Another sad story: What do you know about the drug, "bath salts"?

[marmalade]

I know people do some crazy things under the influence, but these are some of the craziest things I have ever heard of. Hopefully the stores that are selling this will start pulling them from their shelves. There is no amount of profit that can justify the horrific things that this drug is being blamed for.

I've heard of bath salts before, but only through the media when they report on something someone did while on them. I thankfully don't know anyone dumb enough to try them, at least I don't think I know anyone whose tried them.

 

[tammymacb]

You want to see a junkie do the funky chicken? Give them some bath salts...

I work in an ER and they're one of our new "issues". I've seen weird dystonic reactions, inability to control their body at all. I've also seen someone go to the ICU with renal failure after using them. Of course, she got dc'd and came in a week later in renal failure again. Eventually Darwinism will catch up with her.

 

[Kristina]

I am an American living overseas and this is the first I've heard of this. Is it the same product as what we've used for bathing and now people have found away to abuse it? If it's a drug how can shops sell it? Sorry I'm confused.

 

[stasijane]

I haven't heard of people using this for that long of a time now, but its scary the depth people will go to in order to get that fix.

 

[NotUrsula]

I am an American living overseas and this is the first I've heard of this. Is it the same product as what we've used for bathing and now people have found away to abuse it? If it's a drug how can shops sell it? Sorry I'm confused.

No, it is not the same thing; it is a completely different type of substance being labeled this way in order to legally import it. It is also commonly labeled as "plant food" for the same reason.

The stuff actually has been common in Europe for a lot longer than the in the US; in the UK is is more commonly known as "'Drone" (real name: mephedrone), and it rose in popularity in 2008. It was rather innocuous when it first appeared because it was pure then and people were using really tiny amounts, but once the UK made it illegal two years ago and the drug cartels figured out there was money to be made, it started being sold in larger quantities and in adulterated forms that made it much more lethal.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I haven't heard of people using this for that long of a time now, but its scary the depth people will go to in order to get that fix.

Me too, but it seems like the physical violence has escalated. I don't remember hearing about anything like cannibalism, using jaws as weapons, and the extreme violence as in recent months. I'm wondering if they changed it.

The recent cases are gut wrenching. Sickening.

I hope something is done about it soon.

 

[LilyWDW]

It makes zombies...

After enough deaths and ER visits that can be linked to this drug, Tennessee finally made them illegal. Problem is that it is still legal in nearby states and thus we are still having issues with it here. I think we hear about Bath Salts as much as we do about Meth Labs now!

 

[badblackpug]

You want to see a junkie do the funky chicken? Give them some bath salts...

I work in an ER and they're one of our new "issues". I've seen weird dystonic reactions, inability to control their body at all. I've also seen someone go to the ICU with renal failure after using them. Of course, she got dc'd and came in a week later in renal failure again. Eventually Darwinism will catch up with her.

ER nurse, here!

It has, lately, become a big problem for us. These patients are very psychotic, and on more than one occasion, very violent. We have required police intervention to deal with them.

The haldol has been flowing like water.

 

[rainy~daze]

Oh I REFUSE to go there. RE-FUSE. I'd let my car on the road & walk home if it ran out of gas before I'd buy a gallon there.

A friend/aquaintance has had a very loud voice in town & surrounding towns on the subject. Her son became addicted to them & had to have part of his arm amputated after becoming addicted to shooting them up. He had many complications from the surgery & almost died. He had been buying them, as a teenager, from this very gas station. She has gone to every local media to try & speak out & get these banned, and no one will help her in her cause since they're legal. It's so frustrating. No one local will use the gas station, unfortunately we're right off the interstate, by the casino, so they get a ton of non-local traffic. I think it's an independently-owned gas station - Lukoil. It's changed hands & names a few times over the years, but everyone local knows to avoid them & take their business elsewhere.

I thought Corbett signed the ban on bath salts into effect last August for the entire state?
We have had numerous raids on places around us in the last few months because they are illegal. Maybe call the District Attorney's office and mak them aware they are still being sold by that gas station.

 

[HelenePA]

They are sold right here in my local gas station. It scares me to death.

they are illegal in my county. I also know they are now mixing these and heroin together for a better high...

 

[HelenePA]

I thought Corbett signed the ban on bath salts into effect last August for the entire state?
We have had numerous raids on places around us in the last few months because they are illegal. Maybe call the District Attorney's office and mak them aware they are still being sold by that gas station.

