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News and Events
A Deadly New Designer Drug
Dear Friends,
As you know, there is no issue of higher importance to our ministry than the devastation that drugs and alcohol wreak upon the youth of America. During our 25 years, we have seen wave after wave of drug abuse move across the families, schools, and neighborhoods of our youth,
The latest deadly trend is almost unbelievable in the danger it presents.
Teens are snorting a new and deadly designer drug called “bath salts” to get high – and it’s perfectly legal for them to do so in most states across our nation.
This powerful synthetic drug mimics the effects of “meth”, cocaine, LSD, Ecstasy, and PCP -- all in one drug. Kids snort, smoke, inject or eat the powdered substance, which is as addictive as crack.
Marketed with harmless-sounding names like Ivory Wave, Vanilla Sky and Cloud-9, the drug is readily available for purchase by anyone of any age, from corner stores, head shops and over the internet. The $20-$30 packets are labeled “not for human consumption” – but only to get around federal regulations.
The effects of this menacing new substance are terrifying. Users appear to have a psychotic break -- frightening hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, extreme paranoia, superhuman strength, combativeness, and severe anxiety. They can’t eat or sleep and their heart rate and blood pressure skyrockets.
One young man took a knife and sliced his face and stomach repeatedly while on the drug (he survived). A Rutgers University student killed his girlfriend after using the substance. A twenty-one year old male slit his own throat while high on the drug. He survived, only to shoot himself in the head two days later.
Emergency room doctors report that users are uncontrollable with typical sedatives like valium, even in high doses. They often need to be sedated for many days before they return to normal. But even once the patient is back in their right mind, the cravings are so intense that, no matter how horrible the trip, they want to go back and do it again and again.
Emergency bans have been enacted in at least four states. Other states, including California, are considering introducing legislation to ban one or two of the most common chemicals used in the drug -- MDPV and mephedrone.
However, state bans are not enough. Why? Because when one state bans the substance, kids just get it from a neighboring state.
It is our opinion that we need a nationwide ban. That is why we support U.S. Senator Charles Schumer’s bill to ban the production, sale and possession of MDPV and mephedrone across the United States.
TAKE ACTION!
You can help make it harder for kids to get their hands on this lethal drug by taking the following easy steps right now:
- CALL your U.S. Senators and urge them to support Senator Schumer’s bill to ban the chemicals in bath salts:
Senator Barbara Boxer
Phone: (202) 224-3553
Senator Diane Feinstein
Phone: (202) 224-3841
- CALL the Attorney General of California and urge her to enact an emergency ban on MDPV and mephedrone in California:
Attorney General Kamala Harris
Phone: (800) 952-5225
Most importantly, please take the time to talk to your kids, grand kids and young people you know about the dangers of bath salts and other drugs. Don’t wait until it is too late.
Sincerely,
Mark Miller
Chief Executive Officer
P.S. Finally, please know that your support of the ministry allows us to be in the forefront of working with kids who have become victims of the evil that drugs like this present. Thank you for being our partners in the on-going struggle to keep kids’ lives from being destroyed. Any amount you give will help us in the fight against teen drug abuse.
NEWS & EVENTS
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