Bath Salts: The New Drug

They may be a soothing way to relax when dropped in to a hot bath, but they're also a dangerous stimulant that is sending people in to violent psychotic episodes.  In reality, they are 2 separate products and the sale of this concoction is not illegal.  It is not illegal by the simple addition of a label that states, "not for human consumption" and also because there are no regulations in place that outlaw the combination of the ingredients.

These bath salts are available by such names as Vanilla Sky, Pure Ivory, Ivory Wave, and Loco-Motion, and they are not illegal in most states.  They can easily be purchased over the internet. Convenience stores and truck stops everywhere sell them for less than $20. and you don't need an ID to purchase them like you do for a bottle of cough syrup.  You can snort it, smoke it or mix it with water and drink it.

Medical professionals and law enforcement officials report that the symptoms of bath salt use are similar to PCP, LSD, Cocaine and Meth, all combined.  Large doses of sedatives, such as Valium, have had little to no effect in calming down a user.

Emergency room physicians warn of the dangers of bath salt abuse inducing such problems as; excessively high blood pressure, elevated heart rate and body temperature, hallucinations that ultimately disconnect them from reality, and violence so strong that it may require many people to subdue one individual.  The paranoia and delusional effects sometimes last for months and brain damage is possible, but there haven't been enough tests to determine the long term effects on humans. Doctors quite often don't know that bath salts are the actual cause of these problems unless the user admits they ingested it.

Examples of the bizarre and psychotic episodes include; one man in Indiana climbed a flag pole and jumped in to traffic.  In Pennsylvania, a man broke in to a monastery and stabbed a priest. A woman in W. Virginia scratched herself to pieces over the course of several days because she thought something was under her skin.

If you've had dealings with this drug and its effects, pressure legislators to not only ban their sale, but to follow through on testing and to initiate a full FDA investigation.  I know, the reality of a government investigation occurring in this century is probably slim, but the federal government needs to step in to label them as an illegal substance or a Schedule I drug.
It's an extremely dangerous substance and readily available to anyone of any age.