More and more 'designer drugs' are entering the marketplace these days - some legal, or temporarily legal, addictive and dangerous drugs that have emerged recently have included herbal ecstasy, salvia, synthetic marijuana and more. The latest rage in the Southeastern part of the United States have been 'bath salts' - given innocuous names like 'Vanilla Sky', 'Ivory Wave' and 'White Rush' - but not actually intended for the bath, and instead intended to produce a methampehamine-like effect.
Law enforcement in several states, mostly in the Southern US, has taken note of the unpredictable and violent effects these substances can have on users who usually purchase the products from convenience stores and then snort or smoke them. They were first banned as drugs in Louisiana and now Florida has followed suit. Emergency rooms across the US, as well as poison control centers in Florida and California, report numerous calls related to the 'bath salt' substances and what to do in cases where someone is suspected to be under the influence:
"For lack of a better term, they're flipped out. It's almost like a psychotic break. They're extremely anxious and combative, they think there's stuff trying to get them, they're paranoid, they're having hallucinations. So, the encounters are not pleasant," Ryan says. "And we were finding that some of these guys couldn't be sedated with the normal drugs that we would use with other stimulants."
The active ingredient in the 'bath salts', a chemical called MDPV, is a stimulant, and it is known to cause paranoia, psychosis, intense panic attacks, hallucinations and addiction. New York Senator Chuck Schumer is planning to bring legislation that would result in a nationwide ban of these 'bath salts'. In the interim, this designer drug is likely to, unfortunately, spread.
Should you have concerns that you or someone close to you may have developed a pattern of alcohol or drug dependence, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation and counseling options are available to break the cycle of addiction and teach long-lasting strategies for remaining sober. If you or a family member needs assistance in breaking free of drug or alcohol addiction, please reach out for more information. Hope by the Sea provides high-quality, effective drug and alcohol rehabilitation services in a peaceful, private Southern California location.
citation:
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/08/133399834/florida-bans-cocaine-like-bath-salts-sold-in-stores
Law enforcement in several states, mostly in the Southern US, has taken note of the unpredictable and violent effects these substances can have on users who usually purchase the products from convenience stores and then snort or smoke them. They were first banned as drugs in Louisiana and now Florida has followed suit. Emergency rooms across the US, as well as poison control centers in Florida and California, report numerous calls related to the 'bath salt' substances and what to do in cases where someone is suspected to be under the influence:
"For lack of a better term, they're flipped out. It's almost like a psychotic break. They're extremely anxious and combative, they think there's stuff trying to get them, they're paranoid, they're having hallucinations. So, the encounters are not pleasant," Ryan says. "And we were finding that some of these guys couldn't be sedated with the normal drugs that we would use with other stimulants."
The active ingredient in the 'bath salts', a chemical called MDPV, is a stimulant, and it is known to cause paranoia, psychosis, intense panic attacks, hallucinations and addiction. New York Senator Chuck Schumer is planning to bring legislation that would result in a nationwide ban of these 'bath salts'. In the interim, this designer drug is likely to, unfortunately, spread.
Should you have concerns that you or someone close to you may have developed a pattern of alcohol or drug dependence, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation and counseling options are available to break the cycle of addiction and teach long-lasting strategies for remaining sober. If you or a family member needs assistance in breaking free of drug or alcohol addiction, please reach out for more information. Hope by the Sea provides high-quality, effective drug and alcohol rehabilitation services in a peaceful, private Southern California location.
citation:
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/08/133399834/florida-bans-cocaine-like-bath-salts-sold-in-stores