Wasp spray is being used as a meth alternative, West Virginia police say

BOONE COUNTY, W.Va. -- Police say wasp spray is now being used as an alternative form of meth in one West Virginia county, a potentially deadly substance already tied to three overdoses last week.

"We're seeing this here on the streets in Boone County," Sgt. Charles Sutphin told WCHS. "People are making a synthetic type methamphetamine out of wasp spray."

The TV station reported that retailers in Boone County sold 30 cans of the insect killer Friday, July 12 alone.

Ingesting the spray can cause bizarre behavior, Sutphin said, along with swollen, red hands and feet.

Police were reportedly working with poison control centers and medical experts to find an effective treatment for someone under the influence of substance.

"It's a cheap fix, and you don't know what their overall result of their usage of this is going to be," Sutphin told WCHS.