Madigan and Illinois
Poison Center issue alert to dangerous form of synthetic
drugs
Attorney General, Illinois
Poison Center Warn Illinoisans of spike in ER visits &
Death Due to Synthetic Drugs
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[May 01, 2015]
CHICAGO
- Attorney General Lisa Madigan and the Illinois Poison Center issued an
alert today to reports of new, deadly forms of synthetic drugs turning
up across the country leading to increased reports of illness, emergency
room visits and deaths tied to the drug’s usage.
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Madigan and Illinois Poison Center Medical Director Dr. Michael Wahl
issued the joint alert following media reports across the country
that show many states have seen an increased number of hospital
visits and in some cases deaths linked to “Spice,” or “K2,” which
are street names for the varying types of synthetic marijuana which
contain chemical compounds designed to mimic the effects of THC.
Synthetic drugs pose significant risk after being ingested because
the user has no way of knowing what chemicals were used to make that
particular package of drugs. Manufacturers of synthetic drugs
consistently alter drug formulas to try to evade state laws.
“Ingesting a package of synthetic drugs is like playing Russian
roulette,” Madigan said. “Anyone who considers using synthetic drugs
is risking their life because there is no way to determine what
chemicals were used and in what amounts.”
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“The IPC commends Attorney General Madigan on her efforts to combat
synthetic drug use across the state. As the nation’s oldest poison
center, serving the largest population base in the nation, the IPC
is uniquely positioned to aid the Attorney General’s office by
identifying and monitoring trends in poisonings and toxic
substances,” Wahl said. “With emerging public health threats, the
IPC is ready and able to provide Illinoisans and our health care
professionals with data, trends and comprehensive information and
treatment advice.”
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Synthetic drugs are banned in Illinois under a law the Attorney General helped
pass in 2012. The law amended the state’s Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act to
address the fact that synthetic drugs were being packaged with misleading labels
designed to give the impression that the products are legal and “not intended
for human consumption” in order to be sold in retail stores. The law now defines
a “synthetic drug product” as any product containing a controlled substance not
regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The law makes it a Class 2
felony, punishable by three to seven years in prison and a $100,000 first
offense fine, to sell or possess with intent to distribute any form of synthetic
drug products in Illinois. The law also significantly increased the penalty for
selling or possessing with intent to distribute any drug that is misleadingly
labeled, making it a Class 2 felony.
Attorney General Madigan has worked on many fronts to increase awareness of the
dangers of synthetic drugs. As usage rose in Illinois, Madigan hosted the
first-ever statewide emergency summit in 2011 with state, county and local law
enforcement officers, educators, health care professionals and parents to talk
about the growing use of synthetic drugs. The summit led to the launch of
“Operation Smoked Out,” a statewide initiative to remove synthetic drugs from
retail outlets and the law’s passage. Madigan’s office also has conducted
numerous workshops with prosecutors and law enforcement authorities throughout
Illinois to increase the focus on investigating and prosecuting these cases.
[Office of the Attorney General Lisa
Madigan] |