Teenagers looking for a legal high are now buying and snorting bath salts, according to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). For awhile teens were buying “fake pot” sold as incense.
They would buy a small silver pouch of “incense” under names like K2 or Spice. Once the DEA caught on to that they passed an emergency rule banning the substances from store shelves. After that teens found a new target; bath salts. Now, the DEA has followed suit by banning that substance as well.
The man-made high
Teens claim snorting bath salts gives them a “rush” or a euphoric feeling. The salts have mephedrone and methylone in them, which come from an herb. The salts are compared to ecstasy, and were easy to get before the ruling. A small container costs $20 and can be found at many shops.
“There is no tolerance for those who manufacture, distribute, or sell these drugs anywhere in the country,” DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart says in a news release. “Those who do will be shut down, arrested, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
While the federal government has stepped in, WebMD reports that 33 states had already banned the substance. Poison control units all over the U.S. have reported an increase in the number of people calling to report an overdose of bath salts.
The problem authorities face
The trouble is the new rule only bans certain ingredients. It doesn’t stop a manufacturer from tweaking their recipe and putting it right back on store shelves. Authorities can’t keep up with the changes made, or the new products teens turn to. Recent reports show an increasing number of teens are also smoking hookah and show those that smoke also drink. Just as teens went from buying “fake pot” to bath salts, authorities believe it is inevitable that teens will find something new to get high off.
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