Bad News for Salvia!

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I just saw this piece on Shoutwire and had to share it, I haven’t tried Salvia yet and I’d be really pissd of if I don’t get a chance to, so here’s the article!

Growing Alarm Over Hallucinogenic Herb

Alison Grande
KIRO 7 Eyewitness News

POSTED: 5:07 pm PST February 22, 2007

UPDATED: 6:03 pm PST February 22, 2007

There's growing alarm about an herb that teenagers are trying.

The herb makes them hallucinate. It's been compared to acid and LSD, but it's legal here in Washington State.

Eastside Bureau Chief Alison Grande has the warning for teenagers and their parents.

It's called Salvia. It's being marketed to teenagers, and how they're using it has the feds investigating.

Teens who used it told us they're surprised it's so easy to get.

“It's this thing you smoke. It will make you hallucinate,” said one teenager.

“You have to ask people, like, ‘What did I do?’ because you don't remember. I don't remember at least.”

Salvia Divinorum is an herb in the mint family.

We asked around outside an Eastside high school, and in minutes found users of this drug.

“It's not my thing because I don't like not having any control over myself and not be able to stop laughing or falling over,” said one teen.

Once used for spiritual ceremonies in Mexico, it's legal. The use of Salvia is on the rise and that has the Drug Enforcement Administration worried.

“Just because it's legal, just because it's not classified, just because it's not a controlled substance doesn't mean that it's healthy and safe,” said Rodney Benson of the DEA.

It's being blamed for the death of 17-year-old Brett Chidester in Delaware. The teen killed himself after using salvia. The note he left behind talked about his experiences while taking the drug.

Delaware created "Brett's Law," banning salvia. At least 13 other states are also cracking down on it. Washington is not one of them.

Teens we talked to said it was easy to find here -- on the Internet and at smoke shops.

Using a hidden camera, we went looking for salvia. In a matter of minutes, a clerk at a smoke shop handed over a vial.

Down the street, we asked for salvia. We found it was always kept behind the counter.

We paid more than 20 dollars for a container.

And it's not just smoke shops. Nutrition shops carry it, too.

This clerk told us to be careful not to use too much, and showed us a handout about the hallucinogenic effects. We paid more than $70 for liquid salvia.

“It does in some instances create some violent behavior and some hallucinations that could cause harm to our kids,” Benson said.

When we showed Special Agent Benson a container, he thought it was frightening. The packaging, the marketing -- obviously for young adults.

Salvia could become a controlled substance soon.

“Right now there's medical scientific professionals that are reviewing salvia for placement as a controlled substance,” Benson said.

But for now, the DEA is counting on parents to patrol their teens, and to talk to them about the risks and hope teens stop being guinea pigs.

A 15-year-old who used salvia thinks parent should know about it.

“It's just going to keep getting out of hand,” the teen said.

In most cases, salvia is labeled as incense, but young adults are smoking it instead.

​

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Whats the big deal about this article? There are TONS of articles just like this one popping up every week. Just do a search for 'salvia' on news.google.com

 

Well this is the one i found, i wasn't looking for salvia news, and it stood out. so i thought I'd share it with the folks in this forum!
Sorry if i waisted your time phx!

Peace!!

 

Munky, thanks for bringing this up. The only way we can prevent the govt. from controlling one more aspect of what we do is to write our legislators right now and tell them the truth about it. Of course they are going to pin anything that happens negatively on Salvia. I was going to find the email address to contact the orginization, but alas. It is not given. I for one am not surprised, as this is one more avenue the people can speak out against the government. Kyle

 

Whats hypocritical about the feds though, is the fact that alcohol is a catalyst to more tragedies, fatalities, and suicides then salvia is, was, or ever could be in a million years and yet everyone agrees to turn a blind eye to alcohol and waste time enacting symbolic, useless legislation about peripheral elements, like salvia, which at best have anecdotal evidence against it (if any). Such legislation is intended to sate the public into believing the feds are earning their tax dollar, and distracts attention from more serious and pressing and legitimate concerns. Such as political failures or scandals. Cigarrettes, same thing. Huge public health hazard; completely legal and unthreatened. 14 year olds can and do get those substances; and, amazingly enough can get many substances easily even after they are made illegal.

Adults can make up their own minds about use or non-use without government interference. Adults should also pay more attention to their kids sufficient that minors will be less inclined to obtain and use drugs, legal or illegal.

 

Totally agree. I'm about rightly tired of being told how to live my life by someone with completely different values than I, as well as a completely different background. It completely bothers me that I have to put up with it. Damn this stuff gets me mad. I mean I'm all for keeping people from damaging others, but come on, I don't need to be kept from myself. I'm gonna run for President when I'm old enough. And when I win things are gonna change around here. Kyle

 

It's the same thing with things like thc and lsd. I completey agree with you on the alcohol part. And tabacco isn't very healthy for you either.

