Bath Salts Abuse [infographic]

Medical experts have been warning of a potentially lethal new designer drug exploding in popularity across the United States over the past year. The stimulant is sold as “bath salts” and in many states it was perfectly legal, despite the dangers, until the Drug Enforcement Agency placed an emergency ban on the salts earlier this month. JJIE has reported on the danger of drugs and others like it many times over the past few months. Now, this infographic produced by the Pat Moore Foundation offers a look at not only the dangers and uses of the drug, but also a time line of Mephedrone's, the active ingredient, brushes with the law. The above story is reprinted with permission from Reclaiming Futures, a national initiative working to improve alcohol and drug treatment outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system.

Bath Salts Still Legal Despite Dangers

Medical experts are warning of a potentially lethal new designer drug exploding in popularity across the United States this year. The stimulant is sold as “bath salts” and in many states it is perfectly legal. The substance, sold as powder or crystals, is a man-made synthetic and often contains chemicals such as mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone, or MDPV, according to The New York Times. Despite a warning on the label indicating the product is “not for human consumption,” the drug is often snorted, smoked or injected, leading to dangerous side effects with severe psychological effects. In fact, emergency rooms and poison control centers are reporting a sharp increase in bath salt cases.