Designer drug users have become more prevalent in Downtown Anchorage than chronic inebriates, according to the security director for the Anchorage Downtown Partnership.
Cory Evans addressed the extent of the problem during a free course Friday teaching people what designer drugs are, how to identify someone high on them and what to do. Former Anchorage prosecutor Jennifer Messick helped teach the course.
"I would say we're at the beginning of the designer drug era, not anywhere near the end of it," Messick said.
Messick says people need to be prepared when dealing with people high on designer drugs, although many Downtown businesses and security guards are already familiar with their users.
"The taking off of the clothes, the running around, the superhuman strength, resisting, fighting back, like running into -- in traffic screaming at cars," said Josh Langreck, a security guard for the partnership. "You name it, we've seen it."
Langreck says it's important that people know the dangers of the drugs.
"We need to educate everybody down here about these new drugs that are coming out, and be aware of what kind of reactions people are going to have," Langreck said.
Spike, XXX and Moby Shine are just a few of the latest designer drugs. The packaging reads, "Not for human consumption," but in fact the drugs are intended to be consumed by smoking, eating or addition to a liquid. Most of them are legal, according to Messick.
"Laws at the local, state and federal level are intended to prevent manufacturing, possession, distribution and use of these drugs -- but because it's so easy to change the chemical structure and get around the law, those laws, in a real sense they're kind of ineffective," Messick said.
While the chemical compounds keep changing to avoid running afoul of the law, their effects have stayed the same.
Messick says people using the designer drugs often experience physical symptoms including dangerously high blood pressure, high body temperature, erratic heartbeat, vomiting, seizure and unconsciousness. She says the symptoms can lead to death, especially if users are agitated or fighting.
According to Messick, a person using designer drugs often hallucinates about death, dead people or dying. They can't form sentences or properly pronounce words, they go on a roller coaster of emotions, and they take off their clothes due to the increased body temperature.
"They act very crazy, very zany, and they can exhibit signs of super human strength. Those are all signs that are associated with PCP, the drug PCP, but it's very common to see with designer drug use as well," Messick said. "It presents a huge safety issue for anyone, but especially law enforcement and first responders."
Messick says since 2008 the problem has only grown. The Anchorage Police Department agrees, and says it's responding to more and more overdoses due to the designer drugs.
Messick says people should contact 911 or emergency medical services if they suspect someone is high on a designer drug, for both their safety and theirs.
Contact Mallory Peebles