and addiction specialists are sounding the alarm on a highly potent and addictive drug 7, Oh, H isn't opioid-like substance that can be found in gas stations.

Bait shops and CBD shops.

It comes in the form of tablets.

Energy shots or gummies.

This summer, the U.S.

Drug Enforcement Administration proposed temporarily listing products containing high levels of 7, Oh, H a schedule one which would make it illegal to sell some addiction.

Recovery centers say it means they're bracing for an influx of patients in withdrawal.

Joining us now with more is still at a very co-founder and executive vice president of bright side recovery in Addiction, Recovery Clinic specializing in opioid use disorders with locations in Northbrook, North Aurora, Olympia Fields, Rockford and Peoria.

Thank you for joining us.

Thank you for having me.

So what is 708, or 7, very great question because it gets confusing.

Both so a and 7, 0, come from a plant that's called creative.

>> Creighton is typically used as a leaf and the keys and stuff like that.

But it has a very, very tiny amount of 7, Oh, h like points or 5% so well does provide a little bit of mild opioid relief.

It's nothing major, but what's happened is people have now synthesize did compressed condensed.

It.

And now they've given a concentrated version you know, 100% in these pills, powders and stuff like that, which makes it more more effective than morphine.

People identify what are what are they finding?

How do you find It's very simple.

I mean, when you go into a store that has it, they if unfortunately used the the e-cigarette strategy and stuff like that.

So it's God fun, names, colors, flavors, all that kind of stuff comes and tablets.

Powders, things of that nature.

So it's a very, very attractive in that frame where really up using that kind of like sort thing to take a look at this this.

Yes, you know, it's a Labor were not taking bad because record and it's here.

It can't be bad.

>> What have you learned or what are what are from patients about how they're falling into using it?

Well, that's the scary part is a lot of people don't know what they're actually getting into.

You know, they're being offered it.

They there on And then some of story like creating here, try this.

Some are going in this like, hey, listen, looking for pain use this.

But its also being marketed as other things like energy drinks and things of that matter.

So it's it's really been a lot of misinformation, which is cause people to start using it.

And then once they started the ramp up is very, very quickly.

Your medical director at Brightside says that the number of new patients who are seeking help for 7, 0, H is now outpacing your fentanyl.

tells more about what your clinics are seeing and what you all think is contributing to this It's been very, very scary.

I mean, we started seeing patients over a year ago.

They were starting to enter a facility that word using 7, 0, h and a bright side.

We've actually seen it's a little bit more 9 out of every 10 people that come in our 7, 0, H. I mean, that's heard.

I mean, it's just just drastic.

I mean, we never see that kind of spike.

And that's been actually escalating over time.

And as the schedule one started happening, people started actually looking for help.

And that's the reason why we're seeing that increase.

Are you hearing anything similar from from colleagues in this in this industry or other organizations that help with recovery?

Yes, and no.

I mean, some are yes, seeing its or not.

I think it's just more of how people identify it.

The challenge with 7 wages you don't typically see in the direct screen.

So if you do a urine drug screen, it will appear because it actually has different metabolites that are being attracted being picked up on the cup and stuff.

So a lot of people are saying like, why can't treat you because you're not showing any signs of an opioid.

And the U.S.

they're being turned away from treatment.

And that's another reason why would want to have this conversation is I want to make sure that everyone knows that this is something we all need to treat.

That's another complicating factor.

It sounds like are there concerns that 7, 0, H could potentially be the next wave of of, you know, the opioid epidemic.

Could we see something similar?

>> that's on Well, it actually isn't two-fold.

One, you have the aspect that you're increasing.

The amount of people that are doing 7 weeks of the 7 uh people once it becomes scheduled and then actually goes through.

>> They have a lot of people that are going to be looking for.

And really there are 2 options.

One, they can go to treatment.

They can go out and find something like fentanyl.

And that's what I'm really worried about.

I'm worried about the fact that people are going to start looking for the alternative and they're going fentanyl.

And then we're going to see these deaths rise associate with those will be to its opioid because once you do that, you're going in a whole new level of opioid.

You actually yourself filled, visited like 50 or so vape shops.

Why did you want to do that?

And what did you find?

>> Yeah.

So when we started seeing this, you know, bright been a part of this.

The opioid epidemic ever ever since 2015.

So we've seen the opioid crisis.

We've seen the federal federal growth.

And when we started hearing about the 7 and wage, we're like, OK, let's now that know what's coming now.

We know it's here.

Let's do something proactive to say.

What can we do to get these people help when people go to vape shop they no longer have it, shops they have nothing to give them like someone walk in and say and they're going get nothing.

So what we want to do arm them with a bill, least for them to find treatment, given the material I found, a lot of shops were very, very proactive about They stop buying it and they were very, very welcoming to essentially this kind of material and to help their clients and help their patients.

Patrons.

Yeah, 7, Oh, H work with what's what's the high that people are getting?

And then of course it's going to turn bad at some point, right like West, how they impacted the high is very similar to opioids.

>> So you get the same kind of high.

If you jump in and help you, it's going that same kind of high.

The challenge is if you take too much of it, it's going to have the negative effects of an opioid as well, suppress breathing and then potentially die and overdose.

The good news is, though, if someone does overdose, no trucks the shot that can be used to bring people out it typically is something that can be used just as we get them out of that.

That's the kind of feeling that they're going get no tax on different from the lotto.

the Norwell it's it's it's the same thing.

It's no Texan is actually the name of the shot not get.

Thank you, Mark got it.

Okay.

What then?

This treatment for 7 which look like treatment is very similar to any.

So there any other opioid.

Typically it's a combination of medically assisted treatment, something with like Suboxone or methadone as being some sort medication and then counter that with counseling as well.

The Illinois just for what it's worth, Illinois Department of Public Health tells us in a statement that the department has actually seen a decrease in slash 7, Oh, h fatalities over the past 5 years.

>> And viewers can see the rest of the IDPH statement on our website.

But what is what's your reaction to that from?

I think combination a couple things.

I mean it where a different world now or Narcan is easily accessible.

So I think you're going to have the reduction associate with that as well.

But I think also you're talking about, you know, sometimes the drug test is not going to be picking up some of the stuff that's in it.

But once again, I'm here worried about more about what's going to happen next.

You know, when people actually start looking for a supplement, something too, get out of 7, 0, h they're gonna look for fentanyl and that's where you're going to start seeing those opioid deaths rising, which we want to stop.

All right.

Just a couple seconds left.

But the role of clinics like yours, you know, in the weeks ahead, whether or not DA decides to schedule be there.

I mean, really, truly, when someone calls and needs help getting them in right away.

I mean, there's even