Parents Fight to Make Salvia Illegal
Ryan Santanna was 21 this month when he got high on salvia the 15th floor bedroom balcony of a building on Roosevelt Island in New York -and then fell to his death. Salvia is a member of the mint family that gives the user a fast, strong high. Users either chew the drug or smoke it in rolling papers or with a bong and report a high that is similar to a mix of marijuana and LSD. The effects kick in quickly -on average, around 30 seconds -and last for about 15 minutes.
Legalize or Illegalize: What to do with Salvia
In New York, salvia is legal, but Santanna’s parents are fighting that fact. They believe that it’s irresponsible not to regulate the drug given the effects and, judging by what happened to their son, it’s not hard to see why they’re working so hard on their cause.
Santanna’s father said: “I would like to have it illegalized because of the effect it causes and the loss of life. I’ll do everything in my power to get this thing out of the market. Like my son, I think a lot of people don’t understand what this is. Sometimes the only way to stop people is to make them afraid. I want people to be afraid of this stuff.
“They say, “We can’t do anything until something happens.” Well, something happened. It cannot be legal anymore.”
The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) says legislation is pending to illegalize the drug in New York. In California, the only thing restricted about salvia is its distribution.
Medical professionals and researchers haven’t had time to do any long-term studies on the drug, so while there is no concrete evidence to denounce its use and effects, there is clearly anecdotal evidence that says that the drug should be regulated.
Santanna’s Experience with Salvia
Santanna wasn’t alone the night he died. He was with Benazir Balani, his ex-girlfriend. Balani said that after the he smoked the drug, Santanna “lay down on his stomach and pretended to swim like an animal.”
She said: “He stared at me but it was like he wasn’t seeing me. It was just a blank stare.”
Without warning, Santanna jumped. Said Balani: “He just ran and hopped over the fence. He had no idea who he was, what he was doing.”
Though Santanna’s death is being investigated as a possible suicide, he has no history of mental problems and those who knew him described him as a happy person.
Is Salvia a Problem in Your Neighborhood?
It is estimated that more than 1.8 million Americans over the age of 12 have experimented with salvia. Even Miley Cyrus was filmed smoking the drug. Is it a problem in your neighborhood? For someone in your family? For you? It is possible to be addicted to salvia. If the drug has become a problem for you or someone you love, contact us today to get help through extensive, holistic treatment and sober living. Call now.
When I read the effects, I knew instantly it needed to have legal controls on it. Billions of people on the planet, all doing different things. You can’t have it be legal to have anyone of them take a trip any time they like. It would only be a matter of time before someone does it while driving. Or someone tries to fly out of a building, only to fall to their death. Oh wait….