FAKE CRISIS OVER A FAKE DRUG

Across our nation, elected officials and the media are lamenting the
latest scourge plaguing our nation, K2. Introduced in 2000, K2 is a
blend of herbs sprayed with synthetic marijuana and sold as incense
printed with the warning: "Not for Human Consumption."

Although there have been no official studies of the product, Clemson
University Professor John W. Huffman, who first synthesized these
chemicals, says, "People who use it are idiots." And, "It's like
playing Russian roulette. You don't know what it's going to do to you."

In a recent Dallas Morning News guest column, two elected officials
claim that their efforts to ban K2 will give "school districts the
legal means to discipline students who are in possession of the drug."

It is difficult for me to understand how this action does anything
beyond publicizing the substance, consequently increasing its
popularity and potential danger. The K2-related calls to U.S. poison
centers skyrocketed from 13 in 2009 to more than 2,500 in 2010. As a
result, the Drug Enforcement Agency made an emergency declaration
that made the drugs illegal while officials decide what to do about them.

In the guest column, the two Texas city council members strongly
imply that the death of 30-year-old Ryan Justice was a direct result
of smoking K2, stating that Justice was shot and killed when he
pointed an unloaded rifle at arriving officers.

The truth, as reported by the Austin Chronicle , is that Justice
showed up at the home of his ex-wife after proclaiming his desire to
"die at the hands of the police," just like his best friend had done.
In addition to the synthetic marijuana, Justice's blood showed traces
of prescription antidepressants and a blood alcohol level of .28,
nearly four times the legal limit and near the fatal level of .35. It
seems unlikely that K2 played a significant role in this tragedy. The
death of a Lake Highlands teenager last year was also falsely
attributed to K2.

The two city council members say that K2 has potential side effects
of "hallucinations, vomiting, panic attacks, tachycardia, elevated
blood pressure, pallor, numbness and tingling, disorientation, loss
of time awareness, and, in some cases, tremors and seizures."

K2 is not unique in having side effects. "Severe allergic reactions
(rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest;
swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); black or bloody
stools; confusion; diarrhea; dizziness; drowsiness; hearing loss;
ringing in the ears; severe or persistent stomach pain; unusual
bruising; vomiting." Those are the potential side effects from the
drug known on the street as aspirin.

K2 is not the only "not for human consumption" product that is being
abused. The National Inhalant Prevention Coalition estimates that one
out of five children will get high off of some kind of inhalant
before the eighth grade. There are literally thousands of potential
products that can be abused, such as typewriter correction fluid,
air-conditioning refrigerant, felt-tip markers, spray paint, air
freshener, butane and even cooking spray. If the NIPC estimates are
correct, these common household products are a much greater problem than K2.

When compared to the prevalence of marijuana and alcohol, all of this
bluster about K2 seems akin to trying to put out a forest fire with a
squirt gun.

So, if making new laws is not the answer, what is? My suggestion is
education. Our parents and schools do not need more government
intrusion to teach our kids about the dangers of drugs - both legal
and illegal. I have the faith that most kids will make good decisions
when they have all the facts. It is the adults who are having trouble
keeping their facts straight.