Authorities around the country are starting to see signs of dangerous new drug trend called "wasping". "Wasping" is an abuse of the active components in insect killer, most commonly wasp killer spray, to achieve a high. In most cases it has been found to be abused in combination with methamphetamines or used as a meth substitute.
According to ABC News, "The active ingredient in pesticides is a class of molecules known as pyrethroids, which penetrate the insect’s nervous system. In insects, pyrethroids stun and then kill. In humans, they block normal nerve signaling, causing abnormal sensation and, in the worst cases, seizures or even paralysis."
Additional extreme physical responses to wasping have been reported. Side effects include: respiratory failure or paralysis, headache, nausea, incoordination, tremors, facial flushing and swelling and burning and itching sensations. Large scale side effects and toxins have yet to be seen as this a relatively new trend. The main concern comes from the known warnings on the wasp killer spray: the product is dangerous when inhaled. Insect killer is known to have lead to severe illness in approximately 4 to 14 percent of inhalation cases and on rare occasion, it can lead to death in people with pre-existing lung conditions such as asthma. Adding these risks with methanphetamines, which already cause psychotic behaviors, paranoia, and even violence can cause even more risk.
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The FDA recently voted in favor of pushing a new formulation of oxycodone hydrochloride for approval. The new OxyContin formula is more difficult to crush or dissolve which will hopefully make it harder to be used as a drug of abuse . The FDA recommended that Purdue Pharma's application for a new, resin-coated formulation should replace the original version, which has been on the market since 1996. Randall Flick, MD, an anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic who voted to recommend approval of the drug said, "Clearly the old formulation is worse than the new, although I think the difference is relatively small," Flick concluded, "Hardcore abusers are likely to devise new ways to break down the harder tablet or figure out which solvents will dissolve it fastest, within 'day or weeks' of the product's release on the market."