The Disappearance of Flakka
The street drug flakka, which is similar to cocaine but cheaper and more potent, exploded on the scene in 2014. In hard hit areas such as South Florida, 3-4 people were being hospitalized for use of flakka each day.
Flakka is a dangerous drug that comes in white crystals that can be snorted, ingested or injected. Interestingly, just when it multiplied on the scene, flakka seems to have nearly vanished. CNN.com reports, “Sixty-three users died in South Florida between September 2014 and December 2015, but there have been no flakka-related deaths in 2016. Treatment centers in Broward County, Florida, admitted only six flakka users in January, compared with about 50 a month in the fall. Anecdotal reports from both street users and law enforcement officers say that flakka is not even available in the street drug market.”
Police are reported as saying that they’ve never seen a drug epidemic emerge so quickly but then disappear just as fast. Many law enforcement individuals say that they believe the disappearance of flakka has to do with the fact that it had such a bad reputation –indicating that users hated the drug but were addicted and therefore bound to use it anyway. Further, public awareness around flakka has also played a key role in the slowdown. Town hall meetings were held nightly to educate people and direct individuals toward getting help. Public campaigns against street drugs like flakka can be very useful.
Source: CNN.com