Salvia Divinorum Appears in Teen Drug Treatment

This was just forwarded to me from a treatment center in CA. THIS IS HUGE!!! This is what I feared/suspected would happen all along. I can't say I'm surprised and, unfortunately, Brett may have been become one of these kids if Salvia hadn't taken him down long before now. How very sad this all is. Why is our country and the DEA so slow to react to these things?? Why can't we be more proactive instead of so reactive. Does another family have to lose their child before we wake up??

Friday, December 14, 2007

Salvia Divinorum Appears in Teen Drug Treatment
The use of Salvia Divinorum by teens entering teen drug treatment centers is becoming more common. Salvia Divinorum is a potent hallucinogen. Its effects on teen drug abusers have been compared to LSD. Salvia is a member of the sage family, and is a powerful psychoactive drug. Salvia can be chewed but is most commonly smoked as it produces a stronger effect. When smoked its effects last from five to ten minutes. "This shorter high is attractive to a teen that is trying to get high between classes or while in their bedroom..." Says a teen drug treatment client. This is a much shorter time span than other hallucinogens, but the effect has been described as having the same intensity. The effects of salvia range from a mild sense of wellbeing to a full on psychedelic trip that can cause a complete disconnection between the user and reality.The surprising fact about Salvia is that it is one hundred percent legal in every country except Australia. (NOT TRUE!) This includes all US states. (AGAIN, NO TRUE. ) Because Salvia is legal it is commonly sold in cigar shops, all natural stores, and over the Internet. Salvia is also fairly cheap.This makes Salvia extremely accessible to teenagers. Teenagers are able to walk into the smoke shop and purchase this strong psychedelic drug with no imposing consequences. Because of these factors Salvia is extremely appealing to teens that cannot legally buy alcohol or do drugs.While it is impossible to overdose on Salvia there are still many dangers involved in using the drug. Most teenagers smoke Salvia with marijuana making the act illegal. Salvia has also been known to cause depression post use. This was most highly publicized in the case of Brett Chidester, a 17-year-old student from Delaware, who reportedly killed himself after using Salvia. Although these risks do exist there has been no legislation passed to make Salvia illegal. (NOT TRUE). This makes a dangerous drug available to teenagers everywhere. It is expected that the cases of young people entering teen drug treatment will rise as long as this drug is so readily available to them.
Labels: salvia, salvia divinorum, teen-drug-treatment, teenagers
posted by Visions Adolescent Treatment Center @ 6:39 AM