There has been a lot of attention in the press recently about the dangers of prescription medications like oxycodone and other opioid pain medications. Doctors have been put under close scrutiny in their medical practice to limit their prescribing habits in an effort to stop the abuse of these types of medications.
These efforts have often overlooked the synthetic drug market, which has been continually growing in many ways.
Synthetic Drugs Readily Available
So-called, “designer” drugs are readily available online. They can be shipped directly to a buyer’s door or any other location they choose. They are even found in local gas stations and convenience stores and easily purchased by teens.
Synthetic Drugs “Too New” to be Illegal
Since the exact list of ingredients in many of these synthetic drugs changes so quickly, it’s impossible for law enforcement agencies to keep up with all of them. There continues to be a lag time between a new designer drug being introduced to the marketplace and it being categorized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Until a new drug can be put into a classification, it’s not technically illegal to consume, possess, distribute or manufacture it. Users can get high and have no way of knowing exactly what ingredients are in the substance they are taking or the type of side effects they may experience after ingesting the chemicals.
New synthetic drugs are surfacing in the US and around the world at a rapid rate. These unregulated compounds, including opioid-like substances, forms of amphetamines and hallucinogens, can be more dangerous than other similar drugs.
The US is already experiencing a widespread problem with abuse of pharmaceuticals. When you factor in the problem with unregulated, powerful synthetic drugs as well, the severity of the matter becomes even more apparent.