And the law didn't stop with the designer drugs on the street in 1986, when the law was passed. Dozens of designer analog chemicals have been banned under the law. For a lot of reasons, almost all of which revolve around money. For another, many designer chemicals are easy to make. Precursors and other ingredients are often available from legitimate chemical supply houses, with few questions asked.
Some chemists make their own.
And that can mean trouble. The possibilities are as endless as the chemicals themselves. And just like the South Bronx episode we discussed earlier, users had no idea they were safety-testing chemicals that would be more at home in a toxic dump. In several cases, users were found dead or paralyzed with needles still stuck in their arms. In a strange, freaky, dangerous place.