By Brian Bujdos
There’s a new, disturbing trend among those who like to experiment with the latest, legal way to get high. Powders known as “bath salts” are causing hundreds of calls to Poison Control Centers across the U.S. The bath salts are said to be as powerful as abusing methamphetamine or cocaine.
Three weeks ago, the state of Louisiana outlawed, by emergency order, the main active components of bath salts – mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone, also known as MDPV. This act was performed by Gov. Bobby Jindal after Louisiana Poison Control Centers received 125 calls regarding the abuse of bath salts between October and December of 2010. Louisiana authorities linked two suicides to bath salts.
The Sacramento Bee reports that the ingredients of bath salts are not those that would commonly be used in baths. In fact, the substances are sold under various brand names, most of which sound anything like a relaxing soak, including White Lightning, Cloud 9 and Hurricane Charlie.
Although the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has listed MDPV as a drug of concern and is studying the drug, the agency currently has no plans to ban the substance. Therefore, bath salts will continue to be readily available in outlets that include convenience stores, smoke shops, gas stations and various websites. The powder is available for just $25 for a half gram in some places.
It is commonly known that MPDV stimulates the central nervous system. The DEA says that the chemical can cause intense panic attacks, psychosis and addiction.
Hallucinations are also commonly associated with bath salts.
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The Chicago Sun-Times reported that one man in Mississippi took a skinning knife to his face and slit it repeatedly while on bath salts.
A doctor in Florida reported that he has seen teenagers do stupid things they would not normally do while taking bath salts – things like jumping out of a third-story window into a swimming pool.
Although many people may be looking for an energy boost when taking bath salts, they can get much more than that. The Sacramento Bee reported that one woman stayed awake for days after taking the powder (a phenomenon often associated with methamphetamine). Now, the woman says, she is afraid to even touch the substance.
Kentucky and Mississippi have begun the process of banning bath salts through legislation, and the pharmacy board in North Dakota has added some chemicals contained in bath salts to its banned-substance list.
Although the pockets of abuse are currently widespread for bath salts (more than half the calls to U.S. Poison Control Centers were placed in Louisiana), it seems more and more states will be confronting the issue of what to do about the substance. It could take the DEA several years to ban the substance, which the United Kingdom did in April after linking bath salts to numerous deaths.
In an interview with the Sacramento Bee, Dr. Cynthia Lewis-Younger, director of the Florida Poison Information Center in Tampa, gave her take on bath salts…
“It makes people lose touch with reality,” she said. “They’re ending up in psychiatric institutions.”
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I have a friend that is on this stuff. She is totally gone off the deep end. She can’t let go of anything. She repeats the same things over an over. She is definitely in new of some intervention. What an we do?? Rehab for bath salts? Also do they know exactly what is in this stuff?? I mean I know the methylmethcathinone (mephedrone) and methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), but what else? It is dangerous. She goes days without sleep, and then has to get medicine from her dr to sleep. It’s a vicious cycle and she’s lost her dearest friends because she’s acting so psychotic. Ex friend of mine is what she is. She introduced me to it, and it made me throw up immediately and I only did one little line. I have never done cocaine, or any other substance before because I am just not interested. She bragged about it helping her loose weight. She also told me it was legal so I thought it would be ok!!! I didn’t sleep for 48 hours and it was the worst feeling ever. My heart raced all day. This is from one little line snorted in my nose. She told me how to do it, and I called her immediately. I told her I was feeling really sick and going to the dr. She laughed at me and said your a wimp. That’s what really made me upset. I threw the rest of it away. She got mad bc I wouldn’t sell it to her. I’ve seriously thought about calling her family to help her. It’s crazy how dilusionsal she is. She’s lost 25 pounds and looks sick. I’d rather be a little overweight than a druggie like she has turned into. It is addicting. She can’t stop.
I think a friend of mine is using.. and at first I thought it was cocaine… I checked to see by doing a “Numb-ee” in my mouth- and well it numbed my mouth. My friend swears up and down that it isn’t coke, but that it is some male sexual stimulant.. And “this” is the only thing that came up for what it looked like and felt like. At least with the cocaine look. Could anyone please let me know who has tried it if it has the same numbing affect? I know it has the same kinda “jacked-up” feeling as it describes on here… I am worried for my friend who has battled addiction for many years, and I am worried that my friend will become addicted to this, whatever “this” is… Thanks in advance!
