Doctors: Inhaling Bath Salts Is A Dangerous Trend

The labels say bath salts but the white powder inside is not used for a relaxing soak in the tub.

These days, doctors say bath salts are being used to get high. The powder is typically snorted or smoked.

One teen told WHIO-TV,"Everyone was saying you know, it's amazing and it's legal."

The teen, who did not want to be identified, said with one hit he was hooked.

"That adrenaline rush, you feel like you're on top of the world going as fast as you can," said the high school student.

He said he bought the powder at smoke shops and gas stations.

Labeled "Blue Silk" and "Vanilla Sky," he snorted them which he said led to nose bleeds, fatigue, anxiety and depression.

His experience does not surprise the head of the emergency room at Miami Valley Hospital.

Dr. Norman Schneiderman said, "The biggest danger, aside from it will race your heart, get very agitated, hallucinate, the big concern is what you might do on this drug like jump off a bridge or jump in front of a car or stab yourself."

Experts said the powers are made from the chemicals MDPV and Mephedrone. Both are stimulants and because they are so new, not much is known about them or what could be added to them.

Dr. Schneiderman said, "There is no way of knowing. It could have rat poison in it and that's the danger in doing these things. You just have no clue what might be in there."

Authorities believe social networking sites help spread the world. People are blogging and bragging about inhaling bath salts.

One teen blogged, "I did one line of it and it blew my mind. The high is exactly like doing blow."

Another teen admitted feeling terrible later saying, "The high lasted four to five hours from one bump and the comedown was absolutely horrendous."

The powders are easy to find. In fact, we found them under the counter at local gas stations, discount stores and smoke shops. One small container with a quarter gram inside sells for $25. Several store clerks told us that they could hardly keep them in stock.

In Logan County, a man was arrested after admitting snorting bath salts and incense.

A deputy on patrol saw Justin Fout, 28, leaning over the seat of a car parked at Dr. Suds car wash on Township Rd. 239. The deputy said he approached the car and spotted drug paraphernalia including a propane burner, butane fuel, three containers of bath salts and several canisters of incense.

Fout was charged with one count of abusing harmful intoxicants.

The state of Florida recently made it a felony to sell or possess bath salts and some people believe the powders should be kept off store shelves and out of the hands of everyone, especially teenagers.

"All it is is a high that's way more dangerous than alcohol or marijuana," said the teen.

Dayton State Rep. Clayton Luckie has introduced a bill at the Statehouse that would make it illegal to sell or possess the chemicals contained in bath salts.

Also, Miami Valley Hospital held a training session this week for medical and law enforcement officials to learn more about this dangerous trend.

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