A new pill stamped with a "Swastika" sign and laced with LSD that puts people in a state of aggressive delirium and causes them to foam at the mouth is spreading rapidly across Iceland, worrying parents and prompting authorities to call for vigilance particularly among young people.
The hallucinogenic mauve-coloured pill has reportedly surged in the capital city Reykjavik, where a number of students and teenagers have been rushed to the hospital after collapsing and foaming at the mouth following the intake of the drug, the Daily Mail reported.
The latest incident happened in Suournes where a young man launched an unprovoked attack on a neighbour before foaming at the mouth, vomiting and collapsing to the ground. The man had taken one pill and had two more found in his pocket, police said.
"The tablet causes strong hallucinogenic effects, and we have had numerous cases of users who have completely lost touch with reality and are a danger to themselves and others,'' said the Police Commissioner in Suournes, according to the Daily Mail.
Reports said the pills are dangerous even when held by the hand for a period of time because the chemicals in them are easily absorbed through the skin, resulting in similar effects when they are orally taken.
"We have warned our officers not to handle the tablets with their bare hands as the drug can easily be absorbed through the skin and lead to them experiencing similar effects,'' said the police commissioner
The Reykjavik City Police Department has been scrambling to contain the outbreak over the past few days and is repeatedly warning youngsters not to try the pills, the reports said.
The Swastika-stamped pills are believed to have been smuggled out to clubs and bars all over the country, and are being sold at black market at £12 a tablet. Promoters of the dangerous drugs are targeting teenagers and students, police warned.
The new pill contains Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), a psychoactive or psychotropic substance whose effects changes brain function and results in alterations in perception, mood or consciousness.
Authorities said the Swastika pill is similar to Ecstacy, which has been classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as Schedule I drug, a description reserve for dangerous substances with no recognised medical use.
Others under the same classification are heroin and LSD.
Drug information posted on drugfreeworld.org said LSD is widely available and sold on the street in small tablets, capsules or gelatin squares. It comes in different form and occasionally is sold in liquid form.
"But no matter what form it comes in, LSD leads the user to the same place—a serious disconnection from reality,'' the DEA said.
