Police, paramedics dealing with sharp rise in 911 calls related to K2 use in downtown Dallas

Police, paramedics dealing with sharp rise in 911 calls related to K2 use in downtown Dallas Robert Wilonsky

Herbs and chemicals, otherwise known as K2 — just one of its street names

The 911 calls from downtown Dallas began piling up toward the end of 2015.

Some would come in as “unconscious person”; others, “welfare check.” Some were generic: “medical emergency” or “other.” A few even came in as a suicide.

But rather quickly, Dallas Fire-Rescue paramedics realized they were all related to one thing: the smoking of K2, the dangerously powerful blend of herbs and chemicals outlawed in Dallas years ago but still inexpensive and relatively easy to find.

Between the beginning of December until Jan. 7, Dallas Fire-Rescue answered 192 calls related to the use of the drug often — and incorrectly — referred to as “synthetic marijuana.” Says DFR spokesman Jason Evans, “it goes without saying” that the number has increased since then.

Evans says “the patients have been across the board, all age ranges.” He says “it does include the homeless,” but doesn’t say provide a specific breakdown. As The New York Times noted in September, herbs laced with an ever-changing concoction of cannabinoids are popular on the streets: “A joint of K2 goes for a dollar or two, far cheaper than food.”

Says Evans, once it became clear what paramedics were dealing with, they began talking to Dallas police. An investigation was opened. … [visit site to read more]

from WordPress http://ift.tt/1Pt1etM