The Los Angeles City Council on Friday approved an emergency motion directing the city attorney’s office to draft an ordinance that would ban the manufacture and sale of a synthetic drug that may be linked to dozens of overdoses in downtown’s skid row. “It’s wreaking havoc in our communities.”In the past week, more than 50 people on skid row have been hospitalized, many suspected of ingesting the synthetic drug. Don Graham described the scene as “chaos” last Friday when dozens of people collapsed on skid row and had to be taken to hospitals. Community groups began handing out fliers on skid row this week, warning of the dangers of spice. In April, 15 people in skid row were hospitalized after consuming the drug.

Source: Los Angeles Times August 26, 2016 19:30 UTC