It’s called flakka and it is the newest drug from China reeking havoc on American streets.

“Flakka largely emerged as a replacement to MDVP [bath salts],” said Lucas Watterson, a postdoctoral researcher at the Temple University School of Substance Abuse Research.

In some parts of the country, it is called ‘gravel’ because it looks like the gravel used in aquariums.

The drug, which is based on an ingredient similar to the MDPV in ‘bath salts’, causes cocaine-like symptoms of excited delirium, bursts of energy, and recklessness.

It has also been reported to cause temporary super-human strength. A southern Florida man high on flakka broke down the hurricane-proof doors of a police station. A woman, also from Florida, ran through the streets screaming that she was Satan.

Like other Chinese drugs, flakka has hit Florida particularly hard, although cases have been reported in Alabama, Mississippi, and New Jersey as well.

The name comes from a Spanish slang word for beautiful woman- la flaca. It affects the mood-regulating neurotransmitters- dopamine and serotonin- by sitting on the surface of the neurons. In effect, flooding the brain with positive sensations. This is similar to the way cocaine or methamphetamine works but flakka lasts far longer. A flakka trip can last from one to several hours.

The way the drug lingers on top of the neurons for such extended periods of time means that it literally starts to destroy the brain. The results may be permanent. Worse still, overdoses are common.

“It’s so difficult to control the exact dose said Jim Hall, a drug abuse epidemiologist at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “Just a little bit of difference in how much is consumed can be the difference between getting high and dying. It’s that critical.”

A dose of flakka can be as cheap as $3 to $5. It is generally sold over the Internet from China. Then, it makes its way throughout the country via gas stations and small time dealers. Homeless people are often enlisted to push the drug, specifically targeting the young and poor.

The drug often is used by “people who are already disadvantaged in terms of chronic disease and access to health care,” said Hall.

The Food and Drug Administration has placed a temporary ban on flakka but it could take months, even years to completely outlaw the substance.

“The problem is when one of these drugs is banned or illegal, the drug manufacturer responds by producing a number of different alternatives,” Watterson said. “It’s sort of a flavor of the month.”