Flakka is a new designer drug with effects as potent as they are deadly.

Many cases of consumption have been reported in the United States and in some Asian countries, but recently it has reached Spain, where the first case of intoxication has been detected that, fortunately, has not ended in death. However, this powerful drug has generated alarm among health authorities.

Flakka, the new and highly dangerous synthetic drug

Previous cases of intoxication had led to the death of the individuals who had consumed the drug, as this substance has an almost immediate effect on the body and there is no “antidote” to counteract its negative effects, which makes it particularly dangerous.

A drug unknown until recently

Flakka can be consumed orally, snorted, smoked or injected. Its active compound is called alpha-PVP, a stimulant belonging to the chemical group of catinones , which in turn is in the family of phenethylamines . Alpha-PVP is a very powerful stimulant of which there are few references.

This compound resembles methylenedioxypyrovalerone (also known as MDPV and found in another drug known as bath salts) both in its chemical structure and in its effects on the body. While consumption of the active ingredient in bath salts is illegal, alpha-PVP is still legal in Spain.

The effects of Flakka: “madness at 5 dollars”

The Flakka is also known as “the Hulk’s drug” or “$5 madness” for its energizing effects and low price. This drug causes feelings of euphoria, increased alertness, sexual arousal , feeling of having more energy and increased movement. But many of the individuals who consume this substance, also experience negative symptoms, such as: panic attacks, psychosis, paranoia, hallucinations, extreme aggressiveness, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias and hyperthermia (with a body temperature above 38 degrees).

The euphoria produced by this substance disappears soon after, so many consumers feel like consuming Flakka again soon after. These re-dosages increase the occurrence of side effects, and can cause irreparable damage to consumers . Like other similar substances, the drug Flakka can cause tolerance and dependence.

Flakka, the ‘Hulk’s drug’, is now in Spain

In the United States and Asia, the use of this drug is becoming increasingly common due to its low price and almost immediate effects, but in Spain no cases have been reported so far. A few weeks ago, in Magaluf , the first case of Flakka consumption in Spain has appeared.

Due to the intake of the drug, a young British man was admitted to Son Espales hospital with 180 heartbeats, hyperthermia (38 degrees) and a state of paranoia. Despite the severity of the symptoms, the doctors managed to save his life.

Spanish authorities on summer alert

The consumption of this synthetic stimulant is common in the American continent. Last year 1,500 kilos of alpha-PVP were seized in the United States. The area of Florida is the one that reports the most cases of consumption in this country, and Teresa Calero, therapist at the addiction treatment centre Baptist Health South in Miami, states that “in the last three years the consumption of this substance has increased by 780%, as in Florida this year more than 600 people intoxicated with Flakka have been treated”.

There is also concern in Europe about the use of this drug, as new psychoactive substances are being detected every year. In 2013, 115 kilograms of alpha-PVP were seized on the European continent, as confirmed by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction . In Spain, the warning signal has been given, as this case of intoxication arrives just at the beginning of the summer season . The holidays and the increase in affluence in the leisure areas typical of this time of year seriously concern the police authorities, who have already made several arrests in the area of the Costa del Sol in relation to the manufacture and distribution of the drug Flakka.

Bibliographic references:

  • Aarde S, Creehan K, Vandewater S, Dickerson T, Taffe M. (2015). In vivo potency and efficacy of the novel cathinone α-pyrrolidinopentiophenone and 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone: self-administration and locomotor stimulation in male rats .