I-Doser MP3s (a.k.a. digital drugs) all the rage among cheap teenagers looking to get high

Getting high the old-fashioned way is apparently getting too inconvenient: Health Canada sells mostly shwag, and even mayoral candidates can’t help anyone get drugs without starting some kind of controversy. Then there’s that issue known as the “law” to deal with, so it’s no wonder that teens are now experimenting with a digital drug called the I-Doser. The Web service sells “drugs” in the form of audio tracks that apparently replicate the effects of cocaine, opium, peyote and other narcotics. It’s also prompted a slew of embarrassing videos on YouTube featuring teens enjoying what appears to be a psychedelic effect. According to I-Doser’s Web site, the audio tracks contain “advanced binaural beats” that affect brain waves, potentially altering one’s mood state.

If all this sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. One researcher told NPR that there’s not enough evidence to support the whole thing. Still, some authorities are concerned that the I-Doser encourages drug culture. The fact that I-Doser’s Web site has links to other sources of legal drugs doesn’t help much on that front. And then there’s the possibility of I-Doser being a gateway to the hard stuff, like The Doors.

• Report: Teens Using Digital Drugs to Get High [Wired]
• Kids These Days: I-Dosers Use MP3s to Get High? [Exclaim!]