Flakka Addiction And Abuse

What Is Flakka?

Flakka is a synthetic stimulant drug chemically similar to bath salts, often containing alpha-PVP (alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone). It can produce intense euphoria, increased energy, hallucinations, and violent or erratic behavior. Flakka is highly addictive and carries severe health risks, including rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, overheating, paranoia, and in extreme cases, death.

The drug is commonly snorted, injected, eaten, smoked, or vaporized in e-cigarettes. A common street name for flakka is “gravel,” because of its appearance. The drug is typically found in crystal form and is white or pink. Regardless of the method of administering flakka, there is a high risk of overdose. Reportedly, one of the fastest ways to overdose on flakka is through vaping because users who vape flakka are unable to measure how much of the substance they are ingesting. In these cases, the drug enters the bloodstream too quickly and overwhelms the body’s systems. The symptoms of a flakka overdose include heart problems, agitation, aggressive behavior, and psychosis.

Synthetic Cathinones

Flakka is a synthetic cathinone. Synthetic cathinones are stimulants that are chemically related to the substance cathinone, which is found in the Khat plant. The plant is grown in Arabia and East Africa, and some people chew the leaves for mild stimulant effects.

Synthetic cathinones like flakka are part of a group of drugs known as new psychoactive substances (NPS). First emerging in the drug market in the mid-2000s, they have been designed to mimic other illicit drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy, and LSD. There are many types of cathinones, such as mephedrone, methylone, methcathinone, bupropion, and buphedrone.

Alpha-PVP was first discovered in 1963 and was first patented in 1967 as a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant. These stimulants are typically used to treat patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or narcolepsy. In 2013, alpha-PVP became available as a tablet; by 2014, it started gaining popularity under the name flakka. It quickly gained Schedule I status, meaning it has no medical value and a high potential for abuse.

Effects Of Flakka

The first effects upon consuming flakka are feelings of euphoria, focus, stimulation, increased sex drive, and sociability. However, when the high wears off, users will need to increase their intake of the drug; this can lead to negative side effects. Flakka is extremely dangerous and has caused users to commit suicide.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse says that flakka causes a condition called “excited delirium” which involves hyperstimulation, hallucinations, increased strength, and paranoia. These symptoms can lead to self-injury and violent aggression or cause users to have a psychotic episode. Flakka also impacts the body, raising body temperature up to 104 degrees (hyperthermia). Users may also experience liver and renal failure, hypertension, narrowing of the blood vessels, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, and death.

Flakka causes unpredictable effects because its components can be a variety of harmful ingredients. Flakka is reported to be at least ten times stronger than cocaine. Some combinations of flakka produce dissociative symptoms seen in ketamine or other sedatives, such as benzodiazepines.

Flakka acts as a stimulant when taken in small doses and can make users feel euphoric and more alert. It can also produce hallucinatory effects in some users. High doses of flakka can mimic the effects of cocaine and meth, which can cause twitching, delusions, and even seizures.

Synthetic cathinones are addictive and can cause withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, tremors, paranoia, depression, and sleeping issues. In animal studies, researchers found that rats became addicted to flakka and would press a lever to deliver the drug as many times as possible. Rats also were more addicted to synthetic cathinones than to crystal meth. Co-senior author of the study, Associate Professor Tobin J. Dickerson of Scripps Research, said that “Animals will self-administer MDPV like no drug I have ever seen.” Flakka is dangerous and addictive, and users should seek out professional treatment if they have used the drug.

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What’s The Difference Between Flakka And Bath Salts?

Flakka and bath salts are chemically very similar and have nearly identical effects on users. Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is the active ingredient in bath salts. The difference between flakka and bath salts is that flakka lacks a cluster of atoms called the 3,4-methylenedioxy motif. In a study published by Scripps Research, researchers found that the potential for addiction with flakka and bath salts was almost equal.

Bath Salts have the same effects as flakka, such as increased sex drive, hallucinations, panic attacks, paranoia, and increased sociability. Smoking, snorting, injecting, or swallowing bath salts can lead to overdose and death. Flakka and bath salts are packaged and sold similarly, labeled as “not for human consumption,” and sold with seemingly innocuous names like “plant food” or “jewelry cleaner.”

Prevalence Of Flakka

A survey from February of 2019 found that 1% of American teenagers have knowingly tried flakka, and researchers believe more teens have taken the drug without knowing it was flakka. The study found that Flakka is most often used with other drugs, specifically synthetic cannabinoids (85.6%), ketamine (72.3%), marijuana (59.1%), and GHB (47.5%)

Why Do People Use Flakka?

With all of the negative consequences of using flakka, it is hard to imagine why someone would put themselves at risk by choosing this drug. Affordability is one of the main factors. A gram of cocaine can cost up to $80, and many people — especially college students, the homeless, and low-income populations — cannot afford an expensive drug habit. On average, a hit of flakka costs $3 to $5. The drug is cheap, obtainable, and the high is long and intense. The high from snorting cocaine lasts up to 30 minutes, and the high from smoking it lasts up to 10 minutes. The high from flakka can last up to 5 hours.

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Get Help For A Flakka Addiction Today

As of now, there are no treatment medications available for a flakka addiction. Behavioral therapy can be used to treat a flakka addiction, and treatment professionals will be able to screen for any co-occurring mental disorders. If you or someone you know has a flakka addiction, contact a treatment provider today. Flakka is a dangerous drug and may result in users not only hurting themselves but hurting others as well.