What is a Sherm Stick Drug?
Have you ever heard of a sherm stick drug? Sherm drugs refer to cigarettes or marijuana joints that have been dipped into PCP or embalming fluid. They are also referred to as wet drugs. The popularity of this type of drug use is due to the mind-altering hallucinogenic effects of the cigarette or marijuana joint mixed with psychedelic drugs when it is burned and inhaled.
Sherm stick drugs contain highly toxic chemicals that result in well-documented, dangerous effects. A cigarette or marijuana joint that is dipped in PCP or embalming fluid usually burns at a very slow rate. This provides users with a prolonged hallucinogenic experience. Despite the dangerous risks, some people continue to seek out the intense high produced by the polydrug combination.
Why do people smoke sherm stick drugs? There are many reasons for using this polysubstance combination. The biggest reasons are to take PCP and to enhance the effects of cigarettes or marijuana through the added PCP and embalming fluid. Oftentimes, users are searching for the dissociative experience.
Signs of sherm stick use include slurred speech, severe behavioral changes, extreme aggression, weight loss and elevated body temperature. Sherm stick drugs can produce unpredictable effects that impact individuals differently. Ultimately, they are dangerous drugs.
History of Sherm Stick Drugs
Sherm stick is a slang term for tobacco or marijuana cigarettes. It started back in the 1970s when cigarettes were being dipped into toxic chemicals. They gained popularity in the 1970s to 80s among the younger crowd, especially in more urban populations.
These chemicals often contained glutaraldehyde, methanol and formaldehyde. They are also chemicals used to preserve dead bodies.
Wet drugs aren’t as popular today, but were often referenced and glamorized in hip-hop and rap music media. Rap lyrics from artists in the 1990s to 2000s occasionally mentioned “wet” as a powerful mind-altering substance and glorified its effects. It became popular among the younger generation.
A 2018 study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that media representation of drugs, including the glorification of drugs, can significantly increase experimental use among young people. Because it is so influential, they tend to overlook or are unaware of the true hidden dangers of this type of drug use.
What are Sherm drugs?
Common street names for cigarettes laced with PCP or embalming fluids include sherm drugs, shermans, fry sticks, peace pills, wet drugs or happy sticks.
Wet drugs gained popularity because both PCP and embalming fluids have a mind-altering hallucinogenic effect that, when burned or inhaled, can cause a slow high. The effects in combination with an already potent nicotine or marijuana, can result in an intense and unpredictable high.
A sherm stick drug is comprised of a marijuana joint, a cigarette or other leafy materials dipped in PCP or embalming fluid or both. The laced toxic chemicals are meant to enhance the effects of marijuana or nicotine.
What is PCP?
PCP or phencyclidine is a synthetic dissociative drug most commonly referred to as angel dust. It is a white, crystal-like powder that dissolves in water or alcohol. It was developed in the 1950s as an intravenous anesthetic for surgical patients.
It is no longer used for medical purposes because of its adverse side effects and risks for addiction. Common street names for PCP include angel dust, crystal joints, elephant tranquilizer, hog, rocket fuel, tic tac, zoom or killer weed.
PCP can cause side effects such as agitation, confusion, hallucinations, low blood sugar, high blood pressure, muscle rigidity, violent behavior, self-injury due to intoxication, seizures and heart attack.
What is Embalming fluid?
Embalming fluid usually consists of chemicals such as formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, methanol, disinfectants and other solvents. It is used by morticians in morgues and scientists in medical labs for the preservation of living tissue and specimens. Common street names for embalming fluid include dip, fry, wack and water.
When ingested, embalming fluid can cause coughing, bronchitis, asthma, lung damage, airway ulcerations, and respiratory failure.
Both PCP and embalming fluid are hallucinogenic and dissociative drugs that can produce an out-of-body experience when taken. When it is combined with nicotine or marijuana, it can be extremely addictive.
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Effects of Sherm Stick Drugs
- Euphoria
- Adrenaline rush
- Elevated heart rate
- Loss of coordination
- Impaired coordination
- Respiratory depression
- Irregular heartbeat
- Social withdrawal
- Metabolic acidosis
- Hallucinations and delusions
- Paranoia
- Delusional thinking
- Angry outbursts
- Aggressive or violent behavior
- Depression
- Vomiting
- Vision problems
- Loss of normal body balance
- Reduce memory function and memory blackouts
- Unconsciousness
- The belief in superhuman strength can lead to violent behavior
The dangers of Sherm Stick Drugs
Sherm stick drugs are dangerous polydrug concoctions that can cause risky side effects. With long-term use, it can cause severe organ damage, damage to the respiratory tract, memory gaps, memory impairment, severe depression, and psychological dependence. Other long-term side effects can include the development of bronchitis or pneumonia, disrupted growth and development in teens and adolescents, muscle tissue loss, heart attack, brain damage, deterioration of the spinal cord and seizures.
The mixture of hallucinogenic drugs can destroy cognitive functioning. It impacts the ability to retain and create memories. It can impact decision-making skills. In some cases, it can also cause serious brain damage, leading to schizophrenic-like symptoms, including speech difficulty.
Users may begin to have severe hallucinations, making them see, hear and feel things that are not really there. It can result in paranoid thinking, where users can experience violent behaviors and outbursts. It causes severe disorientation in which they can put themselves and others at risk for physical harm. These extreme behavioral issues are caused by neurotransmitter disruptions in the brain from constant drug use.
One of the biggest dangers of using wet drugs is the development of withdrawal symptoms and addiction. The nicotine in cigarettes is, on its own, a very addictive substance. When PCP and embalming fluid are added, it makes the drug more potent. Users can develop mild to severe withdrawal symptoms that include intense drug cravings and physical discomfort, making it more difficult to stop using. This only leads to relapse and the development of an addiction.
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Treatment for Substance Use Disorder
Sherm drugs or wet drugs are a combination of cigarettes or marijuana laced with PCP and embalming fluid. They are popular and smoked because they can help a person achieve a prolonged and intense euphoria. They can also cause dangerous adverse effects on a person’s central nervous system. The use of sherm stick drugs can ultimately lead to the development of a substance use disorder.
Professional behavioral health programs like Hotel California by the Sea are designed to help those with substance use disorders. We offer treatment at all levels of care including detox, residential, PHP and IOP. We utilize evidence-based treatment methods like CBT, DBT and EMDR therapy. Hotel California by the Sea is dedicated to helping clients achieve their goals in sobriety and overcome their addiction.
References:
https://zinniahealth.com/substance-use/blog/sherm-drugs
https://adolescentmentalhealth.com/blog/what-is-sherm-stick
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/is-pcp-embalming-fluid
https://stilldetox.com/what-is-sherm-drug/
https://www.addictiongroup.org/blog/sherm-drug/
https://www.promises.com/addiction-blog/what-is-a-wet-drug/