OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Iowa hospitals have seen a small but steadily growing number of teens admitted to the hospital suffering from effects of synthetic drugs.
The new trend has teens smoking or otherwise ingesting synthetic drugs found in potpourri or incense. The ingredients in the products will not produce a high, but they can make teens sick enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room.
Symptoms include anxiety attacks, paranoia, shortness of breath, increased blood pressure, high heart rate, vomiting, suicidal thoughts and other injuries.
A national study found that nine out of ten high school seniors reported using synthetic drugs in the last year, according to a press release from the Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy.
Since the products containing synthetic drugs are not illegal, law enforcement officials have not had any arrests in relation to the new trend.
"Iowa has no law that prohibits the posession of or smoking of or using of incense, so we have no knowledge of any problem with incense in Iowa," Ottumwa Police Chief Jim Clark said.
The Office of Drug Control Policy urges parents to talk with their teenagers about the dangers of using such products improperly.
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