Spice Drug - Still Common In Hazleton Area

'Spice' is a "synthetic marijuana" that is used because of it's ability to be hard to detect on drug tests.

Spice has a frequently changing chemical makeup, due to the chemicals that are used to produce the substance being made illegal and forcing the chemical make-up to be changed.

The chemicals have become increasingly more dangerous over the years, causing a surge in deaths and seizures.

Although described as a "synthetic marijuana",the substance bares almost no similarities to it's natural counterpart. The largest difference being the clear health risks from inhaling the 'spice'.

Wilkes-Barre has been battling a high number of overdoses recently, many resulting in death.

Hazleton has had four documented deaths from 'spice' in 2015.

Documented 'overdoses' that did not result in death but required EMS are in the dozens for the Hazleton area in 2015.

Most recenty, Hazleton Police responded to the area of 4th and Alter around 2pm, where a male was reportedly overdosing from the substance.

The male was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital Hazleton by EMS, but not before telling HPD that another individual might be close by and also be experiencing an overdose.

Hazleton Police were told that on Lafayette Court near 4th, there would be another male in need of EMS.

HPD did find another male in the area, and EMS was initially dispatched, but the male did not require medical assistance.

It is not known if either of the two were charged.