Unfortunately, prescription pills aren’t the only drug battle police and parents are fighting in Haywood County.

Fairly new on the scene in terms of drug history, synthetic drugs have only been around since about 2009.

The chemical-soaked leaves in synthetic marijuana being sold as incense and potpourri are widely used as a legal alternative to weed. They are even getting into the hands of early teens, who are winding up in the hospital as a result.

In a report recently released from the federal Drug Abuse Warning Network, synthetic marijuana sent 11,406 people to the emergency room in 2010. About one-third of those were children ages 12 to 17.

In early December, at least three people in Haywood County were rushed to the hospital after smoking a synthetic marijuana called "Bizarro."

"I ...