A name like “bath salts” sounds innocuous, and that is a big part of the problem, according to experts.
Bath salts and other synthetic drugs, especially synthetic pot including “spice” experienced a proliferation in usage across the United States in the past few years, with the American Association of Poison Control Centers reporting 304 calls nationwide pertaining to bath salts in 2010, 6,138 in 2011 and 2,468 through Oct. 31 of this year.
These bath salts are different from what you soak your feet in—they’re often marketed in sleek packaging and come in a powder and crystal form that dissolves easily, according to a Powerpoint presentation from the Tri-Rivers Drug Task Force. Common ingestion methods include snorting, injecting, smoking and mixing with food or drink.
Law enforcement and healthcare professionals dealing with the uptick in usage have had to operate within the confines of a legislative system that, at times, struggles to keep up with the manufacturers of designer drugs. Designer drugs are specifically intended to bypass drug laws by modifying the chemical structure of a drug so that it doesn’t fall under the purview of existing law.
“One particular designer drug might be considered illegal, but people who put these drugs together change one or two things in the compound,” said Gina Thorne of the Farley Center, a treatment center for addiction in Williamsburg.
These drugs are marketed under dozens, if not hundreds of different names, said Ryan Cookson of the Gloucester Sheriff’s Department. Cookson said he had seen these drugs marketed under such categories as “glass cleaner” and “ladybug attractant.”
Despite a crackdown by state and federal agencies, the drugs are still readily available. In October 2011, the Drug Enforcement Agency used its emergency scheduling authority to place some of the substances used in bath salts in the same category as LSD and heroin, according to the White House’s website. Many variants of bath salts and another commonly used designer drug, spice, or synthetic cannabinoid, became illegal in Virginia last year.
Despite the manufacturers of these drugs often including “not for human consumption” on the packaging, these drugs, which were often sold in gas stations and head shops, can cause many harmful side effects, including psychosis, paranoia, lockjaw, increased body temperature, hallucinations, chest pain, confusion and high blood pressure, said Jack Fitzpatrick, regional criminal justice planner for the area. He said long-term use can cause more side effects, including extreme anxiety, excess scratching of the skin, tremors and seizures.
Fitzpatrick has teamed up with local law enforcement and healthcare providers to try to educate communities in and around the Historic Triangle on the danger of using these drugs. An information session was held Monday at Tabb Library in York County for local citizens. Another information session will be held this coming Monday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at New Kent High School.
Thorne said the number of people seeking treatment at the Farley Center for problems with these drugs has increased in the past few years and that 18 to 27 year-olds were the most common demographic. Treatment is often time-consuming,as in addition to the three to five days needed to detox from the drug, healthcare professionals need to seek out the root cause of use, which is often something more complicated, like depression, anxiety and grief.
The Farley Center hosts informational workshops, and Thorne said that the workshops on bath salts and cannabinoids are the most well-attended in the four-year history of the workshop program. These community workshops are held each month, and though the Friday, Dec. 14 workshop on bath salts and synthetic drugs is already full, a second workshop has been scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 13 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Call 1-800-582-6066 for more information.
Fitzpatrick said the usage of these drugs in the Historic Triangle is not as high as it is in other localities.
“We don’t have good statistics here, which to me, is a good sign,” Fitzpatrick said. “If we were getting large numbers, we would be aware of that.”
Fitzpatrick said the drug has seen more widespread use to the north, in Gloucester, Middlesex and Mathews Counties.
“Prior to July 1 [the day that Virginia law governing the drugs was put in place], we had numerous, numerous accounts of people reacting to these things. Our ERs were pretty much jammed up with people dealing with the side effects of these narcotics,” Cookson said. “Users would hallucinate, thinking they saw people who weren’t there. We were told the reactions were very similar to methamphetamines where they would stay up for two or three days.”
Cookson said a specific bath salt, called AMP, is especially addictive and destructive, though existing drug laws now clamp down on that particular substance.
“It’s just a matter of time before the next AMP shows up on the market,” Cookson said. “Even though AMP seemed to be the worst on the market for side effects, we’re just one chemist away from that happening again.”
Cookson said these drugs are especially dangerous since officials have no knowledge of how long-term exposure to these drugs can affect someone.
