Flakka Drug Effects & Addiction
Flakka (alpha-PVP) is part of an emerging class of dangerous, designer drugs whose use is on the rise in Florida. Keep reading to learn more about the effects of flakka, the risk of flakka overdose, and how to get help for addiction at our drug rehab near Tampa.1,2
What Is Flakka?
Derived from a Spanish slang term for “skinny girl” (la flaca), flakka is a manmade (or “synthetic”), highly potent, widely available, and cheap stimulant drug. Flakka is also known on the streets as “$5 insanity” and “gravel,” particularly because of its granular crystalline appearance. The low cost of flakka makes it highly accessible.2–4
Flakka (alpha-PVP) and other designer drugs in the class of synthetic cathinones (aka “bath salts”) are considered to be a major public health threat. Their increasing popularity prompted the DEA to impose an emergency ban on 10 drugs in this category, including flakka.5
One cause for concern is that flakka and other products containing synthetic cathinones often do not list their ingredients on their labels, and, if they do, they may not list the psychoactive synthetic ingredients. To circumvent drug laws, these substances are often sold online or in gas stations and smoke shops as “bath salts,” “research chemicals,” “plant food,” or “glass cleaner,” and are misleadingly marked as “not for human consumption.”5
Medical experts still do not know how flakka and other bath salts can affect a person physically or psychologically over time. The lack of clinical data on the long-term impact of flakka makes its rapid spread across the country even more troubling.
Where Does Flakka Come From?
Florida has been hit especially hard by the emergence of flakka. This synthetic stimulant substance often reaches the shores of the Sunshine State, as it is an easy access point for distributors from South America, China, and other parts of the world like Pakistan and India where flakka is made.
Drug enforcement agents and customs officials have been fighting the influx of designer substances like flakka in Florida, but this effort hasn’t been easy. In Broward County, Florida, the second most populous county in the state and the site of major transportation hubs like the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, seizures of the synthetic drug surpassed cocaine.6
Effects of Flakka
The unreliable chemical content of these drugs has made it difficult to detect them in a person’s system and for effective medical treatment to be provided in the event of an overdose. Some of the hallmark signs of flakka intoxication seen in emergency departments include:2
- Severe confusion and disorientation.
- Abnormal muscle movements (twisting, writhing, convulsions).
- Tremors.
- Hallucinations.
- Paranoid delusions.
- Psychotic episodes.
- Vomiting.
- Violent outbursts.
- Self-destructive behavior.
- Rapid heart rate.
- High blood pressure.
- Hyperthermia.
- Sweating.
- Seizures.
One of the most common of flakka effects is sudden fevers, or hyperthermia. Dangerously elevated body temperatures caused by flakka can lead to internal bleeding, major organ failure, and death. Even after coming down from a flakka high, individuals may experience lingering suicidal thoughts, depression, or despair.
To add to the dangers of flakka, individuals can never be sure of the contents of this substance. Synthesized illegally in overseas labs, designer drugs like flakka can be mixed or “cut” with any number of potentially toxic ingredients, including cannabis, heroin, or cocaine.
DEA Special Agent in Charge A.D. Wright was quoted on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website as saying, “Synthetic drugs are the most lethal drugs out there today, no matter what trendy names these drug dealers attach to them. Last year it was molly, now it’s flakka, and who knows what it will be called next. They have no idea what they are putting into their bodies.”7
Effects of Flakka on Florida Residents
Cheap and readily available, flakka has become one of the most widely used drugs in South Florida. The drug can be swallowed in capsule form, snorted as a powder, vaporized in electronic cigarettes, or injected. Customs agents have even seized bags of candy sprinkled with finely ground flakka powder.8
The DEA states that many individuals combine synthetic drugs with other substances, such as alcohol, cocaine, meth, and heroin. A large number of flakka-related deaths have occurred among individuals taking several drugs at the same time. In one tragic example, a 29-year-old Florida woman accidentally overdosed and died from a combination of flakka and the prescription drugs Dilaudid and Xanax.8
Accounts from those who use flakka tell the story of a drug whose scope and impact are still largely unknown. Individuals have described terrifying hallucinations, violent rage, and suicidal impulses.8
Stories of individuals who used this “insanity drug” from Florida and other states show that while most people who experiment with this drug are young and male, there is no “typical” person who uses flakka. The drug has affected college students, single adults, parents, and middle-aged professionals from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds.8
Treating Flakka Addiction in Florida
If you are struggling with flakka or other bath salts use, professional treatment can help.
Our inpatient rehab near Tampa provides several types of addiction treatment that can help you regain control of your life. Call right now to be connected with one of our rehab admissions navigators who can answer all your questions, including those about paying for rehab and rehab insurance coverage.
Do not wait any longer to get the care you deserve. Get in touch with us today to start a new tomorrow.