In New Hampshire, a public health emergency has been declared because of a string of overdose cases involving synthetic marijuana that, apparently, people have been purchasing from convenience stores. Recently there has been a reported 44 overdose cases associated to product. Smacked is a synthetic, marijuana-like product that is easily accessible in stores and is sold in brightly colored packages and in different flavors that appeal to consumers. This product is marketed as potpourri, but people often purchase them to be used like marijuana-sprayed with a synthetic compound and smoked like the illicit substance.
New Hampshire authorities have already declared these kinds of items to be a serious threat to public health, but the ease of access to the product makes it harder for authorities to regulate and monitor their use.
In nearby Massachusetts, members of the Northhampton Prevention Coalition are already working with students in middle school and high school to talk about the dangers of substance abuse. A representative for the coalition, Paul McNeil, said that synthetic products like the synthetics Smacked being sold in stores in New Hampshire are a bigger threat, "At this stage of the game, especially around a particular substance like they had a New Hampshire with a state of emergency, Smacked is being isolated and alienated as a high-risk substance is consumed. It's not just Smacked, it's a whole array of, essentially, substances that are not designed to be consumed," says McNeil.
McNeil further said that these kinds of products appeal to younger people because they can easily get their hands on it. "There are things you can get your hands on, it doesn't mean you should use it. And it's another conversation around the more access you have to something that might alter your physical or mental capacity, the more access, the more use you have especially among young people who traditionally are experimenting."
Parents are encouraged to be proactive about the matter and speak to their teenagers about the real dangers that they can encounter when using alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, including synthetic marijuana products like the ones in New Hampshire.