GET THE FLAKKA OUT OF HERE!

     There's a new drug on the streets and apparently, it is dangerous! Recently, it's been called "$5 insanity" and has been responsible for both superhuman feats of strength and unbelievable bouts of delusion. So, basically, you can lift a car and actually believe you are Superman. Hmmm....That doesn't sound so bad! If I can lift a car, that would be amazing! If I believed I was Superman, though, I might try to leap tall buildings in a single bound and of course, that would lead to my demise. Okay, rewind. Bad idea!

     Anyway, "Flakka" or "gravel" is the latest synthetic drug to hit the streets that is being snorted, smoked or injected by addicts looking for a cheap high and been responsible for a series of bizarre headlines across South Florida. Oh, gee! Shocker! Floridians are the ones using it. A Florida man was recently nabbed for running for his life through the streets for Fort Lauderdale naked, except for a pair of sneakers, is symbolic of the latest drug craze. 

     Broward County Sheriff's Office treatment counselor, Don Maines said, "Longtime addicts who have tried flakka, they're terrified of it. They can't think straight, they're paranoid, they think people are chasing them. One guy thought he was surrounded by German Shepherds that were attacking him. Streaker Matthew Kenney, who is 34, was sent for psychiatric evaluation on Saturday after Fort Lauderdale police chased him down and finally arrested him. He told police people were chasing him and took his clothes. Oh yeah, he also told them he smoked flakka before experiencing the terrifying hallucinations.

     Flakka, imported from China, Pakistan and India, prolongs the effects of dopamine and serotonin, known as a state of "excited delirium" and can lead to a spike in body temperature as high as 106 degrees. It's being called the cousin of "bath salts," whose amphetamine-like key ingredient, , if you remember, was band back in 2011. Flakka uses a-PVP, a stimulant that can be cut or mixed with other mainstream drugs like coke, heroin or meth. 

     Besides the streaker incident, Fort Lauderdale police have reported two other freak accidents since February where people were allegedly high on flakka created mayhem at their doorstep. Shanard Neely, who told police he had just smoked flakka, was impaled by a gate spike while he was attempting to climb the fence surrounding the police department back on March 22. Fire rescue had to cut away a section of the fence just to free Neely. Another man, police were saying was so high on flakka, he tried to break down the station's front door a month earlier. Surveillance footage shows James West frantically trying to get into the station, kicking the door and throwing a rock. He told police several cars were chasing him and he ran to the police department for help. West was arrested but the onslaught of flakka continues. 

     I have to admit; this drug actually scares me. Then again, why would you try anything that was man-made? If it's not green, it's not for me! And for those doing flakka? Why? So you have an excuse to act like a moron? I've said it before....Only in Florida!