IPC Releases New Report on Synthetic Drugs in Illinois

by Michael S. Wahl, MD Medical Director Illinois Poison Center
October 11, 2012

The Illinois Poison Center (IPC) and Humana are pleased to share with you a recently released whitepaper which provides an overview of the dangers of synthetic drugs and initiatives to curb their use in the State of Illinois. Please click here to view the report.

The IPC is committed to continuing its partnership with the Illinois Attorney General and other stakeholders statewide to educate Illinoisans about the dangers of synthetic drugs and to remove these harmful chemicals from retail stores. The IPC has acted as a “canary in the coal mine” on the synthetic drug issue; first identifying the trend of synthetic drug use in Illinois and then providing a majority of the surveillance and tracking data on these chemicals. This data played a key role in the State of Illinois’ major initiatives to combat the spread of these so-called “legal highs” through legislation and law enforcement partnerships. Between 2011 and 2012, the Illinois legislature placed nearly 20 compounds associated with synthetic drugs on the state’s Schedule 1 controlled substance list.

We hope you find this white paper both informative and useful. As always, the IPC continues to monitor and collect surveillance data on emerging public health threats. Please feel free to call the IPC for additional information or to arrange training at 1-800-222-1222.

If the IPC has been of service to you and/or your institution click here to let us know.  Additional questions or comments can be directed to Vickie Dance (312) 906-6125 or vdance@ilpoison.org.

Regards,
Michael S. Wahl, MD
Medical Director
Illinois Poison Center

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