Drug Education Council: 'Trips' can be violent, aggressive

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - The Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran said at a news conference on Tuesday, October 9, he believes 18-year-old Gil Collar took LSD the night he was killed by a campus police officer.

"The deceased apparently had attended BayFest and apparently, we believe, had ingested some LSD,” said Cochran.

FOX10 found out more about the drug and some of the unpredictable effects it can have.

The Executive Director the Drug Education Counci l Virginia Guy said LSD is an old drug that unfortunately hasn’t completely gone away.

"LSD has been more common in the 1960s and 1970s. It caused so much horrific effects on people,” said Guy.

Guy said she hasn't seen a major trend among teens taking the drug, but said that does not mean it’s not available.

Friend recalls Collar's last moments

A University of South Alabama student, who asked not to be identified, spoke to FOX10 News about the illegal drug and his experience.

"Everything is different…way different. You see things; not necessarily people, patterns and your mind can get off on something that is not even real but get so fixated on it. It’s as real as anything, especially something scary,” he said.

Guy said LSD, also called acid, can distort reality for the user. It is mostly associated with erratic, unpredictable behavior.

"In street language, when they talk about a ‘bad trip,’ they mean that when you do something violent or erratic or you see scary things or monsters or blood,” said Guy.

Guy said the “trip” effects can turn violent.  

"Sometimes, it can be very aggressive. Sometimes, it can be very scary, but it causes almost like a psychosis in an individual,” said Guy.

Student recalls 'scary' encounter with Collar

Guy warned in some cases, the effects of the drug can be long-term, causing random flashbacks long after drug-use.

Even though Sheriff Sam Cochran believes Collar may have taken the drug, toxicology reports have not confirmed Collar had the drug in his system the night he was killed.