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On-air drug use by Saskatoon DJ sparks debate
December 16, 2010 - vancouversun.com

A Saskatoon radio disc jockey touched off a fierce local debate about the hallucinogenic herb salvia on Thursday, by smoking it during a live broadcast.

Concerned about a recently-released video of teen pop star Miley Cyrus giggling after puffing something her publicist claimed was salvia divinorum — a legal substance sold in many hemp stores — DJ Ryder of Wired 96.3’s morning show staged a live demonstration, hoping to discourage others from trying it themselves.

The station later posted a disturbing 12-minute video of his “trip” on its facebook page, along with a link to an online petition started by Ryder, calling for the federal government to make salvia an illegal substance.

The stunt prompted a slew of phone calls and messages from listeners eager to share their views about salvia. Many congratulated the radio show for trying to scare young people away from experimenting with it. Others expressed outrage, predicting the broadcast will have the opposite of its intended effect.

Shawn Chomyk, 26, was driving a group of children and teens to school when the show aired. He turned it off after a few minutes, and later in the day he lodged a complaint with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council.

“I just thought it was a really irresponsible thing to do,” Chomyk said in an interview. Despite its availability, salvia has never been popular because it has a reputation as something people try once and never do again, he said.

“Honestly, I think now there’s going to be more kids interested to go figure it out and see what it is than there would have been before,” Chomyk said.

In a written statement issued to local media outlets, Wired 96.3 program director Andy Ross said the goal of the show was “not to promote that you can easily get an intense, hallucinogenic high from the drug, which Ryder did, but to show how ridiculous and dangerous it is that this herb, which has even led to comas and accidental suicides, can be bought today by absolutely anyone over the counter.”

Salvia divinorum is classified in Canada as a natural health product, and is not covered by the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), which prohibits the sale and use of other hallucinogens such as LSD and “magic mushrooms.”

Health Canada, which is responsible for regulating natural health products, has never approved salvia for sale and has issued warnings against its use. Salvia is already banned in many countries and some U.S. states.

In an interview with The StarPhoenix, DJ Ryder said public response to his salvia demonstration was more intense and prolonged than anything he’s seen before in his six-year radio career. He was glad to get positive feedback from parents and teens who said the broadcast frightened them, because that was its purpose, he said.

While hallucinating on the air Thursday morning, there were times when he giggled — but that was nervous laughter, not real enjoyment, Ryder said.

“It was pretty scary. ... The first three minutes were just excruciating.”

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