Warren Zysman Joins Independent Democratic Conference Leader Senator Jeff Klein, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito And Other Nyc Officials In Demanding That Ebay, Craigslist And Backpage Remove All K2 And K2 Paraphernalia From Their Sites

Victor F. Politi, MD, FACP, FACEP    Michael B. Mirotznik, Esq.,
President/CEO                                       Chairman Board of Directors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 8, 2015

PRESS CONTACT:
Shelley Lotenberg
shelley@numc.edu
516-572-6055

Warren Zysman Joins Independent Democratic Conference Leader State Senator Jeff Klein, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and other NYC Officials in Demanding that eBay, Craigslist and Backpage Remove all K2 and K2 Paraphernalia from their Sites

East Meadow, NY….Warren Zysman, Chief Executive Officer of ACI Chemical Dependency Treatment Centers, a member of NuHealth/NUMC board of directors and Great Neck resident, joined various New York City officials in demanding that various web sites such as eBay, Craigslist and Backpage, remove all K2 and K2 paraphernalia from their sites. Synthetic marijuana, also known as K2 has been a huge crisis this summer in New York City, sending over 120 persons to the emergency room in Harlem alone. Mr. Zysman joined Independent Democratic Conference  Leader State Senator Jeff Klein, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, City Council Members Ritchie Torres, Dan Garodnick, Ruben Wills and Lewis Cruz, a Bronx father whose son is addicted to K2 at the press conference, where they unveiled an alarming investigative report detailing the cyber market for K2.

A number of New York officials are proposing legislation with tougher penalties, for those selling drugs. Senator Jeff Klein and Mr. Zysman also appeared on the morning news show on WPIX Channel 11 to discuss legislation to make K2 synthetic marijuana illegal.

“I have a message for eBay, Craigslist, Backpage and other sites: It doesn’t matter if K2 is sold in the corner store or in cyberspace, you need to stop the proliferation of K2 and start policing your websites. My investigation found that the Internet is the both a virtual bodega and a chemists’ web warehouse. Disturbingly, sites not only peddle K2 — but also the materials needed to make it. On eBay my investigation even turned up pre-branded bags that we’ve seen on the streets of New York as ‘jewelry bags.’ Selling drug paraphernalia is against the company’s policy and I expect eBay and other sites to stop aiding dealers,” said State Senator Jeff Klein (D-Bronx Westchester).

The report also found posts on Amazon and eBay advertising colorful branded plastic bags that dealers use to package it. Craigslist searches of New York City, the Hudson Valley and Long Island brought up ads for K2 under a variety of names, including “herbal incense” and “herbal potpourri,” according to the report. Backpage also listed ads for the drug upstate. Some posts sold the drug directly, while others offered links to other sites or information on where to buy synthetic marijuana.

“This investigation clearly highlights that access to K2 is just as easy to get by just a click of a button,” said City Council Speaker Mark-Viverito. “Synthetic marijuana is a dangerous, unpredictable and illegal substance, and for too long, unscrupulous stores and online marketplaces have profited by peddling these deadly drugs to New Yorkers. I’m proud of the work the City has done, at the urging of the Council to aggressively tackle this issue and I thank State Senator Jeff Klein for his work on this report. I look forward to working collaboratively with our state legislators to put an end to this widespread problem.”

Mr. Zysman, who has also recently appeared on Long Island with Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray and Nassau County officials in calling for a heroin task force to combat the rising drug epidemic, stated: “An alarming number of patients being treated for K2 use and abuse at ACI Rehab located in midtown Manhattan are adolescents, ages 12 to 22.  The accessibility on the Internet and local stores, low cost and catchy names, such as “Scooby Snax,’ ‘fake-weed,’ and ‘moon rocks,’ make K2 an attractive choice for young people. K2 can have very harmful effects including hallucinations, paranoia, seizures and spikes in blood pressure, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.  The variability of the presenting symptoms and the fact that it does not show up on standard drug tests make K2 use and overdose challenging to diagnosis. Keeping drugs like K2 off the streets is another important piece of the puzzle when it comes to the war on drugs.”

Photo left to right:

New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viveritto is on the far left.  Next to her is Independent Democratic Conference Leader NYS Senator Jeff Klein, Warren Zysman in the center, Council member Dan Garodnick , and Council member Ruben Wills is on the far right