Designer drugs: popular among teenagers

Abstract

Adolescence is a period of experimenting, when bravery, responsiveness to peers’ influence, psychological and emotional instability, and the tendency towards consumption of illegal substances are common conducts. Similar to smoking and drinking, the consumption of substances erroneously known as ethnobotanics has become increasingly popular among teenagers. The aim of this study is to document the circumstances of the use of these substances, as well as the clinical consequences they bear on the patients. In 2015, there were 95 patients admitted to the Toxicology Department of ”Saint Mary” Emergency Children’s Hospital Iași, due to ethnobotanics. 76.84% of these were male. Most of the consumers (53.7%) were between 16 and 18 years old, although a significant proportion (41%) were even younger (13-15 years old). They often took ethnobotanic drugs in gatherings (86%), many of them having previously contact with these substances (32%). Social and familial factors must be taken into account, for exemple: growing up in an orphanage (35%), school dropout (17%), conflicts within the family (27%). The main symptoms encountered at the arrival at the Emergency Department were: euphoria (27%), disturbance of balance (17%), tachycardia, syncope, drowsiness, headache, dyspeptic disorders. All cases evolved favourably under supportive treatment. The study illustrates the widespread use of such substances among youths, requiring social, psychological and educational measures in order to raise awareness of the risks of consumption and to combat this phenomenon.