Though the name may sound harmless, bath salts contain dangerous synthetic stimulants that carry the risk of easy overdose, hallucinations and even death.
Description
A synthetic stimulant, typically in the form of a white or brown crystalline powder, that contains one or more chemicals that are physically similar to amphetamines and MDMA (ecstasy), but whose effects on the human brain are not fully known yet. Because the drug is new and some of the contents unknown, using Bath Salts in any way is highly dangerous.
Brand names include Blizzard, Blue Silk, Charge+, Ivory Snow, Ivory Wave, Ocean Burst, Pure Ivory, Purple Wave, Snow Leopard, Stardust, Vanilla Sky, White Dove, White Knight and White Lightning.
The Effects
There have been reports of a surge in visits to emergency rooms and reports from poison control centers, linked to Bath Salts. Their full risks and effects are still unknown, but commonly reported reactions include rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, extreme body hypothermia, chest pains, agitation, hallucinations, extreme paranoia, aggressive behaviors, and delusions. Bath salts have also been fatal in many instances.
Bath salts are a relatively new drug, so it’s hard to know the full range of long-term effects, but they seem to have many similarities to methamphetamine (meth). Taking a lot of it for a long time can lead to emotional and physical “crash-like” feelings of depression, anxiety and intense cravings for more of the drug.
Laws vary regarding legality of these synthetic substances. As soon as a law is set in place to make it illegal, manufacturing adjusts a single component so that it is legal again. It is difficult for the laws to keep up.
Sources
Above The Influence. February 2016. View Source.