Buddha Blue: "There are people who are wasting their lives" testifies a former consumer
Buddha Blue: what does this drug contain, how is it consumed?
Produced in China and India, Buddha Blue is a synthetic cannabinoid that mimics the psychoactive effects of THC, the active molecule in cannabis. However, its dosages are difficult to control and its effects, even at low doses, are most of the time much more powerful than those of natural cannabis. “It is estimated that this product would be composed of a synthetic cannabinol equivalent to a THC concentration of 95%. But we still do not know a lot about this product, whether analyzes were carried out and under what conditions they were carried out. In comparison, the joints of our parents contained 6 to 8% THC.Today, the cannabis found in France has a THC concentration of 15 to 16%.So, with an equivalent of 95% THC , we can easily imagine that the effects are colossal", says Vincent Villiers, addictologist and hypnotherapist specializing in cannabis addiction. Note that some symptoms may persist for up to 24 hours after taking.
Odorless and colorless, this substance with a seductive taste is in the form of vaping liquid for electronic cigarettes. It can also be sprayed on herbs to mimic cannabis. Inexpensive, it can be ordered on the Internet for a few tens of euros and is found under various names: Buddha Blue, Blue, Spice, Legal Eye, K2...
What are its effects ?
Drinking Buddha Blue starts with relaxing and "getting high". Euphoria, relaxation and a feeling of joy are among the expected effects. But during the "rise" phase, the consumer may also experience undesirable effects such as:
- hot flashes,
- severe headaches,
- respiratory distress,
- tachycardia (the heart beats very quickly or even irregularly),
- hallucinations,
- paralysis,
- crises of paranoia and exits from the body
He consumed Buddha Blue for several months and he testifies today on France Bleu Normandie. This drug nicknamed PTC is odorless and colorless and is "vaped" neither seen nor known. Sylvain recounts his addiction and his desire to break away from it definitively.
A legal drug or not?
Since a decree of March 31, 2017, Buddha Blue (which would correspond to the cannabinoid 5F-AKB-48) is classified on the list of narcotics. Its sale and use are therefore illegal.
What to do in case of poisoning?
In the event of an anxiety attack or panic attack, it is advisable to sit up, put your head down and then breathe steadily and slowly. In the event of more serious symptoms (delusional behavior, respiratory distress, hallucinations, tachycardia, paranoia, etc.), call 15 to request medical assistance. Do not drive after consuming this substance.
Can we be addicted to it?
In theory, the higher the THC content of a product, the greater the addictive effect. "However, since the effects of Buddha Blue are extremely powerful, testing this synthetic drug often generates anxiety. Few people experience this hallucinatory experience well and few people want to repeat it", explains Vincent Villiers. In other words, because of the violent or even traumatic effects of this substance, its addictive effect would therefore remain moderate.
Addiction in adolescents: how to react?
"In addictology, we do not speak of "addiction" for adolescents, but rather of "addictive behavior" since it is estimated that the brain of adolescents is not yet finished from a structural point of view. a little more advanced age that we can speak of a phenomenon of dependence. Moreover, most adolescents who present addictive behaviors will abandon them in adulthood. On the other hand, there is cause for concern when there is suspicion of addictive behavior, when the teenager becomes dissociated, when his grades drop at school or when his behavior changes (aggressiveness, withdrawal, lack of confidence, vulnerability, loss of appetite, etc.) “, explains our interlocutor.
To help a young person abandon their addictive behavior, young consumer consultations (CJC) are provided by professionals in certain Centers for care, support and prevention in addictology (CSAPA) or in places specializing in welcoming young people. (Adolescent centres, reception points for young people). It is a methodology adapted to support teenagers in their addictive behavior with regard to substances such as cannabis and to offer them help before their consumption becomes problematic. The teenager can go alone or be accompanied by a relative or his parents.
He is 18 years old and we will call him Sylvain*. A student in his final year, he will pass his baccalaureate at the end of the year. But he will pass it as a free candidate, because Sylvain left high school to get out of a drug he used there daily. "In the smoking area in high school, a friend sold it to me. These are small vials of liquid that can be vaped. It's cheap (10 euros per vial) and it's discreet."
The young people call her PTC, the initials of "Fart your skull". France Bleu Normandie reported in mid-October the damage it is beginning to cause in the Caen academy. Odorless and colorless, it is "vaped" neither seen nor known. "It can even happen that people consume it without knowing it by pulling on someone else's" steamer ". And it's so odorless that I consumed it in class, a lot."
I scared myself
The effects of PTC are very intense. Sylvain explains that he was looking for the stoned, the feeling of no longer realizing the passage of time, of being in another world. But the problem with this synthetic cannabinoid is that it is difficult to dose. "Once I shot a friend's 'vape'. Immediately I felt very dizzy, I couldn't see anything. I sort of lost consciousness for a few seconds. And when I 'woke up', I no longer knew where I was. I scared myself."
After several months of heavy drinking, Sylvain finally managed to talk about it, especially to his parents. Today, he is in withdrawal, it is not easy he admits, it is still fragile, but he wants to testify. "It's naive to believe that you can be stronger than a drug as cruel as PTC. When I see students in my class who start taking it, when last year they saw me diving and getting high all year in class, I try to warn them. They tell me that they manage. And I see them sleeping in class the following week."
Sylvain consumed for several months. His addiction led him to drop out of high school. He will pass his baccalaureate as a free candidate hoping to "make up for lost time". He regrets that this drug is still so little known.
Today there are many people who are wasting their lives with this, we have to talk about it.
Since the start of the Caen academy, seven high schools have reported reports to the rectorate. High schools mainly located in the Caen conurbation. 17 students fell ill after inhaling Buddha Blue.'
