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New Bizarre Drug Trend: Bath Salts
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jan 22, 2011
Modified Jan 22, 2011
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Jan 22, 2011
Modified Jan 22, 2011
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We've heard of some strange crazes over the last year: Four Loko, breast milk cheese, vodka eyeballing, synthetic marijuana, and of course, spaghetti tacos. But now officials have pinpointed the next great weird drug trend: bath salts...wait, uh, bath salts?
Yup: authorities say that more and more people are snorting, injecting or smoking bath salt powders with names such as Ivory Snow, Red Dove, Bliss, Hurricane Charlie, and Vanilla Sky. And the effect is reportedly as powerful as abusing methamphetamine. The chemicals in the salts, mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone (aka MDPV), can cause hallucinations, paranoia, rapid heart rates and suicidal thoughts. Dr. Mark Ryan, director of Louisiana's poison control center, gave an idea of the power of the drug: "It causes intense cravings for it. They'll binge on it three or four days before they show up in an ER. Even though it's a horrible trip, they want to do it again and again." We've never been more glad to not take baths than we are now.
Tagged
bath salts
drugs
trends
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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