I dont know if its statewide or not but LOTS of shops around me got busted in feb for still selling them... I do wonder how that worked for all the employees...

one store had half million dollars worth of product! http://standardspeaker.com/news/schuylkill-police-raid-stores-selling-bath-salts-1.1276167

 

[Sabrefan]

People would use them regardless of whether or not its illegal, as we see with all other drugs. I did see an episode of intervention and this guy was on bath salts, it was scary!! He was on his roof, convinced there were shadow people after him, and cameras spying on him.

I did read they (the police) frequently find these people naked because their body temp rises very quickly while on this drug.

 

[Andtototoo]

Yikes!!

Why would anyone want to take something that has such a bizarre recent track record? The symptoms don't sound like something you would want to try; agitation, paranoia, suicidal tendencies. Why would anyone think these symptoms couldn't happen to them?

They don't think and don't care. They're looking for a high, a thrill.

Years ago, I worked in a state office. Full of people with advanced degrees. Eventually we started to realize that our purses/desks were being rifled through and what was being stolen was ANY kind of drug we might have in our desk. (It wasn't uncommon for people to have drugs because our health plan's pharmacy was in the lobby -- so people often picked up their family's prescriptions on break/lunch and then had them in their purse/desk.) We finally found out what was happening when a long-time employee actually asked one of -- begged to be exact -- if she could have one pill from the prescription bag she saw the coworker putting into her purse.

Her: "Can I have one of those? Please? Please?"
Coworker: "WHAT?"
Her: "Can I have one of those pills? Please? I want one. Please. Can I have one?"
Coworker: "NO! What's wrong with you? Who asks someone for a pill?"
Her: "I want to try it. I want to try it."
Coworker: "You don't even know what it is!"
Her: "I don't care what it is. I just want to try it."
Coworker: "Really? You don't care what it is? It's a drug for my son's encopresis!"
Her: "I don't care. I just want to see what happens to me when I take it."
Coworker: "You'll have an accident in your pants is what will happen, you idiot!"
Coworker: "I just want to try it."

Well, needless to say, her boss and HR were called in and she was gone by day's end. Come to find out, she had a well-hidden addiction problem and what she was really addicted to was using drugs to "feel something." She said she felt "dead inside" except when she used drugs to "feel something." So she didn't actually care what the specific result of a drug was, as long as it was SOMETHING.

 

[Tuffcookie]

My town was actually the first in Ohio to pass an ordinance against bath salts.

I work for the PD and have seen all kinds of things people do, under the influence of bath salts.

I think the worse was a case where an elderly woman was beat up by her grandson, while he was under the influence of bath salts.

TC

 

[princesspiglet]

Bath salts are definitley illegal in PA. The bill was signed last August.
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/04/pennsylvania_law_drug_enforcem.html

You need to contact law enforcement to let them know about this gas station that is still selling it.

 

[princesspiglet]

On another note, I hate to pass judgement, but I just don't get the appeal of drugs at all. Yea, my life is crappy sometimes but I have never in my life ever thought, well, lets just get high and it will all be better! What makes people take drugs in the first place?? I just can't imagine my life being so bad that I would need drugs to make it better.

My 27 year old cousin is a heroin addict and it disgusts me and I can't even bring myself to see her. This is a woman that had everything going for her. She is beautiful (or was),super smart and was just so lovely and wonderful. She had a bad break-up with a boyfriend and I know she was devastated, but she had so many people there for her and instead of turning to a family member for help, she turned to a drug dealer. She has now lost over 30 pounds, has scars all over her face and works days as a bartender at the local crack bar. I just don't get it.

 

[Mandychelle79]

SO GLAD to see there is awareness out there & they are being banned in some states. Now let's bring it to PA! Or better yet, make them illegal across the board & serve hefty fines for selling them. Kids are buying these & experimenting & they have no idea how dangerous they are.

Bath salts have been illegal in Pa since August 2011.

 

[Mandychelle79]

ER nurse, here!

It has, lately, become a big problem for us. These patients are very psychotic, and on more than one occasion, very violent. We have required police intervention to deal with them.

The haldol has been flowing like water.

Psych nurse here... We get them from the ER and the Detox is worse then the high. I hate when the report says Bath Salts. Those patients are not fun at all.

 

[cm8]

They were banned here as well.