[video=youtube;LTHNNVtziEg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTHNNVtziEg"[/video] IT'S the legal high dubbed the YouTube drug that has sparked a shocking internet craze. After filming themselves smoking hallucination-inducing salvia leaves, hundreds of young people then post the disturbing footage online. The effects of the drug are as varied as they are frightening. Like LSD, salvia makes some users scream in terror. Others laugh uncontrollably while many are rendered delirious. Scenes of extreme reactions prompt massive numbers of viewings on YouTube. One clip, called "Salvia Trip" and featuring a girl who thinks her mouth is about to fall off, has been watched more than TWO MILLION times. Another, "Salvia.Louise", shows a young Londoner stumbling around to fend off an imagined attack and babbling incoherently. Scores of clip titles including "Worst salvia trip in history" and "Salvia trip to hell" leave viewers in no doubt about the substance's potency. Salvia belongs to the mint family - and is the most hallucinogenic herb known. Its leaves are usually dried and smoked through a pipe. But producers cashing in on the craze have created mega-strength versions, which offer hits up to 100 TIMES more powerful than the natural form. Highly concentrated liquid extract is also popular. Nicknamed Magic Mint and Sally-D, the mind-altering drug is banned in many countries, including Australia, Belgium and Germany. However, in the UK it is not only legal but easily available from online traders and market stalls for as little as £2 a gram. The British government is banning legal highs such as GBL and BZP this year, as we reported last week. Yet despite calls from MPs, salvia has not been included in this list. Dr Ken Checinski, a senior lecturer in addictive behaviour at St George's University of London and FRANK spokesman, said: "Because it is legal it appeals to a sub-group of thrill-seekers who wouldn't normally take illegal drugs. "Salvia contains a number of psychoactive amphetamine-like substances. It can increase the heart rate and raise blood pressure. In extreme cases it can produce a psychotic reaction. "Just because it's legal doesn't mean it won't do you harm. "I've been aware of salvia in the UK for the past four years. There has been a spike in its popularity because of the internet and YouTube. I'm very worried about its increase in popularity." University of Hertfordshire drug addiction expert Professor Fabrizio Schifano has also raised fears over the intense high, which many believe could trigger mental health problems. He said: "I am very concerned about the use and misuse of salvia because it contains an active ingredient that can trigger hallucinations. "For some vulnerable individuals this may mean the onset of a psychotic episode. It is not some innocuous drug." While there have been no recorded salvia-related deaths in the UK, in 2006 it was linked to the suicide of Brett Chidester, in Delaware, USA. The bright student, 17, died from carbon monoxide poisoning in his dad's garage. His death certificate states salvia as a contributing factor. In a note found on his computer, Brett wrote: "Salvia allows us to give up our senses and wander in time and space." Brett's devastated mum, Kathleen, launched a campaign to ban the drug, and has succeeded in their home state. She said: "Brett was fearless about trying salvia. He first tried it in June and he was dead by January." The consequences of a new drug hitting British streets feature in the action movie, Reckoning Day, which was released on DVD on Monday. As part of the promotional campaign, two volunteers agreed to try salvia for the first time - and were left astounded it is still legal. London cameraman Chris McCarthy, 32, said: "I smoked leaves 20 times the normal strength. Within 30 seconds of inhaling a shallow breath I lost consciousness of my surroundings. I felt like I had merged with the environment. Terrified "It was the most frightening thing I've ever experienced. My body was completely overpowered. I enjoy a drink and the odd cigarette but salvia shouldn't be messed with." The other volunteer, TV producer Neil Smythe, 38, from Carshalton, Surrey, said: "Salvia left me absolutely terrified. I don't take drugs or smoke so I couldn't believe its effect. After one lungful I had what I'd call an out-of-body experience. "It was like being in a dream, but I was locked in the dream-like state. I began to worry my mind would be like that forever. It was so frightening I began sweating. I'd never do salvia again." A Home Office spokesman confirmed salvia is not one of the legal highs being banned later this year. He said the Advisory Council On The Misuse Of Drugs, which recommends bans to the Home Office "will be looking at salvia and other legal highs in due course. "The Home Office would then consider any future recommendation." http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepag...s-of-legal-drug-Salvia-posted-on-YouTube.html
^ most people say it makes you melt into your surroundings and all sorts of nightmare stuff, seems to have the effects of acid or magic mushrooms.
