Doctors See 'Bath Salt' Recreational Drug Use Rising
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As U.S. authorities move to ban drugs known as “bath salts,” doctors at a medical conference over the weekend discussed the drugs’ usage trends.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Friday banned three chemicals found in products marketed as “bath salts.”
The inexpensive powdery substance with names such as "Ivory Wave, Purple Wave, Bliss," contain stimulants undetectable through drug screens.
The substances are known to produce a "high" similar to drugs like cocaine and LSD, according to agents.
Medical Doctors discussed their study on the recent trends of human consumption of ‘Bath Salts’ at the CHEST 2011 Conference which took place over the weekend.
Symptoms linked to their usage include increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, agitation, hallucinations, extreme paranoia, and delusions, according to medical doctors at the conference.
The products are marked "not for human consumption" but are snorted, swallowed or injected by users.
Doctors are currently treating the ingestion of "bath salts" with sedation until the side effects wear off, along with supportive care.
The American Association of Poison control Centers pointed out that current cases of "bath salts" poisoning incidents have skyrocketed with 1,782 cases since January, compared to 302 cases the previous year.
The chemicals are growing in popularity among young adults and teens, and are sold in tobacco shops, gas stations, convenience stores and can also be bough online, according to the DEA.