South Africans were glued to their TV screens after footage of two men under the influence of feared synthetic drug ‘flakka’ surfaced in Durban recently.
The two men were at a bar and their drinks were spiked with the substance which caused them to behave erratically and resulted in the pair being hospitalised.
What was playing out on our screens confirmed our worst fears and caused panic to set in in communities which have been hardest-hit by the ravages of drug abuse and dealing.
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Reports have been doing the rounds that the much-feared flakka has made its way inland to communities like Ennerdale, Eldorado Park and Laudium in Pretoria.
Text messaging facilities like WhatsApp were deluged with videos purporting to be of people under the influence of flakka and social media was swamped with concerned groups expressing their outrage.
Chain messages spread like wildfire and reports that the drug was disguised as sweets which would be easily accessible to primary school children, left many parents in a frenzy.
The mass hysteria which gripped Ennerdale led to Mid Ennerdale Primary School principal, Mr R. Bhika, issuing a letter denying claims that the drug had made its way into the school.
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Word on the street is that flakka is way cheaper than any other drug on the market and that is the reason users want to experiment with it.
Three young men were interviewed on their thoughts on the drug: “Flakka is a drug that is simply out of control, the reason is that many people who are used to basic drugs are seeking out substances that will give them a better feel.
“Unfortunately, the drug affects the users in the worst possible way, from hallucinations to violent behaviour, effectively putting their own lives in danger and others around them. It’s a very toxic drug that should be dealt with effectively and immediately,” said Simon Msiza.
Anthony Kisten said, “Well, what I think is that it’s the end of our young people because the drugs we already have is killing our young people.So, this new drug is an even bigger demon we’re dealing with.”
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“The drug is more dangerous than the other drugs, I’ve done a lot of research on it and they call it the ‘zombie drug’. We all watch zombie movies and it’s quite scary to see it in real life, it’s really terrifying. If you watch the videos you’ll see people eating people and for it to hit South Africa is really a big deal.
“If the government and the community don’t stand up against this Flakka drug, it’s going to be the end for us. People should take this seriously because it’s a dangerous thing,” said Tristan Jooste.
But what is this drug all about?
According to MedicineNet.com, the drug was first discovered in Florida in the United States of America in September 2014.
Since then, there have been videos taken from around the world where people who have used this drug and have actually lost control over their being.
A few symptoms of the drug are; abnormal behaviour, being in a state of anxiety or nervous excitement, paranoia, and delusions of superhuman strength.
The site states that the drug is a combination of heroin and crack, or heroin and methamphetamines. In reality, flakka is just a newer-generation version of bath salts.
“Bath salts, are synthetic psychoactive drugs made in large quantities in foreign drug labs. These drugs are all related to a broader group of chemical compounds known as cathinones.
“Each time one type of bath salt is declared illegal, the drug labs change the chemical structure slightly and a new, technically legal drug is created. In the case of flakka, the new chemical is called alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone or alpha-PVP.”
“Drug users take Flakka to get a feeling of euphoria, a heightened sense of awareness, stimulation, and energy,” said John Cunha, the medical author on MedicineNet.com.
The drug causes complications like acute nervousness and causing harm towards themselves and others. The user can go into a state of ‘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. This struggling causes a high core body temperature called hyperthermia.
“The combination of a high body temperature and the extreme muscle over-activity can cause other metabolic problems to happen in the body,” said Cunha. A breakdown in muscle tissue begins which releases proteins and other cellular products into the bloodstream.
This process is called rhabdomyolysis. This struggling can cause dehydration and in the end, the filtering of the kidneys fail and this leads to renal failure and death.
The drug can be snorted, smoked, injected, and even swallowed.
People are warned to be more aware of what they eat and drink as this drug can be placed in food and drinks.
