A very dangerous and somewhat new drug is causing police to send a warning to local parents. Investigators say kids are getting high off a drug called Jenkem. The drug, made from fermented feces and urine, hasn't been found in our area yet, but police think it could be here soon.Multimedia Watch The Video Police say Jenkem is a fad they're hearing about from other law enforcement agencies. It starts as an attempt to get high.
"It's basically someone taking raw sewage and letting it ferment," explained Metro Special Operations Police Captain Robert Hammer. "Then there's a gas that expels off of that and they inhale that gas."
That gas causes hallucinations. Dr. Tom Sweeny works in the ER at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. He says the typical hallucinogen gives a sense of euphoria and a heightened sense of awareness. The rush is followed by sedation.
Even though doctors and police say they haven't seen any local cases of people who have taken Jenkem, they say they do see quite a few young adult males in the emergency room who take hallucinogens. Symptoms can vary, depending on what drugs the patient took.
Dr. Sweeny says the immediate symptoms are lower blood pressure, a decreased heart rate and lowering respiratory drive. It is possible for someone to stop breathing after taking a hallucinogen.
Jenkem can cause all those things to happen, but the long term effects are worse. They include brain damage, stroke-like symptoms, even destroying bone marrow to the point of developing leukemia. All of those things can happen from getting high off human feces and urine.
"That's the very question that we have," said Captain Hammer. "Why you would ingest something into your system that's that nasty? You would have to ask those folks that are doing it."
Some signs a person might be taking hallucinogens like Jenkem are if they're acting nervous, jittery, experiencing tremors or have dilated pupils. Police say it can also be smelled on a person's breath since it's something they're breathing to get high.
Doctors and police say for parents to keep their kids away from things like Jenkem and other hallucinogens, they should pay extra attention to their kids.
That means they should wait up for them at night and not let their kids go to bed until they have seen them and smelled their breath
"It's basically someone taking raw sewage and letting it ferment," explained Metro Special Operations Police Captain Robert Hammer. "Then there's a gas that expels off of that and they inhale that gas."
That gas causes hallucinations. Dr. Tom Sweeny works in the ER at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. He says the typical hallucinogen gives a sense of euphoria and a heightened sense of awareness. The rush is followed by sedation.
Even though doctors and police say they haven't seen any local cases of people who have taken Jenkem, they say they do see quite a few young adult males in the emergency room who take hallucinogens. Symptoms can vary, depending on what drugs the patient took.
Dr. Sweeny says the immediate symptoms are lower blood pressure, a decreased heart rate and lowering respiratory drive. It is possible for someone to stop breathing after taking a hallucinogen.
Jenkem can cause all those things to happen, but the long term effects are worse. They include brain damage, stroke-like symptoms, even destroying bone marrow to the point of developing leukemia. All of those things can happen from getting high off human feces and urine.
"That's the very question that we have," said Captain Hammer. "Why you would ingest something into your system that's that nasty? You would have to ask those folks that are doing it."
Some signs a person might be taking hallucinogens like Jenkem are if they're acting nervous, jittery, experiencing tremors or have dilated pupils. Police say it can also be smelled on a person's breath since it's something they're breathing to get high.
Doctors and police say for parents to keep their kids away from things like Jenkem and other hallucinogens, they should pay extra attention to their kids.
That means they should wait up for them at night and not let their kids go to bed until they have seen them and smelled their breath
