Australia generally jumps on the cultural bandwagon long after our pals in the United States do. It applies equally for fashion and culture as it does fucked designer drugs. Such is the way of the world.
After reports that 16 people had either overdosed or experienced extreme psychological effects to a new designer drug in Queensland – with the requisite panic about the effect it’ll have on debauched Year 12 life initiation ritual of Schoolies – speculation has mounted that it is none other than ‘flakka’, a powerful street stimulant which swept through Florida last year.
According to the Courier Mail, all cops working at this weekend’s GC600 motor race have been briefed on flakka, and they’re seeking intel likely gleaned from the experience in the US.
There’s no real conclusive proof at this point that flakka is the drug these people took. In fact, it really could have been any kind of toilet-manufactured stimulant full of cleaning products and sold to unsuspecting punters under that name.
But ok – if it is flakka as we understand it… what is that? It’s a drug made from alpha-PVP, which is the chemical cousin of cathonine, which forms the base of a drug named bath salts. You probably know of bath salts from the numerous hysterical reports circa 2010 – 2012 about violent crimes committed while the perp was high on ’em. That includes the notorious ‘Miami cannibal’ case, which you definitely remember.
Flakka gives users a standard stimulant high characterised by intense feelings of euphoria, rapid heart rate and increased alertness, but it can also cause paranoia and aggressive behaviour. Some users allege it also causes intense hallucinations. The NIH calls the negative side-effects ‘excited delirium” and warn that it can lead to serious injury. Any YouTube search for ‘flakka user’ should probably put you off it immediately.
Besides all that fun stuff, it can also dangerously raise the body’s temperature and cause kidney failure. Not fun, IMO. Negative side-effects are reportedly greatly enhanced when taking flakka with alcohol.
The drug comes in a crystalline form which resembles gravel – hence it’s occasional street name ‘gravel’. Drug dealers can be a wonderfully clever and inventive bunch.
The main appeal of flakka in the United Stated is its low, low price: in 2015, the drug was being sold off at $5 a pop. It’s safe to assume anyone buying something named flakka on the Gold Coast would not be paying so little. There are reports that in the US, the drug is sometimes sold under the guise of being MDMA.
If it’s actually flakka on our shores, it’s probably something of a worry – especially if it’s being sold to people as less harmful or intense drugs. Stay safe out there, fam.
Photo: QLab.
