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Tuesday, September 9, 2008

SNURF - The New Drug of Choice for Teenagers

SNURF is not a misspelling of Smurf, in fact these pills are pink and seem to provide the takers with more than they are expecting. Sold over the Internet as Herbal Suppliments, this new drug called SNURF seems to be wuite the rage with Teenagers.





Four students at Council Rock High School North in Newton, Penn., believed to be under the influence of an herbal supplement, were taken to a local hospital Monday, authorities said.

School administrators said they confiscated a package of small, pink pills called "SNURF" that were apparently purchased over the Internet. Newtown police are now analyzing the pills.

At about 11:45 a.m. Monday, a resource officer at the high school — located on Swamp Road in Newtown — requested an ambulance for a 16-year-old who was under the influence of an unknown substance.

The officer then called for additional ambulances when other students demonstrated some indication of an altered state.





School officials said all four of the 10th-grade boys were transported to St. Mary's Hospital by ambulance. One male student who was in possession of the substance gave it to the staff members.

Parents and staff were with the students Monday afternoon at the hospital.

By Monday night, three of the teens had been transferred to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, while one of them had been released.

School officials said in a press release that no other students are at risk but issued this warning: "From the information on the packaging, we understand that SNURF is an herbal supplement with mood altering properties. We strongly recommend that anyone in possession of these pills dispose of them immediately."

Police said their investigation has just begun, and charges may be filed based on the outcome of the investigation.

Police said they believe all procedures were followed by

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Snurf is the kind of term that most of us old fogies connect with a misspelling of smurf. Unfortunately it is nothing as benign. According to the Urban Dictionary, a snurf is a pill peddled as an herbal supplement that is little more than DXM.





Lest you are heading for your favorite dictionary, let me help you by explaining that DXM is dextromethorphan, a common ingredient in over the counter cold and cough remedies. When taken in large doses, DXM leads to a form of euphoria that is sometimes underscored by hallucinations.

It is most noteworthy that the sale of DXM is not illegal in the United States, unless it is done without accompanying warning labels, as was noted in a 2006 case involving the United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota.

You might wonder what snurf, DXM and cough syrup have to do with the price of tea in China, until you listen to a My Fox Philadelphia report that outlines the far reaching consequences of the indiscriminant sale of marginally legal substances to anyone with a credit card.

Council Rock High School North is the venue where four students were taken to the hospital after ingesting snurf. Fortunately it appears that the 10th graders involved will be fine once the substance makes its way out of their systems, but the questions remain: how do 16 year olds buy perception altering drugs online?

Just as important is the question what could be funny about foisting them off on the unsuspecting, as was the case in a different matter involving the Unionville High School in Pennsylvania. Also reported by Fox Philadelphia, in this case a student knowingly spiked a batch of homemade cookies and handed them around the kids. Eight were adversely affected, some of whom had no idea what they were ingesting.

Even as my high school experience is some of decades in the past, I am beginning to wonder if I was merely on the fringe of all things popular, or if it simply was a different time and place. There were no drug - that I know of - and the worst anyone did in the bathroom was smoke.

So if you see a page that says "GET YOUR SNURF HERE" You know what to expect

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