Flakka is a drug that hit the news in 2016 because of a strange killing Florida where a man tried to eat the face of a victim. Allegedly, Flakka caused the side effects that made the 19-year-old man try to eat the victim’s face, a danger others face when using the drug.
Flakka is also called gravel. It causes bizarre behavior, paranoia, delusions and agitation. The drug is a new generation of bath salts, also psychoactive drugs. Flakka’s chemical name, alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (alpha-PVP), was technically not illegal at first, since it was a new drug that did not fall under previous laws. Today, that’s not the case.
Flakka causes extreme side effects including deliriums, profound paranoia and jerking muscle movements. It may take multiple EMTs or police officers to restrain someone taking Flakka, as the patients are often hard to subdue.
The sad thing about Flakka is its extensive list of complications. It’s possible for individuals to hurt themselves when agitated, but it’s also linked to seizures and hyperthermia. Rhabdomyolysis, or the breakdown of skeletal muscles, may occur, and dehydration is common. In serious cases, individuals could have impaired kidney function and eventually go into renal failure.
Getting caught with Flakka today could result in serious drug charges. The good news is that there are often alternative drug courts available to take cases, so there may be ways to avoid a prison sentence or to get the drug addiction help you need. With the right help, you can get your life back on track and defend yourself so that you can avoid a hefty prison sentence you don’t deserve.
Source: Wall Street Journal, “What Is Flakka and Why Is It So Addictive?,” accessed June 07, 2018