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Indianola, Iowa • Until he tried a marijuana look-alike product called "K2," David Rozga's most dubious decision was getting a Green Bay Packers tattoo on his shoulder.
Then the 18-year-old athlete and band standout got high on the fake pot last June and complained to a friend "that he felt like he was in hell," his father said.
Though he had never suffered from depression, the teenager went home, found a shotgun and killed himself — one of at least nine U.S. deaths in the past year that authorities suspect were caused by synthetic products designed to mimic marijuana, cocaine and other illegal drugs.
An Associated Press analysis indicates that the substances are increasingly causing users to fall seriously ill, with some suffering seizures and hallucinations.
Available in many head shops for as little as $10, synthetic drugs often are packaged as incense or bath salts, but they do nothing to perfume the air or soften water.
As more Americans experiment with them, the results are becoming evident at hospitals: a sharp spike in the number of users who show up with problems ranging from labored breathing and rapid heartbeats to extreme paranoia and delusions. The symptoms can persist for days.
"These kids weren't looking for anything bad to happen," said Mike Rozga of his son's death. "The truth is, they didn't know what they had gotten themselves into."
At AP's request, the American Association of Poison Control Centers analyzed nationwide figures on calls related to synthetic drugs. The findings indicated an big jump in the number of people seeking medical attention.
At least 2,700 people have fallen ill since January, compared with fewer than 3,200 cases in all 2010. At that pace, medical emergencies related to synthetic drugs could go up nearly fivefold by the end of the year.
"Many of the users describe extreme paranoia," said Mark Ryan, a physician and director of Louisiana Poison Center. "The recurring theme is monsters, demons and aliens. A lot of them had suicidal thoughts."
The recent surge in activity hasn't gone unnoticed by law enforcement and elected officials.
The Drug Enforcement Administration recently used emergency powers to outlaw five chemicals found in synthetic pot, placing them in the same category as heroin and cocaine.
But manufacturers are quick to adapt, often cranking out new formulas that are only a single molecule apart from the illegal ones.