It’s a new drug that worries the police, even in the Hautes-Alpes. “Buddha Blue or Pop your skull”, better known as PTC, is what consumers call it, for its immediate, violent, and often dangerous effects. An awareness campaign is underway in the department around educational establishments.
Company
From daily life to major issues, discover the subjects that make up local society, such as justice, education, health and family.
France Télévisions uses your email address to send you the “Society” newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link at the bottom of this newsletter. Our privacy policy
On October 8, Hautes-Alpes police officers published on social networks an alert on the presence and increased consumption of a new drug around Gap middle and high schools, and insisted on the harmful effects of this drug that is ingested through electronic cigarettes, by vaping.
They’re not 18, but “PTC”, or “Buddah Blue”, they know what it is and how to get it. Before our eyes, they will take the process, and it’s as simple as chatting on different social networks. “In fact we have to mark just the word of the thing we are looking for, PTC, and there are some”, shows us on her phone this young girl who wishes to remain anonymous. ” Then we add them, and then they send a message.”she describes with disconcerting simplicity.
A powerful drug, this synthetic cannabis is consumed via electronic cigarettes.
“In Gap, yes, there are some who take it”, this young girl confirms to us, specifying that “They are young people, especially 14-15-16 years old.” She even adds with a laugh, “I know people who apparently take it it hurts their brain.”
A few months ago, a 15-year-old girl showed up to class in a daze, under the influence of this PTC, also called Buddha Blue. A first in this small mountain town.
“It caught our attention, because there is an almost legal side, as it is in a small bottle, it seems to be marketed on the internet, young people do not have the impression of committing the consumption of a narcotic product “, explains the divisional commissioner, Jérôme Bosse Platière,
Interdepartmental Director of the Hautes-Alpes national police.
The danger is that these chemical drugs contain a lot of active substance, four times more than classic cannabis. Young consumers are therefore exposed to a risk of discomfort or even hallucinations. Regular consumption can cause psychiatric disorders. Hence the vigilance of the police, all possession is prohibited.
The commissioner insists that despite appearances, it remains a drug.“It is an offense punishable by one year of imprisonment and it is, in the event of resale, an offense of trafficking in narcotics which can lead to up to 10 years of imprisonment, so it is serious” .
Against this colorless and odorless drug, the police also focus on prevention, and now intervene directly in middle and high schools.
Article written with Lucie Robert and Chloé Nivart
