What You Should Know About "Bath Salts"
Bath salts are on the DEA’s emergency watch list.
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A Dangerous Cocktail - You may think of bath salts as a product used to ease aching muscles, but an emerging trend of inhaling or injecting synthetic stimulants, sold under the name "bath salts" or "plant food," for their amphetamine-like properties has caused great concern for authorities, especially after a Miami man gnawed on the face of another man while under the influence of the drug. Keep reading for a breakdown of what “bath salts” are and how they can affect the body. –Britt Middleton (Photo: Mark Randall/Sun Sentinel/Landov)
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The Biology of "Bath Salts" - Mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), two synthetic stimulants, are chemicals most commonly found in "bath salt" products and are derived from cathinone, a central nervous system stimulant. These stimulants are found in a number of retail products sold over the Internet, in convenience stores and in "head shops," retailers of drug paraphernalia products. (Photo: Brian Peterson/Minneapolis Star Tribune/Landov)
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On the Streets - "Bath salt" stimulant products are sold in powder form in small plastic or foil packages, and can be found in tablet and capsule form. Mephedrone is a fine white, off-white or slightly yellow-colored powder, while MDPV powder is a fine white or off-white powder. The products' street names include Bilss, Blue Silk, Cloud Nine, Drone and Energy-1. (Photo: Times-Picayune/Landov)
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How "Bath Salts" Affect the Body - "Cathinone derivatives act as central nervous system stimulants causing rapid heart rate (which may lead to heart attacks and strokes), chest pains, nosebleeds, sweating, nausea, and vomiting. Drugs that have similar effects include amphetamines, cocaine, Khat, LSD, and MDMA,” the Drug Enforcement Administration writes. (Photo: DEA)
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How "Bath Salts" Influence the Mind - Agitation, delusions, dizziness and panic attacks are some of the symptoms reported by people who have abused these substances. "Users have also reported effects including impaired perception of reality, reduced motor control, and decreased ability to think clearly," the DEA reported recently. (Photo: DEA)
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Documented Abuse - "Bath salts" are usually ingested by sniffing or snorting, but can also be injected into veins as a solution or taken orally. In May, a Miami man was suspected of being under the influence of the drug when he gnawed on the face of another man. (Photo: AP Photo/The Miami Herald)
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Another Tragedy - The stimulants were again blamed in the death of a woman from Syracuse, New York, in June 2012, who police found beating her 3-year-old son after she ingested the salts. She then stripped off her clothes and fled from police until she was subdued with a Taser. She later suffered cardiac arrest and died. (Photo: Courtesy 9WSYR)
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The DEA Steps In - In October 2011, the DEA issued an order making it illegal to possess or sell Mephedrone, MDPV and Methylone, the three synthetic stimulants used to make bath salts, in the United States, except as authorized by law. The order will remain in effect for at least one year while the DEA and the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) further study whether these chemicals should be permanently controlled. (Photo: DEA)