Counselors Warn of New Drug Craze

"Believe it or not kids are smoking incense," Drug Counselor Karen Eischens said. "It's easy to get, it creates a high similar to marijuana, and it's cheap."

Incense, sold under names like K2, Blaze, and Spice, can be found at gas stations and tobacco stores across the U.S. It comes in small packets, full of loose incense that teens are apparently rolling and smoking to get high. There are hundreds of videos posted on YouTube of teens trying this new fad, said to be more dangerous than real pot.

Eischens told 12 News that more and more of her clients at Riverplace Counseling Centers are using these so-called "fake pot" products without knowing the side effects.

"It's incredibly dangerous," she said. "It is much more dangerous than organic marijuana because the people that make these products are not sure or clear about the strength."

Eischens says the unknown combination of chemicals makes the side effects of these drugs unpredictable.

"Some of the side effects we've seen are flushing of the skin, severe sweating, arrhythmia, chest pain, even seizures," she said. "People have died from the use of this product."

Counselors say teenagers are smoking incense as a gateway drug, "We've seen teenagers start using these fake pot products and then advance to other drugs."

Right now the synthetic pot products are legal, but Minnesota lawmakers are stepping in. Representative Mike Nelson is one of several lawmakers supporting a bill to ban K2 and other products like it by Aug. 1 of this year.

"Last summer at a town meeting I was surprised to learn about this problem," he said. "We have to ban these products. We don't need kids getting hurt using them."

While the bill works its way through committees, Eischens and Nelson say parents should be aware of these products.

"Parents need to talk with their kids," Nelson said. "I know it's hard to stay on top of all the new things kids are doing, but you have to stay aware if you're going to protect your kids."