Hale speaks during event featuring attorney general, area law officers
Matthew Hale, MD, has seen firsthand the harmful effects of synthetic drugs.
Hale, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville, said there has been a significant rise in the number of patients admitted to the UF Health Jacksonville Emergency Department for synthetic drug-related complications. The most common of those drugs is synthetic marijuana.
“There’s been a pretty big jump in narcotics abuse, especially with synthetic marijuana,” said Hale, who shared his expertise during a special meeting to address drug use among Florida’s youth.
The Aug. 14 meeting, facilitated by state Attorney General Pam Bondi, was held at the North Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area’s office on Jacksonville’s Southside. The meeting featured top law enforcement officials from Northeast Florida.
Hale was invited to give perspective on the medical effects of these designer drugs, which are also known as K2, Spice, herbal incense and synthetic cannabis. These products contain traditional herbs as well as various compounds that manufacturers and dealers mix in. Because these street drugs may contain unknown substances, Hale said that a hospital toxicological screening often serves no use.
Adding to the problem, some of these synthetic drugs are legal because manufacturers continue to include stimulants and compounds that aren’t on the state’s list of banned substances.
“They’re finding ways to skirt around the law,” Hale said.
Hale also spoke about the prescription painkiller Zohydro, a “potent narcotic” that is increasingly being misused and abused. It’s intended for cancer patients and others who have difficulty managing severe pain. It’s available in strengths ranging from 10 to 50 mg of hydrocodone, designed to be released in the body over a 12-hour period. That amount of hydrocodone is substantial when compared to most immediate-release hydrocodone combination products.
“A first-time experimenter can potentially die from using Zohydro or be left in a vegetable state,” Hale said.
Statewide data
Despite Hale seeing an overall increase in synthetic drug patients at UF Health Jacksonville, statistics suggest that teens across the Sunshine State are using them less.
According to the annual Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey – which Bondi referenced during the meeting – synthetic drug use among high school students in the state decreased by 60 percent from 2012 to 2013. The survey was given to more than 12,000 students across 172 middle and high schools in Florida.
“We now have information that helps us better understand the extent of synthetic drug use and evaluate our efforts,” Bondi said. “I was pleased to join Jacksonville area law enforcement and drug prevention leaders to share that our efforts to protect youth from these deadly drugs are working.”