The video for this presentation is available on our Youtube channel: https://youtube.com/allceuseducation A continuing education course for this presentation can be found at https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/index?c= Learn more about some of the newer designer drugs that are appearing in schools, jails, treatment centers and on the street

2. Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes PhD, LPC-MHSP, LMHC, NCC
Executive Director, AllCEUs

3.  Review the pharmacology of alcohol
 Define designer drugs
 Review the effects of some of the most
common designer drugs
 Identify which “designer drugs” may still be
legal
 Discuss ways of handling “legal” drug use in
your programs

4.  Alcohol indirectly activates the dompamine
and opioid system producing rewarding
sensations
 Alcohol antagonizes GABA which causes the
agitation/stimulation as the depressant
effects wear off (addressed in detox with
benzos)
 NIH Article on the pharmacology of Alcohol

5.  “Designer drugs” refers to drugs that are
created in a laboratory
 DEA booklet on Drugs of Abuse
 NIH Drugs of Abuse “Chart”

6.  Synthetic cathinones, "bath salts," are drugs that contain
one or more synthetic chemicals related to cathinone.
 Cathinone is a stimulant found in the khat plant.
 Synthetic cathinones are cheap substitutes for other
stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine
 Products sold as Molly (MDMA) often contain synthetic
cathinones instead.
 People typically swallow, snort, smoke, or inject synthetic
cathinones.
 Not at all related to actual substances put in the bath
(Epsom salt based products)

7.  Synthetic cathinones can cause:
Nosebleeds
Dilated pupils
Paranoia
Increased sociability
Increased sex drive
Hallucinations
Panic attacks
Increased heart rate and blood
pressure, heart attack
Violent behavior
Kidney failure, liver failure,
suicide
Increased tolerance for pain
hyperthermia causing people
to tear off their clothing to
cool off.

8.  Depression or suicidal behavior can last even after the
stimulatory effects of the drugs have worn off
 Synthetic cathinones usually take the form of a white or
brown crystal-like powder and are sold in small plastic or
foil packages labeled "not for human consumption.“
 Sometimes labeled as "plant food," "jewelry cleaner," or
"phone screen cleaner,"
 Popular types of street bath salts include "Ivory Wave,"
"Purple Wave," Vanilla Sky," and "Bliss.

9.  Brand names, include:
◦ Flakka
◦ Bloom
◦ Cloud Nine
◦ Lunar Wave
◦ Vanilla Sky
◦ White Lightning
◦ Scarface

10.  Mitragyna speciosa also known as ketum, kratom and
kratumum, is a tropical tree in the coffee family native to
Southeast Asia
 Stimulant (at low doses)
 Sedative (at high doses)
 Pain killer μ-opioid receptor agonist like morphine
 Many people report that kratom is an effective treatment
for arthritis, restless legs syndrome (RLS), and
fibromyalgia.
 Effects occur within10 minutes of ingestion and last up to
5 hours
 DEA Fact Sheet

11.  The kratom plant is currently legal in all but four states.
 Long-term use of kratom produced
◦ Anorexia, weight loss
◦ Insomnia
◦ Skin darkening
◦ Dry mouth
◦ Frequent urination, and constipation.
 A withdrawal syndrome symptoms
◦ Hostility
◦ Aggression
◦ Emotional lability
◦ Jerky movement of the limbs.

12.  highly addictive drug categorized as a
stimulant that creates feelings of euphoria
 Khat is taken orally as a tea, chewed into a
paste, smoked, or sprinkled on food. The
leaves, twigs, and shoots of the khat shrub
are most commonly chewed and stored in the
cheek.

13.  Short Term Effects
◦ Irritability and insomnia
◦ Mild euphoria and excitement
◦ Physical exhaustion
◦ Breathing difficulties
◦ Constipation
◦ Tachycardia
◦ Hallucinations
◦ Manic behavior/hyperactivity
◦ Increased alertness and
concentration
◦ Increased motor activity
 Long Term Effects
◦ Anorexia
◦ Gastric disorders
◦ Depression
◦ High risk for heart disease
and cancer of the mouth
◦ Tachycardia (elevated heart
rate)
◦ Liver damage and cardiac
complications

14.  Dissociative anesthetic in high doses
 Cough suppressant at lower doses
 Effects generally last 6 hours
 Trend is to take it rectally to increase the high

