From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM — The Drug Enforcement Administration has a warning about synthetic marijuana in northern Alabama. Agents are concerned that a particularly potent batch has made its way to the area.
DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Clay Morris said the sudden increase is alarming.
“Often, drug dealers target the most innocent, our children, and attempt to get them to try ‘spice,’” Morris said. “Parents and children need to be educated about the dangers of substances such as these and ensure that they never start using them.”
Morris said in many cases, the synthetic drugs are more dangerous than the real drugs they are made to mimic.
“The use of these drugs is like playing Russian roulette and you will not know the outcome of the game until it’s too late,” he said.
U.S. Attorney Jay Town said his law office is joining with local law enforcement to get the word out about the dangerous chemicals in synthetic drugs.
“Today we are joining together with our law enforcement partners to warn the public that the use of any synthetic illicit narcotic, such as synthetic marijuana, fentanyl, and other opioids, could result in a fatal overdose by the user, especially if there are unknown additives in the narcotic,” Town said. “As always, our goal is to save lives.”
Parents and children are encouraged to educate themselves about the dangers of drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.JustThinkTwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com and www.dea.gov.
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