Kate Stewart: Deadly drug needs a new name

Still from police video of a man using synthetic cannabis near the City Mission in Auckland's Hobson Street.

So, what's in a name?

Perhaps something, perhaps nothing and sometimes, as in the case of synthetic cannabis, perhaps everything.

This readily available man-made 'drug substitute' has been blamed for a string of deaths and countless hospital admissions and emergency callouts.

If there are no plans to stamp it out I, for one, feel that the first order of business, to hopefully prevent any further fatalities, is to relabel this potentially deadly product as soon as humanly possible.

It's current name/description is clearly misleading, to say the very least.

It may present as similar and although it can be smoked in much the same fashion as marijuana I believe that the comparisons stop there.

Judging by the video footage shown on news reports of people under the influence of this legal narcotic it clearly leaves users in a stupor with some falling into an almost catatonic like state.

Say what you want about marijuana but smoking a joint or two does not usually result in the complete stupefying of a person, a trip to the emergency room and or death by overdose.

It's patently obvious that this drug is not a close relative let alone a distant cousin of the naturally grown plant it pretends to be masquerading as.

By continuing to call it synthetic cannabis we are creating a false sense of security for the uneducated and unsuspecting first time buyers whose purchase may be made on the understandable assumption that this drug will mimic the same high that one can expect from smoking marijuana.

I also believe that despite its unfortunate labelling, many of its current users are continuing to smoke the crap precisely because the resulting high is so very different ... and for many, it's probably preferred.

They're no longer buying it in the belief it is a substitute, they continue using because this narcotics' high bears no resemblance whatsoever to that of a regular joint.

This is a totally new and different narcotic and one that is clearly in a league of its own. We should be very worried about its continued sale and legality.

Apart from being highly addictive, this is probably too, why media warnings pertaining to its dangers are going unheeded.

For the user, the feeling this drug brings about is clearly worth risking their life for.

Despite the most recent spate of deaths it renders me almost speechless that the powers that be have continued to allow the sale of these so called substitute party drugs when there are years of tragic stories and medical evidence to support the dangers and risk of addiction, meanwhile precious police, court and prison resources are still being poured into minor marijuana violations.

Perhaps after the election, the government may find time to discuss some law changes over a few glasses of their preferred drug of choice ... alcohol, at taxpayer expense, of course.

Not a good look for any political party to almost be seen as condoning the pushing of such a harmful substance.

The only thing that gets pushed passed Parliament with any speed these days appears to be their own annual pay increase.

If we're serious about saving lives we need to push for change and the label synthetic cannabis seems as good a place as any to start.