Bath Salts: What Are They?

Bath salts under a microscope

Throughout human history, there have been a few factors that motivate us across time. Unfortunately, one of the most common of those is the desire to "lose yourself."

Regardless of how you personally achieve that sensation, many people rely on drugs and alcohol to do so.

Some of the newest, most popular, and most dangerous drugs out there are "bath salts."

For the past few years, we've heard countless, terrifying stories about bath salt addiction, including the recent tale of how one man ate another's face during an attack in June.

Needless to say, we could all benefit from a little bit more knowledge on the matter. Whether you're a parent or a professional, use this knowledge to keep you and your family safe.

Essentially, bath salts are designer drugs that mock the effects of cocaine, Ecstasy, MDMA, Khat, and other extremely dangerous substances. They fall into the chemical family of "substituted cathinones," but often consist of MDPV or any of a range of highly dangerous chemicals. 

Bath salts can be used by smoking, snorting, injecting, and swallowing. Since it only takes about a tenth of a typical package for users to get high, there are many overdoses and fatalities associated with this highly dangerous substance.

Even more upsetting: many of these chemicals are missed through routine urinalysis, which means your children or employees may pass a drug test while high. Fortunately, there are some laboratories and testing companies that now target bath salts, so that problem is becoming a thing of the past.

In May 2011, the state of New York banned the sale and distribution of bath salts. President Obama followed suit In July 2012 when he signed a bill banning bath salts nationwide. 

Since bath salts are chemical compounds capable of being produced in a wide variety of laboratories, they go by many names. Bath salts are similar in constitution to synthetic marijuana, and they are often sold near each other in head shops.

Some brands of bath salts include:

• Aura
• Ivory Wave
• Loco-Motion
• Vanilla Sky
• Bliss
• Purple Wave
• White Lightning
• Hurricane Charlie
• MTV
• Scarface

Bath salts are packaged in plastic-covered foil wrappers like many powdered drinks. They often look like this:

Since they are no longer legal in the United States, it is very difficult (if not impossible) to buy bath salts online or in stores. Many people still sell them in person and on the black market just like other illegal substances. People often pay between $25-50 per bag.

There are many side effects, both on the body and the mind. As provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, some of those include:

• agitation
• insomnia
• irritability
• dizziness
• depression
• paranoia 
• delusions
• suicidal thoughts
• seizures
• panic attacks
• impaired perception of reality
• reduced motor control
• decreased ability to think clearly
• rapid heart rate
• heart attack
• stroke
• chest pains
• nosebleeds
• sweating
• nausea
• vomiting

To learn more about bath salts and the dangers behind them, check out the links below:

WebMD: Bath Salts Drug Trend: Expert Q & A
Fox News: America's New Drug Problem: Snorting 'Bath Salts' (January 2011)
ABC News: DEA Announces Emergency Ban on 'Bath Salts (September 2011)
The New York Times: An Alarming New Stimulant, Legal in Many States  (July 2011)

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• What are bath salts and why are they dangerous?
• Popularity of 'bath salts' points to dangerous trend
• Many drugs remain legal after "bath salts" ban
• Babysitter allegedly given bath salts