I have had many experinces where i have done large amounts of cocaine and crack cocaine and when my friend told me we could go to the store and buy legal coke i didnt believe her. After one line i was so high that i wanted to go get more before the store closed. I saw my friend literly go insane that night to the point where i was scared she was gonna die. She couldnt talk right and couldnt remember anytihng right and ended up stealing everything i had and didnt even know she did. That stuff is more intense than any drug I’ve ever tried. I was awake for 48 hours and wasnt even tired. When i came down i couldnt talk or eat for three days. I didnt leave my house and blew off work and school. I am so afraid to ever be that high or see someone that high again that I’m afraid to even hang out with people i know are on drugs. This stuff was crazy and can only be compared to that of crystal meth. It should not be legal and no one should ever try it
I’ve gotten “high” on just about everything, and always knew that there was something fundamentally wrong with me; something I’d been missing. I’ve come to realize that “something” is the Lord, Jesus Christ: the One so high, He fills the universe: the ultimate Truth. When His Spirit comes to live in u, u not only experience the high of all highs, but u have logged on to a Power that can take u places u’ve ne’er dreamed of: the adventure to end all adventures: a new beginning: “…old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new!” I am on an eternal journey, and feeling great about myself along the way. The One Who created u w/ur unique set of fingerprints (the one & only u) is knocking on the door of ur heart; all u have to do is let Him in, and turn away from all the deception conceived in the heart of the master deceiver, who …” seeks not but to steal, kill, and destroy.”
The reality of the situation, like with all drugs, is that the illegality of it is one of the most appealing aspects. Those that are already addicted are going to do their drug of choice no matter what anyone says because addiction is a powerful disease. The demographic that we want to target is those children and young adults that have not had the opportunity or desire to do drugs. The focus should be on prevention and not punishment/rehabilitation/healing because by the time someone is progressively addicted, healing will only happen when the addict makes the decision that he or she can no longer sustain the lifestyle. It will not happen one second before that no matter how much you love them or berate them for their weakness. Addicts are well aware of how serious the situation is. But to put it in perspective, think about what you do to cheer yourself up when you are down. That is how addiction begins, as a coping mechanism for sensitive souls or people with untreated or ineffectively treated mental illness. Before they know what has happened, they develop an intimate relationship with their addiction and though they often hate it, they are afraid to leave it. As a person who has worked extensively with addicts over the last 3 years, I can tell you with much certainty that from a psychological perspective, addiction is not about the drug itself. Physically speaking, it is, but psychologically the addiction is to the escape and the ability to avoid dealing with painful wounds and a frightening emptiness inside. If you know an addict, remember them as they were before they got sick. It is similar to if you love someone who is dying of cancer and you choose to remember the healthy, beautiful person that was there before the illness. Addicts carry a lot of shame and fear around with them every day because they see themselves changing and feel powerless to stop the train. Speak to them as you would speak to anyone else that you meet that has no problem. If you project the image that you refuse to surrender the the image of the addict, it may get through to them that they are worth more than lost months and years on end. I am able to say much of this through my own personal and professional experiences. It is easy to dismiss and addict as weak and hate them for succumbing to weakness; however, it is hard to look a problem in the eye and offer a hand up to someone that is struggling and hurting. That act alone says tremendous things about who you are and to what level you are capable of compassion. This is not to say that we dismiss the transgressions of addicts because we understand they are sick. Absolutely not. When you love someone, you hold that mirror in front of their face no matter what the consequences. It is the greatest gift you can give someone who is addicted because on the other side of a startling reality, is hope. On top of that, if you aren’t a part of a solution, you are part of the problem.
calling it fake drugs is highly misleading. the substances found within bath salts are in fact drugs. it would be better to say fake bath salts. as far as the dangers of people using research drugs such as MDVP and 4-MMC, yes it is dangerous but not at the fault of the chemicals themselves. Its dangerous in the sense that people do not know how to control themselves when they get a hold of something that makes them feel good. they constantly want more of it. just like with modern everyday drugs that people dont even bat an eye at. thos who enjoy a nice hot cup of coffee in the mornings dont even think about it but they too are using a drug, caffeine. now caffeine in low doses isnt bad is it? now what if you drank 40 cups of coffee. the body just isnt made to take high doses. what about smoking cigarettes? its been proven that cigarettes are bad for human health but yet cigarettes are not to blame. its the people who choose to do that to themselves. people need to learn moderation and self control. chemicals and drugs are a very important part of human life. if you dont believe ask any one who has fought cancer and survived, ask your doctor how many prescriptions he or she writes within a monthly time period. point is, people turn to drugs to make them feel better. always have. always will.
they let it in the stores because it is named/called something it is not, just like the “legal weed” was labeled “potpouri.” It is the same “name game” that politicians play (Instead of calling it Spending more than we make, we will call it “investment”). They call it Bath Salts, and say “not meant for human consumption” and that is their loop-hole.
