Over three days, more than 100 people fell ill after smoking a batch of K2 officials say was laced with AB-Fubinaca. Police Chief Anthony Campbell said chemical was "knocking people down."
More than 70 people fell ill in or around a historic park in New Haven, near the Yale University campus. Police believe the synthetic cannabinoid K2 laced with fentanyl caused the rash of overdoses.
Cities across the U.S. have seen surges in ER visits and hospitalizations tied to an evolving category of chemical substances, such as K2 or Spice. What can be done?
Outlawing more than a dozen cannabinoids — chemicals concocted in labs and sprayed on leaves to create this risky street drug — hasn't stopped the problem. Chemists just make new versions.
The number of people seen in the ER with psychotic symptoms or seizures after using a type of synthetic marijuana called K2 has soared. Manufacturers often change its chemistry to evade detection.
