Synthetic drug users should seek treatment for addiction

By CAITLIN TRAYNOR and JOLENE CLEAVER Dispatch Staff Writers Twitter.com/DispatchCaitlin, Twitter.com/DispatchCleaver

As with many other highly-addictive substances, treating a dependency on new synthetic drugs is difficult.

Major obstacles include most users unwillingness and the health care systems limited resources.

In Madison County, despite a growing number of extreme reactions to the use of bath salts and synthetic marijuana, only a few users have participated in treatment, says Jim Yonai, Madison County Mental Health Department Director.

Dozens of bath salt users treated in emergency rooms have been referred to the countys drug treatment programs. Only two have actually shown up for help, he says.

With multiple cases where bath salts have been a known factor in violent outbursts and aggressive and abusive behavior, follow-up treatment to address the persons dependency on the drug has been identified as an essential service. With any kind of chemical dependency, Yonai says users refuse to seek treatment because they deny they have a problem or they want to continue using.

While alcohol and marijuana are the drugs of choice for those who receive treatment in Madison County, bath salts are proving to be a whole new problem.

Because of its unregulated manufacturing and the variety of effects it can produce, its difficult to come up with an appropriate treatment plan. The standard treatment approach for drugs in general has been deployed, but a standard for best practices hasnt been developed yet, Yonai says.

Money and time must be set aside to research the drug and its long-term effects, which are still unknown.

The drug is unique in that the age group using it isnt typical. People in their mid-20s to mid-40s are more commonly using bath salts with drastically fewer teens. The reason is still a mystery to medical professionals, Yonai says.

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Synthetic drug users should seek treatment for addiction