Adams County is not immune to exposure to K2 | Life / Entertainment

“My brother is now in rehab after becoming addicted to K2 last year,” a woman from Gettysburg recently told the Times. “He was a student at Gettysburg High School, and he had a lot of friends who bought things at gas stations. It’s a serious addiction, and it has affected my brother and our family. “

K2 is a blend of herbs treated with chemicals to get a marijuana-like buzz.

Symptoms include palpitations, confusion, high blood pressure, hallucinations and seizures.

“At first he thought he could stop, but he became addicted. We have noticed that he is starting to lie and has some other symptoms such as hallucinations ”.

She knew things were getting serious when her brother stopped sleeping at night because of paranoia. During a certain period her family had to take him to the hospital twice a week.

“He was talking to you and then he suddenly broke down and said that the police would come or someone would come to the house to hurt him. One day my mom found him walking down the road because he said he was trying to escape. ”

Earlier this year, the woman’s brother tried to wean himself off K2, but it was very difficult for him to get into a rehabilitation program.

“Being an addict, emotions are everywhere and they understand that they need help, but they don’t know what needs to be done to get it,” she said. “It takes time to call and go on a date. They have a lot to do on their own. I was next to my brother at every meeting. I had his big support system because my parents had to work to pay the bills. We received enough state funding to rehabilitate him in a few weeks. “

The whole process, she said, takes a lot of damage not only for the addict but also for the family.

“It is very important not to give up the addict, but it is also not necessary to maintain his offensive mental state,” she added. “Friends and relatives cannot be afraid to call the police. I called the police on my brother. I had to understand that the man who said all these insulting and vile things was not my brother. He was out of his mind. “

She read to help her cope with the struggle. Brad Lama’s novel “How to Help the One You Love,” she said, giving her the answers she’s looking for.

“There is hope for everyone, but it is so important to have a positive and loving support system,” she said. “Don’t give up because even though many people believe that people are impossible to change, everyone is capable of change. I promise. “

On April 4, the U.S. House of Representatives passed HB 356, according to which the storage and sale of synthetic drugs such as K2 and bath salts were illegal. It is now before the Senate.

A local woman hopes that attempts to make K2 illegal and her brother’s recovery have a positive outcome.

“He is close to graduating from school, but I told him that no one can help him if he doesn’t help himself,” she said. “I hope he can continue on his way to recovery.”