LiveFree! Addresses Synthetics

Excerpts from an email from Paul Melton to a concerned citizen:

I am in receipt of you email request for assistance in your local effort to interdict the sale of synthetic drugs in your community. I applaud your effort and desire to tackle this difficult project. Difficult, yes, impossible, NO!

Over here in Pinellas County, we currently do not have an ordinance in place but have been out in front of this issue since 2011 when we started seeing our prescription painkiller addicts turn to these synthetic drugs. Our ordinance is taking shape and we hope to have it in place over the end of November.

We began our own education by researching these products, at the time only the initial 5 compounds were banned. …

I also began compiling information about these chemicals use and abuse locally and around the country. …

Additional local resources:

Law Enforcement – These agencies should be able to provide stats on cases involving this stuff from criminal to overdoses to any kind of case involving the substances.

Local Substance Abuse Providers – These agencies should be able to report the numbers of people they are treating for abuse of synthetics including ages (juvenile tracking purposes). Also which type of substances are most prevalent in your area. These organizations rely heavily of grant monies so they have many, many statistics.

Juvenile Justice – The court and probation system should be able to provide details on cases going to court involving synthetics. Probation Officers should report if they violate any of their probationers because of synthetic use. Everyone believes these items are “legal” so they freely use instead of illicit drugs so as not to be found in their court ordered urine tests.

Hospitals and Emergency Rooms – May be helpful in reporting their overdose or abuse of synthetic treatment cases.

Neonatal Care Units – Here’s a big one! Often new mother’s deny any drug use and their urine tests are negative. However, the infant is born and exhibits numerous substance withdrawal symptoms. These units document these. Sometimes they talk to the mother afterwards and she comes clean with the fact that she was using some sort of synthetic drug and sometimes not. It’s still good info to have.

Internet Blogs – From blogs, you can determine how users use the different products. They critique different substances and their blends, talk about the high they get, and even incriminate themselves when they say, “Hey guys, should we really be saying this stuff gets us high when it says ‘not for human consumption’ on the label?”

I tell you all these because education is the key. A successful approach will be reliant on a thorough public education campaign which will motivate key people, warn the public (parents specifically), and help your commissioners recognize the increasing momentum to help them make a decision. There are many other sources but this will get you started.

Next, I research over 200 synthetic drug ordinances from around the country with several of them in Florida. …

The other problem, and even more concerning, is the fact that as soon as one compound is banned these designers have another compound ready to go. This compound is similar to one already banned, may in fact be an analog, but has had one molecule substituted effectively changing the compound so that, now, it’s not illegal. …

The constant evolution is the biggest problem and this is a focal point of our ordinance and what we believe to be the crux of an effective ordinance. …

The other way to go after these products is to target the marketing. It is easy to see they are specifically targeting our youth. From the brightly colored packaging, to the location where they display it for sale (at checkout next to the candy), to the cartoon characters used on the packaging. …

You will find many manufacturers of Kratom marketing it as a substitute or an enhancement for your opiate use. In Florida, really, we need to market another way to further the drug addiction of our prescription drug addicted? Scary!

There are many obstacles that a community desiring to protect itself will need to overcome. There are many moving parts to your efforts. I’ve shared a little of the road we’ve taken over here and it by no means is the correct path. I’ve shared in the hopes speeds up your process and that you will share back with me your efforts! Collaboration is the KEY to this. We learned it during the prescription drug crisis, which is still occurring, and are trying to apply it here. Governments need/have to work with law enforcement, substance abuse providers, mental health providers, the medical community, the business community, the community at large.

Paul Melton
Investigator
Pinellas County Justice & Consumer Services
631 Chestnut Street

Clearwater, FL 34685