It's the lack of accuracy and seeming preference for buzz words and shock statistics/comparisons in favour of objective information that make me so frustrated each and every time I read an article like this.
By who? Perhaps that's some regional slang but I've never heard it used before. Same as how I've never heard anyone refer to 4-methylmethcathinone as 'meow meow' outside of media articles.
Why not just call the substance by it's abbreviated chemical name to be clear about it. Just say 25i-NBOMe.
And this:
Police say Henry had taken 25I-NBOMe, known as an N-Bomb, a hallucinogen 25 times more potent than LSD
Wait, what? Really? Has anyone else heard this? Is there a source for it? 25 times more potent than LSD? Most of my reading so far has suggested that it's more like equipotent, or less potent than LSD.
How are people supposedly taking 500microgram doses, 750mcg doses, even 1 milligram or higher doses if it's 25 times more potent than LSD?
Then:
part of a boutique market for informed users" known as psychonauts, who order specific drugs for a specific effect for a particular event, be it a music festival or a round of wacky golf.
So psychonauts - a label I don't really care for - are people who take novel drugs purely for recreational activities? None of these so called "psychonauts" might also be using these compounds for the purpose of inner-exploration of their psyche, and a desire to better understand themselves and become independent, free-thinking individuals?
Lastly:
Education is very, very important," says Stephen, who is already speaking at community drug forums to other parents. "We need to let young people know these drugs are very dangerous. We also need to educate the family; if their children take these drugs call an ambulance. Lock away knives. Get help.
Another devastated parent, blinded by the suffering caused by the loss of their child, ironically saying that "education" is important and then going on to suggest that we fall back on the tired old scare tactics and "drugs are deadly and evil, just say no!" approach. I mean, who could blame a father who has just lost his son for being emotional? But suggesting that the families of children "lock away kives" if they discover their kids have taken a drug - not a bit extreme? Bringing more fear into the debate about drugs and what to do with the issue of their perpetual, ever-growing presence is not going to help. The drugs are not going away. They are become increasingly more potent and unpredictable. We don't need more misinformation and fear. There's enough genuine confusion and reason for concern as it is.
Yes, we need education. And that means full disclosure of the effects - all sides, good and bad - of all drugs. We need to get proper information out there. No more ridiculous made up slang names or exaggerated stories of people going mad after taking something. How about interviewing the people who have taken 25i-NBOMe, and other drugs, and NOT gone mad? We couldn't do it, because it take too fucking long. The vast majority of people who have taken these substances, even highly potent and little-researched ones like the NBOMEs have either had good experiences, mixed experiences, or at least experiences that did not warrant medical attention. A tragic but TINY minority of users have run into serious problems.
