could kill them. With synthetic opioids, these are mostly people who are already addicts. 

All drugs are synthetic.

You misunderstand the mind of an addict. They don't actively think about whether or not something will kill them. They're only concern is sickness or the high.

They will do what they want to do until they no longer want to or die, whichever comes first. But I assure you, all synthetic drugs are equally dangerous in the hands of abusers or people simply ignorant to the numerous interactions of those drugs.

This is why I think they should all be legalized. Legalization is itself a control.

Hello Rosie:

It's hard to pick ONE problem out of the MYRIAD problems the drug war causes.  However, you asked...

Fact #1:  Prohibition doesn't work..  It's NEVER worked. It doesn't matter WHAT is being prohibited, the ACT of prohibiting it simply does not work.  Fact #2:  Given the current drug war, once you're addicted, there's NOWHERE for you to turn..  You CANNOT admit you use drugs for FEAR of being arrested.. So, people continue to use drugs..  Fact #3:  IF the drug war ended tomorrow and we offered TREATMENT ON DEMAND, the addiction rate would PLUMMET!

excon

  I read something on the internet that said synthetic drugs added to street drugs was killing people Ele. It heightens the buzz/.strength or whatever the he** folks get out of it. I know nothing about them because I have never  touched them. Thank you for your reply.

I read a blurb on the internet that said synthetic drugs heighten/strengthen the drug experience but can be very dangerous. I don't do drugs. Never have. So I know nothing about it  but I wondered whether folks who do btae drugs would be willing t o gamble with their lives to get a stronger high. Not I. Thank you for your thoughtful band information-filled resply JA. I appreciate it.

I have no way of knowing how addicts think m'dear. I have never done drugs and to my knowledge I don't personally know anyone who has or does. But I read a short  paragraph on the internet about adding synthetic drugs to regular drugs to get a faster/cheaper/higher high but it was dangerous. Are drug addicts so addicted to being high that they would gamble their lives?  Thank you for your reply FNR and Happy Friday! :)

I read a short  article on the internet excon about adding synthetic drugs to regular drugs to heighten the effect and also stretch them out to lessen the cost.  But that they were dangerous. I just wondered if a really great high would be worth gambling one's life  to get there?  Thank you for your thoughtful and helpful reply! :)

All drugs are dangerous.

There are degrees of danger m 2 c. On a scale of 1-10 baby aspirin is a 1 and crack cocaine/heroine is probably a 10. I don't do drugs so I have no idea how dangerous they are or what the current hot drugs du jour are. I'm sure they change all the time.  I take a mild diuretic for high blood pressure and a statin for lowering cholesterol every day. I'm sure there are potential side effects but if I don't take them I know for SURE that my blood pressure and cholesterol will be potentially harmful if not deadly. So I take those drugs. I don't take recreational drugs. I don't smoke. I don't believe in it . Thank you for your reply m2c! :)

I guess I misunderstood what you meant when you said drugs. I take numerous drugs for my heart and pain and they are all synthesized. You were referring to illegals. The word synthesized is being misused. THC (stuff in Marjjuana) can be synthesized but is still THC.

Technically they're all synthetic... drugs that is. Whether they're made in a lab or on the street, they're synthetic. Some street drugs may be cut with something a bit more dangerous, but both prescription narcotics and illicit narcotics are synthetic.

Many become physically addicted to prescription opiates, for example, and maintenance becomes unaffordable. They will then seek out opiates like heroin on the black market because it is cheaper than the prescription and will keep them from getting sick. That happens more often than you'd think. The heroin could be more dangerous depending on what its cut with, but both the prescription and the heroin are synthetic.

Very few addicts like this concern themselves with the components of the drug. Their primary concern is sickness and avoiding it. Just as an example.

Thank you for your thoughtful and helpful reply FNR. I read an article about synthetic drugs being very dangerous. That they are added to the regular drugs to stretch them out but also they  heighten/intensify the experience and I think make the drugs more affordable. I don't know anything about the 'recreational drug" culture but if that's true aren't folks who take them gambling with their lives even more than they normally would if synthetic drugs weren't added? :).

Apologies sweetie. Yes. I mean "street drugs" or "recreational" drugs. I take Triamterene, a mild diuretic for blood pressure and Atorvastatin to lower cholesterol. I know they are prescription DRUGS but I don't think of them as drugs. It's a very weird thing about prescription drugs though.   One drug was prescribed for Jim for I forget what. We bought it and as we always do read the flyer about potential side effects. It scared the crap outta us! I mean seriously it was so scary that Jim never took one of them. He mentioned that to the doctor and I guess he was okay with it. When the cure is worse that the condition you live with  it.   Thank you for your clarification Ele! :)

I always ask the pharmicist when I get a new one. Doctors are clueless.

Yeah, it's definitely a gamble. But if someone is to the point that they're stretching drugs, they probably have a physical addiction. It is never surprising the lengths someone will go to to feed a physical addiction.

I guess drug addiction really scrambles the brain doesn't it? Happy Sunday FNR! :)

That's good idea. We should start doing that although I don't know if the pharmacist would have known all the scary potential side effects. They never give you percentages. I mean will the potential side effects affect  2% of the folks who take them or 30%? I wonder if that stat is available  anywhere for every drug?  You might be willing to gamble that you are not among the 2% but 30%? I dunno. Thank you for your reply Ele and Happy Sunday! :)