15.  Hot flashes
 Nausea and
dizziness
 Lack of
coordination
 Panic attack or
seizures
 Disassociation
from body
 Visual and auditory
hallucinations
 Impaired judgment
and mental
performance16
 Sweating
 Lethargy
 Hyperactivity
 Slurred speech
 Hypertension
 Nystagmus (rapid
eye movement)
 Vomiting
 Rashes, red blotchy
skin
 Tachycardia
 Euphoria
 Paranoia
 Disorientation
 Tactile
hallucinations
 Visual disturbances
 Feelings of floating
 Altered time
perception

16.  Salvia divinorum, is a hallucinogenic plant native
to the northeastern Mexico
 Not the same as the salvia sold at garden centers
 It is sold at many tobacco shops in seeds,
cuttings, leaves and extracts
 Not currently controlled in the US
 Salvia leaves are smoked, chewed or vaporized
 DEA Fact Sheet

17.  Intense hallucinations, such as floating or flying;
heaviness or lightness of the body
 Less intense effects (that occur only when the eyes
are closed) include visual hallucinations
 Dizziness
 Nausea
 Lack of coordination
 Slurred speech and awkward sentence patterns
 Decreased heart rate
 Chills

18.  Also known as synthetic cannabis, fake pot, synthetic
marijuana, legal weed, herbal incense and potpourri.
 The active ingredients are sprayed onto the plant materia
 Natural marijuana gains its mind-altering effects from a
chemical known as THC.
 Synthetic marijuana, on the other hand, is coated with
synthetic cannabinoids – a family of over 700 chemicals.
 These chemicals are similar to natural cannabinoid found
in marijuana, thc – tetrahydracannabinol, but affect brain
receptors differently.

19.  Some synthetic cannabinoids are 100X stronger than THC and
many operate on other brain receptors, too.
 Significant negative side effects including high blood pressure,
blurred vision, heart attack, vomiting, seizures, hallucinations,
and severe anxiety and paranoia.
 Liquid forms of spice or k2, the variety of chemicals may be
greater. Some suspect that a few brands of liquid spice may
contain traces of synthetic psychedelics such as 2C-P.
 K2 alternatives are now out that are “legal” but their chemical
composition varies widely and is unknown in many cases

20.  Hallucinogen
 Foxy is typically available as a powder, capsule,
or tablet.
 The tablets sometimes are embossed with logos
such as a spider or an alien head.
 Users feel effects 20 to 30 minutes after
administration, peak after approximately 60 to
90 minutes and generally last for 3 to 6 hours

21.  Dilated pupils
 Visual and auditory disturbances
 Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
 Hallucinations
 Talkativeness
 Emotional distress
 Diminished user inhibitions
 Jaw clenching

22.  Still legal in certain formulations (Ma-Huang,
ephedrine)
 Intense stimulant
 touted as a ‘safe’ and ‘legal’ form of Ecstasy

23.  Alpha-methyltryptamine, or aMT, is a psychedelic and
stimulant, initially developed in the 1960s as an
antidepressant.
 Creates feelings of euphoria and hallucinations similar to
MDMA or LSD
 While still legal in Canada and the UK, aMT was
permanently classified as a schedule 1 narcotic by the DEA
in 2004.
 The drug can still be easily purchased online under the
guise of “health supplements.”

24.  Street names: Ecstasy, E, X, XTC, Adam, Clarity,
 An amphetamine-based, hallucinogenic type
drug that is taken orally, usually in a tablet or
capsule form.
 Short Term Effects:
◦ Lasts 3-6 hours.
◦ Increases the chances of dehydration, hypertension,
heart or kidney failure, and increased body temperature,
which can lead to death.
 Long-term effects
◦ confusion, depression, sleep problems, anxiety,
paranoia, and loss of memory.

25.  Herbal Ecstasy is found on the shelves of health food
stores.
 Caffeine and Ephedrine (both stimulants) are the active
ingredients
 It comes in pill form and is usually taken orally.
 Herbal Ecstasy Slang:
◦ Cloud 9
◦ Molly or “Mali”
◦ Rave Energy
◦ Ultimate X-Phoria

26.  Ultimately drugs of abuse are used for one (or
more) of 3 reasons--- depressant/relaxation;
stimulation or hallucination
 All of these “designer drugs” were created to
mimic the effects of other substances
 The list of substances of abuse is never-
ending. (nutmeg, toothpaste/oranges…)
 If a person wants to get high, they will

27.  From a treatment perspective, it is less about
stopping a particular drug than identifying
and dealing with the underlying issues.
 What was the benefit of using that drug for
the individual?