The bath salts, which many of us use to make our time in the tub even more pleasurable, have sparked a new controversy. Some of these products (at least according to certain officials) contain chemicals, which are used by teenagers and grown-ups to get a high similar to the one that the illegal street drugs produce. While the makes and the names of these products, sold as bath salts, are often omitted from the reports, the local governments of four states (at least for now) were quick to ban two well-known brands.
Some of these bath salts, which are often sold online or at herbal shops, apparently contain chemicals that produce high similar to the one from cocaine or amphetamines. The authorities claim that the ingredients of some of these bath salts could cause powerful hallucinations, rapid heart rate, and paranoia and the products are often misused. This substance is either taken orally or snorted, but at least for now, there is little information as what the bath salts contain and there is no evidence that they are potentially dangerous to humans. While the bath salts legality is being heavily debated, according to many the government is simply using unconfirmed stories and employing scare tactics in order to pass laws and legislations that are pointless.
The news that the state of Alabama has decided to place two of these products on its controlled substance list has sparked a big controversy, and while some believe that the products should not be banned, based on rumors alone, others have welcomed the move. The hard cold facts are that the local governments are often too quick to ban products prior to sending them to a lab and finding out what they contain. Many consider this act similar to the “temporary” ban on the herbal incense, which the DEA imposed in 2010; this ban, some claim, did nothing to prevent the people that wanted to smoke herbal incense from doing so and simply created a black market, which introduced newer and higher risks. According to various online and offline sources, the bath salts are indeed used by many youngsters and adults to get a high similar to the one produced by illegal substances, but making them illegal is hardly the right solution. So far, they are still available for sale in most of the states and anyone could purchase them easily from various places, including quite a few Internet sites. Their prices vary from one product to another and they are also believed to have different ingredients, but the one the ingredient that seems to be mentioned the most is mephedrone (or MDPV), which is an amphetamine.
According to our sources, the states of Georgia, Louisiana, and Florida have banned some of these products too and the lawmakers in Mississippi and Kentucky are considering placing a ban as well. It is also rumored that the DEA has labeled them a “product of concern” and might be working on a legislation to ban them nationally.
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