Uppers

..."bath salts" and synthetic marijuana are difficult to identify and test for, because their chemical structure can and does change often, largely in response to laws trying to outlaw them ... and the new law attempting to ban all such substances signed recently by President Obama.

Bath salt - stimulants similar to ecstasy, are street-chemist versions of the middle eastern Khat plant, and are being associated with a new wave of extremely violent behavior, and fatal overdoses. The recent zombie-like attack in Miami, where a homeless man had literally 3/4 of his face chewed off by someone high on bath salts, has galvanized public attention to the dangers of these fairly new designer drugs.

The New Face of Drugs & Addiction is the name of an ongoing lecture series by Dr Lisa Marzilli, ... she and Darryl discuss the rapid evolution of designer drugs over the last few years, particularly the pseudo-cannabinoids, and the stimulant "bath salts" which have become widspread because they are often not illegal, and hard to test for; unfortunately, they can also be much strong then the marijuana and cocaine they mimic, sending a significant numbers of users to the ER.

A smartphone app to monitor cravings-- a new tool for relapse prevention? Also the newest legal drug - inhalable caffeine ... and more on prescription drug use debate (updated.)

Compulsive buying affects at least 6% of the population. We look at the issues and comparisons with other addictions. Also, the ADHD drug Adderall, and its popularity as with college students during finals.

New "bath salts" are appearing as a new abuse and health problem. The latest version is an upper - like meth or ecstasy - based on the African Khat plant - mephedrone and MDPF just a few of the names for the several derivatives.