Salvia legal high is controversial YouTube hit

androoo

androoo

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must be a slow news day here in the UK, one full page in at least one of the tabloids and a couple of broadsheets... i thought this story had been covered multiple times alreadt???

Salvia legal high is controversial YouTube hit

Salvia divinorum, a hallucinogenic drug which is legal in Britain and the United States, is at the heart of a controversial YouTube video craze


By Tom Chivers
Published: 9:30AM BST 18 Sep 2009
Salvia divinorum plant. Legal hallucinogen sparks controversial YouTube craze
Salvia divinorum is a powerful dissociative drug Photo: PHYZOME

Salvia, a legally available hallucinogenic drug, is at the centre of controversial YouTube video craze.

The plant, Latin name Salvia divinorum or "diviner's sage", sparks a short-lived but intense "trip" when smoked.

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And now hundreds of young people have posted video footage of their experiences online.

One, in which a girl says that her mouth is going to fall off, has been viewed more than two million times.

Salvia is a member of the mint family. It contains salvinorin A, a dissociative drug – one that is believed to reduce signals between the conscious mind and the rest of the brain.

While currently legal in the UK and available in places such as London's Camden Market for as little as £2 a gram, the US Drug Enforcement Agency has listed it as a "drug of concern". It is illegal in Australia, Belgium and Germany, among other countries.

It is not believed to be toxic or addictive. However, its powerful psychoactive effects have been linked with the suicide of an American teenager, Brett Chidester.

The 17-year-old from Delaware died from carbon monoxide poisoning in his family garage. His death certificate cites salvia as a contributing factor.

Dr Ken Checinski, a lecturer in addictive behaviour at St George's University of London, said: "Just because it's legal doesn't mean it won't do you harm.

"Salvia contains a number of psychoactive amphetamine-like substances. It can increase the heart rate and raise blood pressure. In extreme cases it can produce a psychotic reaction."

One volunteer who tried the drug for the first time described it as "the most frightening thing I've ever experienced."

Londoner Chris McCarthy, 32, said: "My body was completely overpowered. I enjoy a drink and the odd cigarette but salvia shouldn't be messed with."

The Government is planning a crackdown on a variety of legal highs this year, including GBL and BZP. However, salvia is not on the list.

A Home Office spokesman said that the Advisory Council On The Misuse Of Drugs "will be looking at salvia and other legal highs in due course.

"The Home Office would then consider any future recommendation.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6204732/Salvia-legal-high-is-controversial-YouTube-hit.html
 
I hope salvia stays off the list. The less publicity the better. Articles like this certainly don't help. They should be removing drugs from the banned list, not adding more to it. Salvia is non-addictive and safe for responsible adults. Seems like the government wants to put everyone in prison.
 
Salvia

Legals seem to be getting more and press these days

Disturbing effects of legal high posted online

There are fears for teenagers over a new internet craze, which involves people posting videos of themselves after taking a legal high.

Salvia is a pyschoactive herb, which can cause people to hallucinate, and leads to unpredictable behaviours ranging from hysterical laughter to speaking incoherently.

Disturbing footage of people experiencing the effects of the mind-altering drug can be found on sites like YouTube and the latest trend appears to have started in America.

There are concerns such videos, showing groups of people smoking the substance, which belongs to the mint family, are increasing the popularity and misuse of salvia.

Powerful versions of the mind-altering drug are reportedly readily available in the UK and are still legal although it is banned in many countries.

The British government is set to ban some legal highs such as GBL and BZP yet salvia has not been included in the list.
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http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090918/tuk-disturbing-effects-of-legal-high-pos-dba1618.html
 
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"Salvia contains a number of psychoactive amphetamine-like substances. It can increase the heart rate and raise blood pressure. In extreme cases it can produce a psychotic reaction."
Click to expand...
ive been as far into salvia-land as anyone, this is not true. why do they always misrepresent drugs? i'm 100 certain that at least 3 quarters of the population have ideas about drugs that are so factually false it's silly. even drug using friends believe many of the myths

i think once a majority of the population comes to reasonable scientific ideas about what drugs are, more people will use, there will be less problems from use, and there will be no good reason to legalize that anyone can see....
 
^yes fuck salvia indeed. i hate the shit, but i dont want to see another chemical/plant added to the illegal list, fuck that.
 
I hate salvia, im never doing it again. Its too crazy.

I oppose criminalization just based on principal, but I know alot of people who have tried it and I cant think of anyone who actually enjoys the trip.
 
Most people don't like salvia. For them once is enough. It's not a problem for society. It's not addictive. That's just one reason why it should stay legal. It's also not harmful and has potential to treat other substance addictions and Alzheimers' disease. Many adults enjoy salvia, myself included. Adults should have freedom of choice. Just don't sell it to children.
 
Old news! They must of had fuck all actual news to report.

It always sucks to see legal drugs being reported like this in the media, in salvia's case though it has been going on for years. I think that they are going to be focusing on making mephedrone and GBL illegal in the UK before they bother with salvia though.
 
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