Do the "Blue Star" tattoos exist?
| No. LSD is not packaged in the form of lick-and-stick tattoos, and
I have seen no evidence of LSD having ever been found in this form.
The rumors are the result of confusion: LSD is commonly packaged as
small squares of blotter-paper that have been soaked in a solution
containing LSD. These blotter-paper squares are sometimes marked
with an identifying trademark (e.g. blue unicorns, Bart Simpson)
printed on the blotter-paper. In 1980, a
police report of a bust by the Narcotics Bureau of the New Jersey
State Police referred to this marking of blotter acid as
"stamps" and noted that "children may be susceptible to this
type of cartoon stamp believing it a tattoo transfer."
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(Examples of blotter acid)
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Can LSD be absorbed through the skin?
| Yes, but in the circumstances described in the warning flyers --
casual handling of blotter acid, or "tattoos" -- this is extremely
unlikely.
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What about the stamps, the "micro dot," or the "window pain?"
| LSD, as well as being packaged as blotter-paper, is also sold in a
liquid solution, in a gelatin medium (known as "windowpane") and as
pills or capsules (known as "microdot"). Some flyers insist that
there are "stamps" or "tattoos" with pictures of multi-colored
"micro dots" or "window panes" on them. Just confusion.
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And the red cardboard box wrapped in foil?
| These were details included in the police
report from 1980 mentioned above. They have been commonly
included in the flyers ever since, but just happen to be where one
unlucky set of LSD users hid their stash. Heat and light degrade
LSD, so some users use foil to wrap their blotter acid as
protection from the elements.
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Are the cartoon characters used to lure kids into the drug scene?
| Cartoon characters are sometimes used as the trademarks printed on
blotter acid, but I doubt this is like "Joe Camel" being used to
target a younger audience, although the motivations of those who
pick the trademarks aren't public knowledge. I have seen pictures
of blotter acid marked with Bart Simpson (from the cartoon "The
Simpsons") and Mickey Mouse (in his role as the sorcerer's
apprentice from the movie "Fantasia"), but note that these
characters are popular with both adults and children. There is
little to be gained for a drug dealer or manufacturer from getting
a child to inadvertantly try LSD. The child isn't likely to want
to repeat what will probably be a frightening and baffling
experience, he or she doesn't have as much cash to pay for drugs as
do adults, and a frying child will certainly catch the eyes of the
authorities.
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But if they try it once, they might get hooked, right?
| LSD is not an addictive drug. In fact, there is a temporary
tolerance built up to the effects of LSD (meaning that subsequent
doses, if taken within a few days, will have a substantially
blunted effect) which makes it, if anything, anti-addictive.
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Doesn't LSD react quickly?
| Depends on what you mean by quickly. Blotter acid usually starts
showing effects between 45 and 90 minutes after the dose is
taken.
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And is it laced with strychnine?
| Blotter acid is not laced with strychnine. This is another
urban legend, taken as gospel truth even by many LSD users. This
deserves its own FAQ, but until then, check out the explanation
at the
Lycaeum (but see also
this analysis
from alt.folklore.urban).
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Might the accidental ingestion of LSD be fatal?
| The fatal dose of LSD is fairly enormous compared to the active
dose. The drug is active in the hundreds of micrograms range (a
dose that conveniently fits on a small piece of blotter paper).
The only fatalities or near-fatalities from LSD overdose that I
know about happened when a quantity of purified LSD in crystal form
was mistaken for another drug (cocaine or speed, probably) and was
snorted, probably giving the unfortunate user hundreds of doses.
(see: this page
for details). In the circumstances described in the warning
flyers, an overdose would be extremely unlikely, if not impossible.
However, even a small dose, given to an unprepared or unwilling
subject, could cause enough disorientation to make it dangeous for
the subject in situations where hand-eye coordination or attention
are necessary for survival (driving a bicycle in traffic, for
instance). The emotional upheaval occasionally caused by "bad
trips" can possibly lead to suicide, and this risk is heightened if
the user doesn't know what to expect, isn't accompanied by people
who have had experience with psychedelics, or has been dosed without
knowing about it.
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What are the symptoms associated with LSD use?
| Too complex a question to answer here, try searching around the
web for the many sites devoted to this question. A good start is
the Lycaeum's LSD page which
has the text of LSD discoverer
Albert Hofmann's book
on the subject, and many other FAQs and links.
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Have any children died from these tattoos?
| No. Haven't you been paying attention? The tattoos don't exist.
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What about the authorities who issued the warning?
| A lot of them prove hard to track down. Mr. Guy Chaillé
and J. O'Donnel, for instance, don't exist, or at least they can't
be found at the institutions they allegedly sent the warnings from.
Beth Israel Medical Center, Danbury Hospital, and other sources
deny having issued the warnings. This isn't to say that all of
these authorities are just fabricated. Police departments and
hospitals get fooled by this legend just like the rest of us. And
some of the people who deny having had anything to do with it may
just be trying not to look foolish.
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Should I contact the police if I see these tattoos?
| No. You should contact me! I want to hear about it!
For that matter, I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know if you see
a warning flyer. And if you could pick one up and mail it to me,
that'd be an extra thrill for me. I love this stuff!
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Should I spread the warning far and wide?
| Please do!
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