The UK Spice Epidemic: Prelude to a Zombie Apocalypse?
31st July 2017
By Elliot Miller
“Dawn of the Living Dead: Drug-users become ‘ZOMBIES’ after smoking super-strong Spice”, reads the Daily Mail. But what is spice and are people actually turning into ‘zombies’?
Spice is a mixture of dried herbs and plant material sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids, laboratory-made chemicals which mimic the effects of THC – the psychoactive compound found in cannabis. The new psychoactive substance, previously referred to as a ‘legal high’, was banned by the Government under the Psychoactive Substances Act in May 2016. This new legislation made it illegal to produce, supply or import spice and other psychoactive substances. It was then reclassified as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act last December, making possession of it a criminal offence.
The change in law was made to protect vulnerable people from harm, with spice found to be up to 100 times more potent than cannabis. This is because the chemicals bind to cannabinoid receptors in the brain more effectively than THC, producing adverse and unpredictable effects. These include: extreme anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, vomiting, difficulty breathing, violent behaviours, seizures, high blood pressure, rapid heart rate, heart attacks, and in some cases, death.
So why are people smoking spice even though it’s effects are dangerous and unpredictable? Well, spice is strong and cheap – £5 can buy half a gram – making it popular among homeless people with little money. Also, rough-sleepers have reported using spice because of it’s ability to make hours seem like minutes, evidently appealing for those spending boring, long and meaningless days on the streets. Of course there is not any obvious benefit of taking the drug when looking at life through rose-tinted glasses, but imagine being homeless and waking up with a lack of purpose everyday; the attraction is obvious.
With sensationalist headlines of a “spice zombie epidemic”, one might mistakenly believe that homeless people are turning into flesh-eating zombies after using spice. But in reality, these are dehumanising remarks towards those most vulnerable in society. These ‘spice zombies’ are people using the drug in a desperate attempt to self-medicate – numbing painful emotions and allowing them to escape reality. These ‘zombie’ accusations create a mask, causing readers to have little or no consideration of users’ reasons for taking the drug.
It’s important to look beyond the dehumanising ‘zombie’ remarks in right-wing newspapers and understand users’ motivations for smoking spice. Remember, they are real people crying for help, not extras from ‘The Walking Dead’.