Unregulated psychoactive substances marketed as “bath salts” are among the latest in a series of legal synthetic substances that, when used improperly, offer alternatives to illegal drugs. “Bath salts” are powerful stimulant drugs that are suspected to have been designed to avoid legal prosecution, and are commonly available on the Internet and in specialty smoke shops.
“Bath salt” products are known to produce certain side effects, some of which are quite severe. This MMWR describes emergency department visits in Michigan over the last year after use of “bath salts.”
In July, Maine enacted legislation to make it illegal to possess or sell any of the 21 different hallucinogenic drugs or stimulants that are sold and marketed as “bath salts.”
For more information, see this Fact Sheet from the state Office of Substance Abuse.
