Duluth Police See Drop in Synthetic Drug Use

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) - Police in Duluth say they've seen a 65 percent drop in synthetic drug use in the three months since a shop that sold the products was shut down.

Police had 495 calls involving synthetics in the 105 days before Last Place on Earth closed in July. In the same number of days after the store closed, the number of calls involving synthetics was 160.

Duluth police Lt. Eric Rish says synthetic drugs are still out there, but their use is down. A report says that in the area around the store, calls about drunken behavior spiked as calls about synthetics decreased. But police say those drunken disturbances are easier to handle.

Store owner Jim Carlson was convicted on 51 charges in October. He's seeking a new trial.