The people that put this in the stores are the same people who were selling “potpouri.” They needed/wanted a new product, and here it is. Do you realize that a convenience store can pay all its bills for the month, and make a substantial profit, just off of potpouri? You can actually buy a broken down gas station for 15k, and be profitable FOR THE YEAR in your first month of business by selling potpouri, and that is BEFORE you even sell a pack of cigarettes or a case of beer.
The bath salts are no different- pure profit, big ticket items, that replaces a “black market substance.” They are trying to become overnight billionaires, just like the potpouri guys, and the people selling them, they would never try it because they know what it does to people.
I know, because I talk to these people. They w
The people that distribute this, they would never consume this substance.
i live in texas where bath salt is 25 a gram u forgot the name but thi shit is bad! ive tried it one time with a friend it is nothing like coke or meth. i had found out that my younger 15 year old cousin had been on it for a day and a half he did 1.5 grams and was pacing around his yard talking about people he saw in a blue van that parked around the corner and were going to rob his house, then he started screaming that he was seeing people in the back yard ran up and pointed at the fence but no one was there but he just kept screaming about it. ive seen 12 year olds on this shit its getting bad. if you really think about it and your kids and how easily they can get this fake drug well its just like cigarettes all they have to do is pay some crack head with a little out of there batch and my younger cousin said one gram lasted about 4 days for him. whenever i had tried the bath salt i had to take three valum to go to sleep. just think about your kids some reports say it only takes one time to shut you down look it up in lousiana. i would rather see kids on real coke than this shit.
I absolutly loveeeeeeee the bath salts. Screw all the people who think different. it isn’t anything like meth, its like cocaine. and it doesn’t make you wanna go out and kill yourself nor does it make you wanna go out and rob some shit or kill anybody. all you people are dumb as hell for thinking so. its just a decent high, to give you some energy. and it’s fun to booger.
Dude a guy ate a homeless person’s face off because he was on bath salts.
I would like to see research done by the government on whoever wants to try this stuff. Why are they NOT doing it and wasting the opportunity to see what it does to humans? I say offer it and study the already brain dead fools that will snort anything with a promise of a high (and I will grab a folding chair and a tub of popcorn to watch them). Legalize weed!! If you do not like how it smells, don’t smoke it! Allow coffee shops to sell it (and smoke it there). Just like going and having a reasonable amount of beer at a bar.
<3 live for that right there lol hell yes.
just tried it for the first time harts racen let you know how it ends up, never tried anything like this before it was a impulde buy, do feel a little sick to my stomach but thats all. but its been twenty min.. how i dont feel sicker.
half the world need some kind of stimulant,sinus relief, and the american dream. so, dont hate and only help one another. besides im tired of people telling us not to do something. you dont get to be the boss until you tell us what to do. not everyone is blessed with a dream, just a spirit.
One of my sons injected bath salts for 2 days and finally started hallucinating and ended up un psych ward for 2 weeks. His brother did the same thing and ran around his neighborhood telling neighbors people were in his house. His dad and I went there and the police were called and they didn’t believe this was caused by injecting salts. They tought he was drunk and told us to watch him and put him to bed! This craziness lasted 3 days! I just found out they are both doing it again! Can’t call police cause it’s legal, mental hospital just gives more drugs! They will die sooner or later. This stuff needs to be illegal so I can at least put them in jail where they are safer! Very dangerous to inject and the authorities need awareness! I am scared!
honestly sorry to hear about your boys, unfortunately I know what your going through and I dont have any good news to tell you. I feel that it is ridiculous that the police cannot be more of an influence or power in these kinds of situations. I believe that K2 or “fake weed” had a similar influence on my son, he used be a normal kid, played football for his high school then he started doing that stuff and ended up naked in my front yard telling me how the end of the world was coming and he claimed to hear everyones thoughts and he thought demons were coming after him, it was and has been the most surreal experience of my life, I worry for him everyday and yet these drugs continue to be sold and because he is over 18 now, I can do nothing…I feel your pain, take care.
Coming from someone who has tried the ‘bath salts’. Its alot like cocaine, and like cocaine or any speed or chemically altered drug im sure it could kill you. But the same people who might kill theirselves on this might do it on that just the same. control issues are control issues. i do think if it’s not outlawed it should be age regulated and maybe only sold in ‘age controlled shops’ i.e liquor stores, Head shops. places where they are used to checking IDs and KNOW they will get in trouble for selling to underage ppl. and LOL @ SID i agree pots pot. only ppl who die over pot are the ppl selling and pushing large amounts. regulate it. make it legal.
