NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Imagine a designer drug that has created paranoid zombies with incredible strength. We have obtained video showing what this drug can do to a user, and now Flakka has been making it's way into Tennessee.
Some said they consider it more dangerous than meth. Flakka - some have called it gravel -- has been selling for $5 a hit. Cheap and powerful.
"They are hallucinating. They are in a psychotic stage. They may have super human strength," said one doctor who's treated users.
Security video out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida showed one user high on Flakka, running around the streets naked. What's he feeling?
"Delusional, paranoid, increased heart rate and blood pressure. They get agitated and do out of their mind things," said Jeff Moore.
Moore and Dr. John Benitez - with the Tennessee Poison Center - have been watching for the expected rise of this new illegal drug in Tennessee.
"Part of my job is to be in touch with TBI and other agencies national and local," said Dr. Benitez.
"Every few months the junior chemists come out with stronger versions of the same drug," said Moore.
In this case they're talking about bath salts.
Flakka has been the latest hybrid - more addictive and cheaper than meth. Patients lose control.
"They are getting pretty wild and crazy," said Dr. Benitez.
"People get crazy on this and do crazy things not only harming themselves, but other people," said Moore.
Such antics have made headlines in Florida as they're caught on security video.
One man impaled himself on a spiked fence while trying to break into a police station.
How long before we see that here?
"It has been making waves in Florida... as the epicenter and it is potentially spreading throughout the United States," said Moore.
He and Benitez said it's just a matter of time until we see users in Tennessee, and it's likely Flakka has already been here.
That's an alert for police to prepare for the dangerous behavior that comes with it.
Flakka has been made in China and shipped here.
Why the sudden popularity? It's cheap and addictive. Users have refered to it as "five dollar insanity."
