The Growth Of Recreational Bath Salts
A brand new designer drug called “spice” have become very popular among young people who are looking for a cheap and quick high. Poison control centers all over the country have reported a growing number of calls regarding this synthetic stimulant. More and more states are banning the drug, however, there is currently no federal law in place prohibiting its sale.
Production
Don’t be thrown off by the name as these bath salts are not the sort you would use to soak in the tub with. The presumption in the medical community is that bath salts are MDPV, or methylenedioxypyrovalerone, and are being manufactured by illegal street chemists with derivatives of pyrovalerone. However, nobody truly knows what is in bath salts because there is no way to test for these substances in a lab setting.
Retail
Retailers are selling the drug as bath salts and labeling them as being “not safe for human consumption”. This is so they can avoid them from being labeled illegal. They can be purchased at mini-marts and smoke shops around the country or online under names like Ivory Wave and Bolivian Bath. While several states have outlawed their sale, ultimately it will have to be a federal law that takes them off the shelves and out of the hands of young people for good.
Enforcement Policy
The government would need to classify bath salts as a schedule 1 drug to make this happen. This schedule status states that a drug has no medicinal value and comes with a high potential for abuse. The United States Drug Enforcement Agency has recently invoked its “emergency scheduling authority” to expedite this process. The DEA plans to define the possession and selling of bath salts as illegal in the United States. This short-term action will remain in effect for one year, during which time the government is expected to call for permanent ban.
What They Do
There are many reported side effects of bath salt use. Agitation, paranoia, and chest pain are all commonly experienced by users. High blood pressure and increased pulse rate is also normal. However, right now there is no test to determine if someone has actually ingested the drug. The only way to know if someone has taken bath salts is if they tell you. At this point you will need young adult drug rehabilitation.