As with everything else that is legal or not legal people take things to extreme. STOP BEING SO STUPID!!!!!! Bad things happen when you take things to extreme.
“I truly hope every State recognizes the importance of banning any chemicals that are in the bath salts.” That’s fine and dandy, but what you’re failing to realize is many of the chemicals used in creating these “bath salts” are compounds used for legitament things. Mephedrone, being the most common of these compounds, is commonly used in gardening.
people have to understand there or people that have additive personalliys.u cant stop that. if all the drug did what a few people do than the world would be in hell bc alot of people do some form of drugs.if everyone on coke went crazy and stole and shot someone or rob a bank their would be a problem .drugs or looked at like alcohol in the 20s evil an illegal but today its ok to see someone with a beer.im not condoning drugs but most people or responsable. 1 nut out there that goes crazy on some form of drugs dosent mean nothing. if that were true about drugs than why do more people die on the road with alcohol that weed but weed is illegal
i feel like this is the way cocaine was before it became illegal. i wasn’t living until the 09′s, but everything is legal at one point, People were probabley saying weed would kill you, but back then no one had proif because it was a new “drug”. i am in between with it being legal because we don’t have research on its long term effects. Cocaine may be safer, no one knows..
Where to start. I think stupid things like this should stay legal. If your dumb enough do try inhaling or smoking this by all means go for it.population is getting out of hand anyway. You die and the fittest survive. Mankind carries on. There is no need to wait around for the weak. Pursuit of happiness, people need to mind their own. Tell them no, if they continue, shame on them
My brother has been using bath salts since before Christmas..That was the last time I saw him until this past weekend, he lost 40lbs, does not eat hardly ever, does not sleep, and is paranoid, hallucinating, and suicidal thoughts..very depressed..I hope you people using bath salts realize its more than just for fun..it will kill you..and you will get addicted…the after effects could last for months depending on how much and how often you use..
as an abuser of drugs for a long period of time this was and is a recipe for disaster at least for me now i can go to the store and get some crap to help me destroy my life . wheels grind slowly but it will become illegal ,hopefully to many people wont have to pay the ultimate price!
You are so right..the ones who are big drug users for many years are really ones paying the price, my brother has been using for 17 years and I’m afraid he may have finally met the ultimate deman..
LEGALIZE WEED SO PEOPLE WONT DO THIS DUMB SH**! WHO SNORTS SH** UP THEIR NOSE, REALLY!
Trust mee legalizing weed is not gonna stop people frome doin legal blow!!! Ppl gotta live and learn that’s the only way!!! I know it sounds harsh and sorry for those that know ppl that have passed on it but weed is illegal and ppl still smoke it non stop what makes u think that makin a synthetic white illegal is gonna stop ppl from doin it….? Pluss coke is illegal and ppl still do it!!! The only way to stop this is by not doin it!! To begin with!!! This is true with any form of synthetic drug such as weed wich I can understand ur point!!! Cuz ppl Tripp off of that n die n shit all the time but making that also u have to understand that the more and more synthetic (legal) chemicals that’s band there is always gonna be some thing else to take it’s spot that hAsnt been band yet and the more and more they get band and new shit comes out the worse And worse it gets for human consumption due to chemicals…. So by bAnning any synthetic drug u are just going to make it worse for people!!
i agree i have tried these legal bath salts and legal weeds and they all have horrible side effects yet they still sell them. at least marijuana has some type of positive affect in the medical industry.
EXACTLY! the reason people are doing these terrible designer drugs (herbal incense, bath salts) is because marijuana is illegal. NO ONE has died from marijuana, and if weed was legal thered be absolutely no market for these knock off drugs that are supposed to make you feel like your on REAL drugs, its so stupid.
I smoke these bath salts. Its a decent high, but its no molecular modified meth. There’s a difference between smoking a bowl and robbing a store, and smoking a bowl and sitting on the couch to watch tv. Others must just learn to control their high.
I just smoKed some don’t want to rob anything just pacing a fleabag hotel .
That is what I want to know. Here they are changing methamphetine at a molecular level to be able to sell it legally. If you have seen someone who has taken this drug excessively, it is truly like watching someone having a psychotic break. I have heard through the grapevine that this stuff is a “research chemical” and I have no idea what that means exactly! It seems to be coming from China mainly. I don’t have any proof to back that up, that is just what I have heard. So now, they will drag this out until Spring Break hits the Gulf Coast of Florida, and if this drug is available at ALL, I can almost guarantee someone will die. I live right in the heart of this epidemic and I truly hope every State recognizes the importance of banning any chemicals that are in the bath salts.