Ask The Mayor

Q. - I am really concerned about these products called "Herbal Incense," the legal K2.

 

My 16 yr old son was allowed to purchase some through Hippie Express and ended up in a Dallas Hospital.

 

Terrell needs to put an ordinance in place to prevent the sale of any kind of Herbal Incense, so these people can stop changing the ingredients' names and circumventing the Texas Law regarding it.

 

What does the Mayor's office plan to do to protect our children?

Answer - Thanks for your inquiry.

 

First, let me express my regret that your son became ill from exposure to the product he purchased. I hope he has fully recovered and can now see the danger in such situations.

 

As you noted, enforcing laws against these dangerous products is made difficult because the compound can be easily changed to avoid the law. For a law or City ordinance to be enforceable it has to specifically describe the prohibited product. All the supplier has to do is make small changes to the chemistry of the product. When that changed product is seized and is sent to a lab for testing, the lab reports that it is not an illegal substance as defined by the law. We would have the same problem enforcing any City ordinance.

The Terrell Police Department is well aware of the situation and continues to visit retailers, looking for substances that are illegal. I hope that Terrell citizens who read this site will help educate the others about the
dangers of abusing these substances.

Sincerely,

 

Hal Richards, Mayor