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Iowa Father Asks Senators for Action Against Synthetic Drugs

An Iowa father testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday morning  in favor of curbing synthetic drug use. 

Mike Rozga of Indianola says his son David died by suicide after a suffering severe hallucinations in reaction to synthetic marijuana.

He says law enforcement and prosecutors don’t have the tools they need for combating synthetic drugs, which are often sold commercially.

"We are living in a time when bath salts are not put in your bath water. K2 is not the second highest mountain in the world. Purple Haze is not a Jimi Hendrix song. And, Ivory Snow is not soap," says Rozga. "The people manufacturing and distributing these drugs are excellent marketers. They hide behind false advertising and use our own laws against us. Quite simply, these people are murders who knowingly sell poison for their own financial gain."

Because the chemical compound of each synthetic drug is distinct, federal officials say it’s difficult to quickly place controls on new ones.