The Upstate New York Poison Center is launching a campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of synthetic marijuana. Synthetic marijuana is blamed for at least two deaths in Central New York.
Michele Caliva says the Poison Center is seeing an alarming increase in calls from people looking for information about the effects of the drugs.
"We hear time and time again from the young people that are abusing the drug that they don't have a clue it's as dangerous as it is and I suspect the parents don't either," she says.
Onondaga County Health Commissioner Dr. Cynthia Morrow says synthetic marijuana products packaged with names such as K2, Spice and Happy Shaman, can cause seizures, kidney failure and even death.
"They may think because it is available in the corner store or head shop it is fine and safe and they are absolutely wrong. We need to make sure that people know this stuff is dangerous," Dr. Morrow says.
Synthetic Marijuana is legal in New York State but efforts are underway to ban it. For more information click here.
