The 911 calls from downtown Dallas began piling up toward the end of 2015. Some would arrive as “unconscious person,” others as “welfare check.” Some were generic: “medical emergency” or “other.” A few came in as suicides. Dallas Fire-Rescue paramedics realized they were all related to one thing: the smoking of K2, the Dallas Morning News reports. The drug is a dangerously powerful blend of herbs and chemicals that was outlawed years ago in Dallas. It's still inexpensive and easy to find.
In December through Jan. 7, there were 192 calls related to the drug often — and incorrectly — referred to as “synthetic marijuana.” Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans says “the patients have been across the board, all age ranges.” Deputy Police Chief John Lawton said the overdoses are prevalent among homeless people. He adds, “I would think that with the medical emergencies that people are experiencing, people would stop utilizing this new form of drug that is so unpredictable,” Lawton said. “We ask people to think about what you're placing in your bodies. This stuff is very dangerous.”