A new designer drug dubbed "flakka" that causes hallucinations, paranoia and violent behavior is taking over the Florida drug scene to such an extent local police have seen more criminal activity caused by the drug and more bizarre behavior.

Police said flakka was responsible for terrifying incidents that include a naked gunman yelling on a Lake Worth rooftop; a man trying to kick in a glass door at the Fort Lauderdale police station and man that impaled himself when he attempted to scale a security fence at the Fort Lauderdale station.

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Florida police said there were 670 flakka cases in 2014 compared to only 85 in 2012. 

Flakka, also called "gravel", is considered a next generation, designer street drug similar to crystal meth and ecstacy and is manufactured in illegal laboratories.

Flakka generates a sudden surge of euphoria and acute sensory awareness caused by a chemical called dopamine that bombards the brain.

The drug can be taken via smoking, inhaling or injecting along with lacing it with other drugs such as marijuana. Flakka is considered dirt cheap at US$5 a pop and is easy to obtain in bulk from labs in other countries such as China and India.

The side effects are lethal, according to epidemiologist Jim Hall from the Center of Applied Research on Substance Use and Health Disparities under Nova Southeastern University.

Hall details the side effects include an "excited delirium" where the body goes into hyperthermia and the body temperature reaches 105 degrees. The victim then becomes psychotic and exhibits bizarre behavior such as ripping clothes off and running out into the street.

Flakka also gives users adrenaline induced strength. In one incident, it needed five police officers to take down a single user. Without medical attention during these psychotic episode, users can die immediately.

Flakka is also extremely dangerous since neither users nor dealers know how to use it safely.

Cathinones are both present in flakka and bath salts. Both are chemicals that imitate a natural stimulant from khat leaves grown in Africa and the Middle East. Flakka is also highly addictive like crystal meth.

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