Question: My brother is currently living in a halfway house in XXXXXXX pa as a condition of his probation. he has been complaining to myself and our mother for two months about various medical issues such as shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, chest pain, and difficulty concentrating. He also stated that his circadian rhythm has been disrupted. The facility he is housed in is a hotbed of activity with apropos of various illicit substances. One substance in particular is a major cause of concern for us all. A new drug known as kay two is being smoked constantly throughout the common areas, bedrooms, and bathrooms. He is being exposed to large amounts of second hand smoke on a daily basis. His symptoms did not begin to manifest themselves until he was placed in this facility and it is our shared opinion that the second hand smoke is making him ill. He has tried several times to be relocated and has reported the problem to staff numerous times to no avail. I have been doing research into these chemicals and have come to learn that exposure to even small amounts of this substance can cause significant health issues. We are trying to get my brother moved to a healthier environment but staff at the facility refuse to admit there is a problem. Recently after several residents began to threaten lawsuits against the facility for creating a hostile envvironment, staff began giving the residents that complained (as well as others they suspected of using and smuggling drugs into the facility) urine tests for synthetic cannabinoids. My brother was given four urine screens in a seven day period.

After the testing, he complained to our mother that he feels like he is being setup by a cold bureaucracy intent on protecting the profitability of their facility by causing residents that are trying to stand up for their basic human rights to end up back in jail where they will be unable to cause any further issues with the facility. Needless to say he tested positive for that garbage and he is absolutely livid with anger over the situation. So much in fact that he is considering filing a tort claim against the facility for professional negligence.

My brother asked me to contact a doctor that will attest to the fact that

1 due to the relative newness of these chemicals, it is unknown what impact repeat second hand exposure can cause. A false positive from repeat exposure to second hand smoke was confirmed by NMS Lab's Forensic dept as being an absolute possibility!

2 it is unknown what medications can cause false positives due to cross reactivity

3 repeat exposure to these toxic fumes can be detrimental to his health.

My brother swears he is not smoking this junk and I believe him. He has a prior history of opiate addiction but is making great progress towards a total recovery. It is unfair to him to be forced to remain in an environment that is so hostile to his health and wellness.

I would like you to email me a document that attests to the facts I have previously stated so I may fax it into the facility and hopefully get my brother out of that awful place.

Sincerely,
XXXX
Ps please include name praactice location years in medicine and a phone number if vverfication of credentials is needed. Also please add YYYY@YYYY to the reply email in case he has any questions. We are both poor college students and this service is a godsend for us! Thank you so much.

The issue is we cannot find any non-anecdotal evidence that stipulates that these substances are too new for adequate information about second hand absorption to be found. We would need a link to an academic white paper OR preferably a signed document or digital equivalent thereof to fax into this facility. My brother is a good person and his health is being jeopardized by the negligence of this facility. Our mother is so worried we are concerned she may have another brain aneurysm from the stress. If needed we can pay another 18 to have that document written. If we go the tort route we will gladly renumerate you with additional funds for your expert opinion Doctor.

Sincerely, XXXX

Thanks Doctorm We also found https://www.aacc.org/publications/YYYY/cannabinoids which has proven an invvaluable resource for establishing there are no standards for testing these substances.