Bath salts are a type of synthetic stimulant that are often marketed as “bath salts,” “research chemicals,” “plant food,” “glass cleaner,” and labeled “not for human consumption,” in order to circumvent application of the Controlled Substances Act. They are from the synthetic cathinone class of drugs and are designed to mimic effects similar to those produced by cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA (ecstasy) . Bath salts are usually ingested by sniffing, but they can also be swallowed, smoked, or injected.
Ingredients or materials:
- The most commonly reported ingredient in bath salts is methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), although other stimulants may be present, such as mephedrone and methylone.
- Synthetic cathinones, including those found in bath salts, are human-made stimulants chemically related to cathinone, a substance found in the khat plant in Africa and southern Arabia that some people consume for its stimulant effects.
Positive effects:
- There are no positive effects associated with the use of bath salts. They are highly dangerous and can lead to serious, and even fatal adverse reactions.
Negative effects:
- Adverse or toxic effects associated with the abuse of cathinones, including synthetic cathinones like those found in bath salts, include rapid heartbeat, hypertension, hyperthermia, extreme neurological and psychiatric changes, seizures, arrhythmias, and respiratory distress.
- Bath salts can lead to serious, and even fatal adverse reactions.
- Routine urine and blood drug screens do not usually test for bath salt psychoactive ingredients.
In conclusion, bath salts are a type of synthetic stimulant that are highly dangerous and can lead to serious, and even fatal adverse reactions. They are often marketed as “bath salts,” “research chemicals,” “plant food,” “glass cleaner,” and labeled “not for human consumption,” in order to circumvent application of the Controlled Substances Act. The most commonly reported ingredient in bath salts is methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), although other stimulants may be present, such as mephedrone and methylone.
