Bath salts are a designer drug of abuse with reports of dangerous intoxication from emergency departments across the US. They are not a hygiene product used for bathing, as the name might imply, but are dangerous synthetic ("man-made") cathinones. The most commonly reported ingredient is methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), although other stimulants may be present, such as mephedrone. Bath salts can lead to serious, and even fatal adverse reactions, and the drug effect is a high or "rush" that is similar to methamphetamine (speed) . They are often sold on the street as cheap substitutes for other stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine. Before the DEA ruling making them illegal, bath salts were noted to be easily accessible in convenience stores, gas stations, over the Internet, and in "head" or smoke shops. Packaged in powder form in small plastic or foil packages of 200 to 500 milligrams, they sold for roughly $20. Most packages were labeled "not for human consumption". Overdose with bath salts can be fatal, and as these agents bought on the street or online may be cut with other unknown and potentially addictive substances, the true magnitude of toxicity and addiction may be even higher. Routine urine and blood drug screens do not usually test for bath salt psychoactive ingredients; however, tests are available to detect some of the synthetic cathinones.
The incident referred to as the "bath salt TV incident" is not clear from the search results provided. However, it is important to note that bath salts are a dangerous and highly addictive drug that can lead to serious and even fatal adverse reactions.
