AlarmingTrends of Bath Salt Use

Every so often another synthetic drug comes along that causes everyone to shake their heads in bewilderment. A few years ago Spice (Salvia) was all the rage, flying off the shelves of "head shops" across the country based on the fact that it produced a temporary, hallucinatory effect after smoking it. Not to mention, it was also legal. Authorities have since stepped in and put an end to its growing abundance, but now "Bath Salts" seems to have taken its place and is now the cause of a growing number of overdose related emergency room visits. In fact over one year's time from 2010 to 2011, the number of calls to poison control centers across the country based on Bath Salts consumption went from 303 in 2010 to 3,470 in 2011 according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

The elevating use of Bath Salts, or as it is chemically know methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), has been stirring up quite a media storm as of late where story after story has been reporting on its harmful and unusual effects. MDPV reacts in the body as a psychoactive stimulant having individuals experiencing similar effects to that cocaine or amphetamines. Despite causing such desirable effects as euphoria and sexual stimulation, use of bath salts also can come with health scares such as a rapid heart rate, insomnia, and possibly even suicidal thoughts. Unfortunately like most street drugs that are being toted as "pure," Bath Salts is typically not MDPV alone but instead contains other toxic chemicals causing additional side effects not originally considered.

So how does a substance like Bath Salts go undetected for so long without a government agency attempting to regulate it? To start, it may have to do with its name. The perceived conception one may have when they hear the term Bath Salts could be that of the household scented epsom salts added to enhance bathing. Using names like "Ivory Wave" and "Vanilla Sky," vendors selling Bath Salts managed to fly under the radar and avoid suspicion until only recently when government agencies stepped in.

National media grabbed hold of the Bath Salts story when it was revealed that a man was witnessed eating the face of another man in what appeared to be a drug induced state. Some sources immediately pointed at this new, mysterious drug to be the cause. It was later revealed not to be, but it did set off some alarms for people, especially the authorities. Today, lawmakers look to put an end to this growing epidemic by sealing up loopholes that make the drug legal due to its chemical makeup. Also marking the labels on packaging "Not for human consumption" has allowed them to be sold in stores up until this point.

Bath Salts are just the latest thing for a person to get hooked on. If you would like to learn more about substance abuse or rehab treatment, please visit the provided resources.

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