People have heard of all of the commonly abused drugs like marijuana,
heroin and cocaine, but now there is a new drug people are starting
to abuse—Ivory Wave.
According to Dr. Leon Gussow, the editor for the medical toxicology blog The Poison Review, the makers of Ivory Wave have labeled it as a bath salt to get around laws that prohibit selling and distributing drugs.
Ivory Wave, also known as Purple Wave, White Lightning, Cloud 9, Vanilla Sky, Red Dove and Ocean, is considered a legal drug because there have been no laws or bans against it, but it can have serious effects on its users that can result in death.
According to a March issue of Emergency Medicine News, Ivory Wave’s effects can last up to a couple of days. Many users had to be monitored
in a critical care unit in the hospital for 12 hours after their heart rates became too rapid.
According to a Feb. 10 article in The Salt Lake Tribune, Ivory Wave is mostly abused by teenagers.
What gives Ivory Wave users their high is the key ingredient Methylenedioxypyrovalerone
(MDPV). MDPV is a toxic ingredient that causes dangerous side effects, many of which are similar to the ones people get from cocaine and methamphetamines.
“This drug will speed up body functions to a dangerous degree,” Gussow said. “It can markedly increase
blood pressure, increase pulse rate and increase body temperature. It also has an effect on the mind, often producing very frightening hallucinations
and visual changes. MDPV has been associated with the deaths of some teenagers and young adults.”
The drug’s legality is often called into question.
“It is not completely clear whether or not these products are legal,” Gussow said. “To specifically ban a product, the government must analyze, determine exactly what chemical it contains, and outlaw the chemical. This obviously takes some time. But since MDPC mimics the effects
of other illegal drugs, it can be argued that it too is illegal.”
IMAGE BY EMMA CRUTCHFIELD.
Ivory wave,