Designer Drugs: Rise & Risks of Synthetic Substances
The landscape of substance abuse has gone through a dramatic transformation over the past two decades. While traditional plant-based substances and classic synthetic drugs once dominated the market, there is a new wave of highly potent lab-created chemicals gaining in popularity. They are also known as designer drugs. Designer drugs are substances created from synthetic compounds that were developed to mimic the physiologic effects of other traditionally abused drugs.
These designer drugs are often marketed as research chemicals. They were designed to mimic the effects of traditional recreational drugs while intentionally bypassing existing drug laws. They are essentially synthetic alternatives to narcotic drugs with the intention of increasing potency while minimizing side effects.
They originated overseas and are typically produced in places like China and in countries in Europe before being shipped to the US. They have no legitimate industrial or medical use. The misuse and abuse of these substances continues to impact the emerging and ongoing public health crisis.
What are Designer Drugs?
Designer drugs are synthetic compounds that are created in labs to imitate the pharmacological effects of more well-known illicit substances like cocaine, cannabis or heroin. They are officially referred to as novel psychoactive substances or NPS.
The term designer drugs first came about in the 1980s. It was initially applied to any synthetic drug incidentally created by pharmaceutical companies. They are produced in labs and created with the goal of getting around current drug policies and restrictions.
They are similar to these drugs but modified to avoid being classified as illegal. By making minor alterations, drug manufacturers can create an entirely new compound. And these new compounds are undetectable by conventional drug screenings.
Law enforcement has encountered an estimated 300 types of NPS, with the most prevalent ones being synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones. Today, the DEA officially recognizes seven types of designer drugs: cannabinoids, phenethylamines, phencyclidines, tryptamines, piperazines, pipradrols, and n-rings systems.
Major categories of Designer Drugs
Synthetic Cannabinoids. Synthetic cannabinoids were created in an attempt to mirror the effects of THC. They are often sold under brand names like K2 or Spice. These compounds are typically sprayed onto dry plant material to be smoked or sold as liquids to be vaporized. These chemicals bind the same brain receptors as THC, but much more intensely.
The side effects of synthetic cannabinoids are much more severe than those of natural cannabis. Users often experience extreme paranoia, hallucinations, psychotic episodes, rapid heart rate and intense vomiting. Common street names include Green Giant and Scooby Snax.
Synthetic Cathinones. Synthetic cathinones are synthetic stimulant drugs made to resemble cathinones, a substance found in the khat plant. Often referred to as bath salts, they can mimic the same effects as cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy.
Bath salts are central nervous stimulants that are often marketed as research chemicals, plant food, glass cleaner and labeled not for human consumption. They are abused by sniffing, snorting or injecting. Common side effects of bath salts include acute psychosis, agitation, violent behavior and hallucinations.
Synthetic cathinones can produce an immediate, euphoric rush quickly followed by a crushing comedown, which often leads to a cycle of redosing. Users can experience intense bouts of excited delirium, aggressive behavior and even severe cardiovascular stress.
Synthetic Opioids. The opioid crisis has been accelerated by the introduction of synthetic counterparts such as fentanyl. The biggest difference between synthetic and natural opioids is their origin and potency. Natural opioids like morphine are derived directly from the opium poppy. Synthetic opioids are entirely man-made and can be hundreds or even thousands of times more potent. Even at the smallest dose, synthetic opioids can cause fatal respiratory depression.
Synthetic Hallucinogens and Empathogens. In this category, lab-created psychedelics like phenethylamines and tryptamine are considered popular NPS. They contain hallucinogenic properties and some can mimic the effects of LSD or mescaline. They have a relatively high threshold for physical toxicity and can cause fatal heart attacks, severe seizures and dangerous spikes in body temperature.
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Dangers of Designer Drugs: Unpredictability and Toxicity
The appeal for bypassing the law or passing a workplace drug test can lure many people into taking designer drugs. But they are dangerous. General side effects of designer drugs include serotonin syndrome, seizures, psychosis, insomnia, paranoia, hypertension, heart attack and kidney failure.
These substances have never been tested on humans and users who buy and take them are basically acting as lab rats for the manufacturers. The unpredictable pharmacology of the drugs puts users at risk for many dangerous side effects.
Medical professionals have become increasingly concerned about the neurological damage and impact of the legal chemicals. Chronic use of synthetic stimulants and cannabinoids has been linked to persistent drug-induced psychosis, severe cognitive decline and even structural changes in the brain’s reward system.
One of the most terrifying aspects of the modern drug market is the risk of mislabeling popular party pills. A person might purchase what they believe to be standard MDMA or ecstasy for a music festival or rave. But the pill actually contains a lethal dose of a synthetic cathinone. This is dangerous deception.
How Designer Drugs Beat the Legal Loophole
The driving force behind designer drugs is the pursuit of legal loopholes. The legal status of chemical variants allows manufacturers to bypass drug laws. Whenever lawmakers ban specific chemical structures, underground drug chemists simply modify and alter a new formulation the next week.
In various online communities, it is very common to see users searching for designer drugs’ legal alternatives. Vendors exploit these loopholes by labeling their products as “not for human consumption” and selling them under the guise of bath salts or incense.
There is no such thing as a legitimate, regulated designer drug pharmacy. These substances are created in unsterilized environments with unknown amounts of dangerous chemicals that have no regulatory oversight.
The future of NPS
The rapid evolution of technology and chemistry suggests the designer drug problem will only become more complex. Authorities are currently tracking the trends in emerging psychoactive substances that point to highly potent synthetic benzos and opioids becoming more lethal.
The dark web is also making it easier for chemicals to cross international borders undetected. Law enforcement and legislative bodies are continuously moving to track down these manufacturers and create a blanket ban on entire chemical structures rather than individual chemical compounds.
The evolution of designer drugs is one of the most significant public health challenges of the 21st century. The shift from traditional plant-based narcotics to highly unpredictable and lab-created synthetic substances has made recreational drug use deadlier than ever.
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Professional behavioral health programs like Hotel California by the Sea provide the tools and resources for those with an addiction to mind-altering substances like designer drugs. We offer treatment at all levels of care including detox, residential, PHP and IOP. We utilize evidence-based methods such as CBT, DBT and EMDR therapy. Hotel California by the Sea is dedicated to helping clients reach their goals in sobriety and overcome their addiction.
References:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10629922
https://www.dea.gov/taxonomy/term/341
https://www.addictioncenter.com/community/what-are-designer-drugs
https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/synthetic_drugs/about-sd.html
https://recovery.com/resources/what-are-designer-drugs
