Bath Salt and Designer Drugs: Dangerous Substances

Bath salts are a recently popular category of designer drugs. The word derives from cases where the drugs were cleverly disguised as bath salts. The bath salts, often white powder, crystals, or small granules, often look like Epsom salts, yet are different chemically.

These bath salts are “recreational” substances that stimulate the nervous system and the end result is euphoria, relaxation and an improved mood. Many of these bath salts users, unaware of what they are doing, become addicted to them and may become more depressed or unstable. Some bath salts users also suffer from agitation, anxiety, depression, insomnia, hypertension, carpal tunnel syndrome, and tremors. The symptoms experienced by bath salts users also include muscle spasms and cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. The worst bath salts users experience severe depression, psychosis, confusion, and extreme agitation.

The primary cause of bath salts addiction is the stimulation of the reward pathway of the brain. This area of the brain controls pleasure but also has a strong influence on behavior. Once a person becomes dependent on bath salts to feel good, the result is devastating. Most people who become addicted bath salts also suffer symptoms of withdrawal when they attempt to stop using the drug.

It’s easy to get information about drug abuse bath salts on the internet. Simply do a search using the key phrases “bath salts,” “drug abuse bath salts,” and “drug.” You will get many hits on websites and blogs dedicated to the subject. In the search results, it’s likely that you will see testimonials and links to buy these bath salts online.

Not everyone knows the full legal status of bath salts. Even in the United States, the sale and possession of these substances for recreational purposes are not illegal. But it is illegal to sell or distribute them. If you are caught in possession of bath salts, you face up to five years in prison. Although the punishment is far worse than the drug itself, you must understand that the law is based on the substance being obtained illicitly, rather than by legitimate means.

Because bath salts are not classified as legal prescription stimulants, it is very difficult to know what penalties are attached to their use. In states where bath salts have been banned, the possession and/or sales of these items are punishable with heavy fines. Because they are not technically considered drugs, the penalties against you may be lessened or relaxed. This is why it is critical to understand the law before considering buying bath salts. An understanding of the law surrounding stimulant drugs will help you avoid bath salt crimes and the problems they can cause.

A similar situation exists with legal access to “date rape” drugs, also known as date sugar. Date rape is defined as forcibly drugging a person with a controlled substance in order to use that drug for non-medical purposes. Although the act of drugging a person with a date rape drug is technically illegal, the penalties for using date sugar are much less severe. Unlike bath salts, date rape is not considered a psychoactive bath salt. Since there is no need to consume a date sugar in order to have a psychosomatic high, the penalties associated with this crime are not nearly as harsh.

When it comes down to it, bath salts and designer drugs are both highly dangerous substances that pose significant health and/or legal risks. You should always be careful and research the purchase of bath salts and designer drugs before making a purchase. While bath salts are often considered to be relatively harmless, designer drugs are anything but and can turn fatal very quickly when used incorrectly.