 

"Using a hidden camera, we went looking for salvia. In a matter of minutes, a clerk at a smoke shop handed over a vial.

Down the street, we asked for salvia. We found it was always kept behind the counter."

Wow, a clerk at a smoke shop had salvia?! No way! Wait, isn't that where it should be? Where only 18+ year olds can legally purchase it? It's so ignorant. Of course a 15 year probably shouldn't be smoking Salvia. It should in no way effect the older, vast majority who use it wisely and respectfully.

 

...And its these same 15 year olds who logon here and list their age, like this is the junior high school forum, which is then seen by law enforcement agencies (who closely monitor this forum), and politicians and activists who then use that statistic to put the stuff away.

...and its these same 15 year olds so eager to get drugs so they can be cool, who obtain it illegally, and who happily cry their eyes out when things dont go their way, and sell out as "witnesses" to the evils of whatever drug got them in trouble, so they can get attention and get out of the trouble they are in with their parents or law enforcement (oh, it was the salvia who made me skip school and spray paint your car, officer).

Keep information and access out of the hands of the under 18 crowd, who are not remotely responsible enough to care about anything other than themselves and the immediate (immediate) present.

And parents, pay more attention to your kids. Go play baseball or soccer with them, or something...

 

Law enforcement really watches these forums?

 

what's perplexed dea and scientists for years is the difference in structure of the salvinorin-a molecule, and other scheduled analogues; it's not related to any. that's been the main deterrent from scheduling it.

 

Yes. The people who run this website know this; they can see who hits the site; this includes hits from known federal agencies computer "addresses". DEA, FBI, etc. Yes the feds can read your computer's id number and ISP. Yes they could find you. No, theyre not specifically going to consume their limited budget breaking down the doors of every person who has a nickel bag in their freezer. You know, 50% of the US...

Yes, they are keeping statistical records, and yes they will take an interest in people who appear to be dealers or manufacturers and the like. This websites terms and conditions which you agreed to, states specifically that Hipforums will cooperate fully with the authorities; nor is the website encrypted. Freedom of speech allows the existence of the website, but no law prohibits the feds from profiling forum users (no pun intended).

Possibly the authorities may run counterintelligence on the site; i.e. taking on the persona of a site user and giving out bad information, rather than good. Their directions may not work, or may cause you to do something (or purchase some specific item) which makes you easier to track without a warrant, if you profile as someone they should take an interest in.

No, Im not paranoid, because I dont care really, and because the fact of being monitored isnt as bad as it sounds, nor is as bad, perhaps, as I make it out to be.

But the website is being monitored, you need only ask Hipforums.com administrators for proof...

 

it's cute that they said it's like acid and lsd.

i heard it's kind of like weed and pot too. wow. four drugs in one? why wouldn't ten year olds want to smoke it and then kill people?

 

I think salvia should be used by psychologists. I don't think people who can't deal with their emotions should use salvia on their own. I think it should only be legal to 18+. I don't think it should ever be done alone. I think that if any government can't control a product that has any minor/major effect on someone's personality, they will try to ban it. I don't think they should for this particular product, because it is not proven to have any effect on a person's health directly, minus the occasional emo freak who is looking for any reason to cut his/her wrists. I do think you should donate any salvia you have lying around to me!

 

i'm 16. all but two times i've done salvia, i've been alone. the only bad trip i had was when i wasn't. i don't think i'm too much of an anomaly. i'm sure there are just as many 22 year old morons as their are 16 year old morons.

i honestly don't think salvia would continue to be as popular as it is now among people who don't understand it, if we just let the hype die down naturally. people who don't like it aren't gonna use it. people who do can't be stopped. the dangers are hyped up SO MUCH. if you have even a slight idea of how it might affect you, you know enough to avoid all the obvious dangers, like sharp objects and fire, etc. that doesn't mean the experience won't be scary. it's just nowhere near as dangerous as it's made out to be. in most cases you just lay down and make weird faces and weird noises for a few minutes.

 

That is the most poorly written article I've ever read all the way through.

 

i like how they didn't mention that it lasts like 5 minutes, and how loosely they used the language.. its been compared to lsd and acid (first off... wtf there), guess what, i can compare cocaine to my wall, i can compare salvia to water, doesn't mean there similar...

 

Not to mention the fact that they think LSD and "acid" are two seperate drugs. Painstaking research in this one.

 

The only reason I think salvia should be for 18+ is this : If an adult screws up and hurts him/herself, it doesn't make the front page. If a 15 year old does, it's the end of the world as we know it ( and i feel fine )