Synthetics are Dangerous Act of 2013

To amend the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998 to increase public awareness about the dangers of synthetic drugs through the national youth antidrug media campaign. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Synthetics are Dangerous Act of 2013 2. Findings The Congress finds as follows: (1) Synthetic drugs, sometimes referred to as designer drugs, are chemical compounds produced in clandestine laboratories to mimic or enhance the effects of schedule I controlled substances such as methamphetamine, ecstasy, and marijuana. (2) Given the lack of extensive medical research on many synthetic drugs and their various analogues, the full scope of their harmful effects is not well understood. (3) The circumstantial evidence of the harmful effects of synthetic drugs, particularly synthetic cannabinoids (such as K2 spice bath salts (A) in 2010, more than 11,000 individuals were admitted into the emergency room from complications arising from synthetic drug use, and nearly 25 percent of those patients required further medical treatment; and (B) in 2011, the American Association of Poison Control Centers reported more than a two-fold increase in the number of calls related to synthetic marijuana from the previous year. (4) The harmful effects of ingesting synthetic drugs include but are not limited to agitation, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, elevated blood pressure, tremor, seizures, hallucinations, paranoid behavior, and nonresponsiveness. (5) Like all schedule I drugs, these synthetic drugs are drugs that have a high potential for abuse, have no medical use in the United States, and lack an accepted safe use. (6) The passage of the Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 2012 was an important step in reducing the access of teens and young adults to dangerous and addictive synthetic drugs. (7) New synthetic drugs are being manufactured that contain chemical compounds not found on schedule I, as set forth in section 202(c) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812(c)), that nevertheless mimic or enhance the effects of controlled substances like methamphetamine, marijuana, ecstasy, and LSD. (8) Hundreds, potentially thousands, of teens and young adults will be admitted into emergency rooms around the country from complications caused by the ingestion of the next breed of harmful, synthetic drugs. (9) It is the sense of the Congress that there is an urgent need, particularly among teens, young adults, and parents, to raise awareness about the dangers of these new synthetic drugs. 3. Increasing public awareness of dangers of synthetic drugs through national youth antidrug media campaign Section 709 of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998 (21 U.S.C. 1708) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)(3), by inserting and synthetic drug use illegal drug use (2) by redesignating subsection (l) as subsection (m) and inserting after subsection (k) the following new subsection: (l) Definitions For purposes of this section: (1) Drug The term drug (2) Synthetic drug The term synthetic drug 21 U.S.C. 802(6) .

Summary: Synthetics are Dangerous Act of 2013 - Amends the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998 to: (1) include among the purposes of the national youth anti-drug media campaign to encourage parents and other interested adults to discuss with young people the dangers of synthetic drug use; (2) define "drug" for purposes of such campaign to be a controlled substance, including a synthetic drug; and (3) define a "synthetic drug" as an artificially produced substance that is an analog or derivative of a controlled substance but is not itself a controlled substance.