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Arnold School alum's expertise on dangers of synthetic drugs is sought by media in S.C. crisis
October 26, 2011
Cecily Watkins is working at LARADA, her first job since graduating from the Arnold School of Public Health.
The growing threat of synthetic drugs has put Arnold School grad Cecily Watkins squarely in the media spotlight in recent weeks.
Watkins, a prevention specialist with LRADAC, the Midlands' drug and alcohol treatment agency, has been featured in interviews on Columbia TV stations WIS, WLTX, WACH and in The State newspaper.
The media has sought Watkins for information on the use of fake marijuana, known as "K2" and "Spice," and also for information about "Bath Salts," the street name for a white powder that can mimic the effects of cocaine, LSD and methamphetamine.
Use of the drugs has become widespread, making users across the nation seriously ill. The drugs cause seizures and hallucinations, and deaths have been reported.
After a handful of cities in South Carolina banned the products, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Oct. 21 declared them a public health crisis and set a temporary 90-day statewide ban. DHEC has now made the products illegal in South Carolina.
Some users have claimed the substances are harmless because they were being sold in gas stations and smoke shops.
That's not so, Watkins said.
"The effects have been quite awful. The emergency rooms are seeing an increase in people who are showing up with symptoms ranging from nausea to extreme vomiting, extreme anxiety and extreme agitation," she said. "Some people have stayed awake for up to three days, unable to be sedated. Others have had suicidal thoughts, and some have even taken their own lives."
Reports have come in from mental health officials "who tell us that people who use these drugs are now coming to mental health facilities for assessment," she said.
Watkins has been working at LRADAC (Lexington Richland Alcohol Drug & Abuse Council) for about a year. It's her first job since graduating from the Arnold School with a master's degree in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior.
News about the new drugs has kept her in the spotlight recently, but her daily role as a prevention specialist is busy enough. She has made scores of presentations to students, teachers, administrators, law enforcement, and community leaders about the negative effects of drugs and underage drinking.
She also has spoken to local and state lawmakers and has worked to assist them with preparing ordinances and bills to ban synthetic drugs.
Watkins said her training at the Arnold School prepared her for her job at LRADAC. She credits Arnold School faculty members Dr. Lillian Smith, Dr. Ken Watkins and Dr. Sara Corwin as having major influences on her academic career.
Watkins graduated from Irmo High School. She earned her bachelor's degree from USC-Aiken before enrolling in the Arnold School, where she earned an Elizabeth Newton Fellowship and a Ferguson Fellowship through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
She is studying for a certification through the S.C. Association of Prevention Professionals and Advocates.
