Lena Lunsford Investigated for Dangerous Drug 'Bath Salts' - WBOY-TV

CLARKSBURG -

Her daughter has been missing almost two months, and last week Lena Lunsford released a statement asking people to pray for her family and daughter Aliayah, 3. She also wrote she is fully cooperating with the investigators working to bring Aliayah home.

But the same can't be said for the authorities handling her six charges of federal welfare fraud. U.S. Pretrial Services Officer Brian Kilgore wrote in a statement that Lunsford is violating her probation and is not fully cooperating with her supervision. West Virginia State Police tracked her and her husband Ralph Lunsford to the parking lot of a store called Hot Stuff Cool Things in Clarksburg Nov. 1. Ralph told Kilgore he had just purchased "Sextary," a version of the synthetic drug "bath salts" for $52. Lena told Kilgore on Oct. 20 she did not know what bath salts were. She also told him she had not been to a "head shop" in "several months."

"It's much like the PCP back in the '70s. It's a medicine that makes someone very euphoric and happy. But there's a fine line for them to go over to being acutely psychotic," said Dr. Chris Goode, head of the Emergency Department at United Hospital Center.

But if a pregnant mother is taking the synthetic drugs, it will have an impact on her unborn child(ren).

"It'll affect breathing issues and then the central nervous system," Goode said. "You can only imagine the effect it'd have on the nervous system and the mother. If the mother is not doing well, then the fetus is not doing well."

State Police are investigating the bath salts incident and is waiting on lab results. Neither she nor Ralph has been charged. 

Kilgore recommended she be placed in home incarceration and substance abuse treatment.

Meanwhile, Dr. Chris Goode calls bath salts an "epidemic" in north central West Virginia.

"We see it a lot. People are known regular users. But one bad dose of bath salts, heroin or K2 could be your last."

Lena Lunsford has a bond revocation hearing at Elkins federal court Nov. 28.

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Norton Police Support Bill to Ban Dangerous Bath Salts - Patch.com

On Nov. 3, a Bill sponsored by Attleboro State Rep. George Ross was discussed during a public hearing before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary on Beacon Hill to classify bath salts as a Class C substance under the state's Controlled Substances Act.

According to Zane Horowitz on WebMD, these are not the typical salts you buy at Bath and Body Works. Illegal street chemists market these salts, which are often called "Ivory Wave," "Purple Wave," Vanilla Sky," and "Bliss." Since the label says 'not for human consumption,' the salts, which can be found in small convenience stores, have avoided being specifically enumerated as illegal.

"We haven't seen any problems with the bath salts in Norton, however we fully support the bill," said Lieutenant Todd Jackson on behalf of Norton Police Chief Brian Clark.

Representative Betty Poirier (R-North Attleboro), who cosponsored the bill, Attleboro families who have been directly impacted by the effects of bath salts and representatives from approximately 75 police departments joined Ross at the hearing. Rep. Steven Howitt who represents Norton, Rehoboth, Swansea and Seekonk also petititoned in support of the bill.

The hearing comes just days after the United States Drug Enforcement Administration placed the key ingredients found in “bath salts” under federal control and regulation.

The use of bath salts as a way to get high has been a growing problem throughout the nation. In fact, several states have banned it from store shelves. In Attleboro, two families had to cope with the effects the drug had on their children. The effects were such that one of the users of the bath salts had to be hospitilized for more than a month. Two Attleboro residents, with support from their family, testified on what the drug did to them.

Ross sponsored the bill after learning about how the bath salts were being used by local teenagers and how they are highly addictive. Ross said he was dismayed to learn about the effects the chemical in the bath salts had on those who ingested it which can include suicidal thoughts, paranoia and fatigue.

Attleboro Police Chief Kyle Heagney testified in support of the legislation. "We are familiar with the various locations and stores that have sold bath salts (in Attleboro) and asked them to remove them from the shelves. They did comply but confidential sources say it's been made available behind the shelf with word of mouth requests," Heagney said. "I know it's legal, but legal does not mean safe."

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