Nearly Two Dozen Homeless People in Calif. Fall Ill After Smoking `Illicit Substance`

Aug. 22--Almost two dozen people in downtown's Skid Row area were examined by paramedics this morning after they appeared to have ingested an illicit substance, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

"We're seeing a lot of patients, but not all are transported," said LAFD spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. "It's a dynamic situation."

Eighteen people were evaluated, and 14 of them were transported to hospitals, fire officials said.

The department received the call at 10:21 a.m., and paramedic units lined up at 429 E. Fifth St., not far where a similar event occurred on Friday, when least 18 people fell ill and were hospitalized Friday after they smoked a tainted batch of fake marijuana known as Spice,

The fake cannabis is a designer drug in which different herbs or plant shrubs are sprayed with lab-made liquid chemicals to mimic the effect of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. The street drug is sold under names such as Scooby Snax, K2, Paradise and Black Magic.

The Rev. Andy Bales, who heads the Union Rescue Mission, said on Friday drugs are a major problem on Skid Row.

"As long as we have people on the street in that brutal reality, they're going to be looking for an escape," Bales said.

He said unscrupulous dealers take advantage of the homeless, with some even going as far as "setting up tents" so they can blend in with the Skid Row population.

As Bales explained, Spice is a cheap high -- the equivalent of a last resort. People buy it around the middle of the month, after their general relief checks run out.

"It's usually a dollar a hit," he said.

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