In: Root » Health » Nutrition
Salvia is an herb found in Mexico and other parts of Latin America that has hallucinogenic effects and is becoming more popular with teenagers. When you think of a hallucinogenic drug that is used by teenagers, several well-known drugs might come to mind. You might not think about salvia, but an increasing number of rehab centers are treating teens for addiction to salvia; in fact the 2009 annual report from the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) said that more teens have tried salvia than ecstasy. So what is salvia and why are an increasing number of drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs treating people with addictions to it? It is an herb that is commonly grown in southern Mexico along with parts of Central and South America. Chewing the leaf produces hallucinogenic effects for a brief period of time (
between one to 30 minutes) that include "psychedelic-like changes in visual perception, mood and body sensations, emotional swings, feelings of detachment, and importantly, a highly modified perception of external reality and the self, leading to a decreased ability to interact with one's surroundings." Last year 5.7 percent of all high school seniors reported using salvia in the past year, a number that could potentially lead to an influx of young adults needing a drug rehab program in the future. Dr. Wilson Compton, director of the NIDA's division of epidemiology, services and prevention research, told US News & World Report that this number was "a higher rate than I would have anticipated" - a rate that signals a growing problem that drug and alcohol abuse center administrators should be keeping tabs on. "We knew it was a bit of a problem, but we hadn't realized it was quite that common," he said. Salvia is currently legal in most of the United States, although the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has listed it as "drug of concern" due to the drug's similarities to LSD. Studies are researching the addictive qualities of salvia along with addiction treatment. However, as with any drug that stimulates the pleasure centers inside a person's brain repeated use of salvia can potentially cause long-term problems as well as acting as a "gateway" to other drugs that cause addictions that end in a drug addiction center. - Annabeth Morrison is a freelance writer living in Port Royal, Pennsylvania. She has written for major magazines, newspapers and online news sites.
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