2C-I or “Smiles”: Dangerous New Drug Claims Lives of Teens across North America
A dangerous new psychedelic drug called 2C-I, or “Smiles” is becoming popular among teens in North America, and is already responsible for dozens of overdoses and deaths. The synthetic designer drug is similar to Bath Salts in its appearance (a white, crystalline powder) and is typically snorted or ingested.
Users say the psychedelic trips that result from taking “Smiles” can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days, and are described as being similar to a “roller coaster through hell” by some who have taken the drug. The effects of 2C-I are likened to a combination of MDMA and LSD, only more intense. Overdoses are commonplace due to the fact that 2C-I is being made by dealers and “hobbyists,” who obtain the chemicals needed to make it over the internet, and then distributed to unsuspecting teens.
The hallucinogenic drug has already claimed the lives of teenagers in North Dakota, Indiana and Minnesota. Elijah Stai, a 17-year-old who overdosed in June in Grand Forks, ND, was reportedly “shaking, growling and foaming at the mouth” before he died. 2C-I overdoses have been known to cause seizures, kidney failure, and fatally high blood pressure.
During an overdose, users’ muscles might become rigid, and their body temperatures are elevated. In July of this year, the US DEA carried out Operation Log Jam, a coordinated effort to raid dozens of facilities in 90 cities across the country after many synthetic drugs, including 2C-I, were classified as Substance 1 drugs, making possession and distribution of them illegal. Those caught distributing the drug face serious criminal charges, including 3rd degree murder in the event of a fatal overdose.
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