New Bedford City Council Cracking Down on Synthetic Drugs

The synthetic drugs known as "Herbal Incense", "K2", and a variety of names are being sold in stores throughout New Bedford, but the City Council is hoping to stop that practice.

The Council has called on state and local health officials to ban the sale of such products, that when smoked, produce an effect similar to that of marijuana. But City Councilor Brian Gomes says that after speaking to local families dealing with teenagers using the drug, the effects can be much worse.

Gomes hopes that action can be taken immediately, and also called on the business community to remove such products from their shelves. The Council is also looking for a ban on the product known as "bath salts".

A federal ban on synthetic marijuana was signed into law last July, but manufacturers continue to produce similar products using different chemicals not covered by the ban.