A new synthetic drug known as “flakka,” a close cousin to bath salts, is being reported in states from Florida to Washington. Formally named alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone, or alpha-PVP, flakka is a stimulant in the cathinone family that can produce euphoria, increased alertness and a small high when snorted, smoked, injected or swallowed.
Lynn Alexander Farrugia, MD, instructor in emergency medicine, said the dangerous drug appears to be a more concentrated form than other synthetic products that have emerged over the past few years.
“It seems to be—from what’s being described—that the dose needed to produce this effect is much lower than with similar products,” Dr. Farrugia said. “These are all dose related, so a high enough dose of any of these would be expected to have dangerous effects.”
An increasing number of media reports have linked flakka to aggressive behavior and panic-induced hallucination in some people, though no cases have been reported in Massachusetts. Other side effects may include increased heart rate, arrhythmias, organ damage and seizures.
In this Expert’s Corner video, Farrugia explains the dangerous drug.
