Video: Synthetic Drug Abuse on the Rise

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The Department of Mental Health is taking its drug awareness campaign to college campuses across the state. Today the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Services sponsored a seminar at Mississippi State that focuses on the rise of synthetic drug use.

The Magnolia state is experiencing an influx illegal synthetic drugs. Now state officials are spreading the word about the risks of using them.

“So we’re very interested in educating the community. Particularly this age group, the age group between 18-25 about the dangers of all synthetic drugs, not just N-Bome. All synthetic drugs, there’s spice, there’s bath salts. All are very dangerous,” says Jerri Avery, with the Mississippi Department of Mental Health.

Students, staff and law enforcement came out to learn more about the perils of synthetic drugs. John Beddingfield is the Vice President of the Collegiate Recovery Community on campus and says the risks of drug and alcohol abuse are constantly changing.

“I’ve been sober for 4 years so apparently there’s been a lot of synthetic drugs that have been coming out that have been killing people. It’s good to know about it,” says Beddingfield.

The seminar is designed to inform people about the types of drugs hitting the black market on the internet as well as those being sold on the street.

“I know in the past couple of weeks, there’s been some Mississippi State students hospitalized because of it. So I’m here to learn just like every one else and listen to what they have to say. That only makes us better,” says Sheriff Steve Gladney, in Oktibbeha County.

One of the most popular synthetic drugs, nicknamed NBOMe, is often sold as LSD. While it’s very difficult to overdose on LSD, some overdose symptoms of N-Bomb are hyperthermia, dilated pupils, seizures and psychotic breaks.

“You don’t know what you’re buying you don’t know the quality of the substance that you’re buying. It’s manufactured in some factory somewhere that you don’t know about. So it’s just a dangerous set of factors that can lead eventually to death in our young people,” says Mark Stovall with the Mississippi Department of Health.

The program’s overall goal is to help young Mississippians make responsible decisions that could save their life. The campaign will continue throughout the year with topics on texting and impaired driving, sexual assault and skin cancer prevention.