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| Lawmakers Looking to Ban Bath Salts |
(IRN)-Bath salts are commonly placed into a bathtub or foot bath to add a fragrance or to serve as a relaxing agent. But the Illinois House has voted to outlaw an ingredient in one product being advertised as bath salts, but certainly not being used in any baths.
"MDPV is a synthetic designer drug commonly sold as bath salts which can be snorted for a hallucinogenic inducing high," said State Representative Wayne Rosenthal (R-Morrisonville). "They have similar effects to cocaine and methamphetamines."
Rosenthal sponsored the bill, and he says it was inspired by a call he got in early February from the Sheriff's Department in Montgomery County. The call was about what happened when people snorted the salts.
"They had eight calls to the hospital. Some kids were pulling their hair out of their arms, some were pulling hair out of their heads, seeing hallucinated little people running around. So we took the information, got with the sheriffs association and drafted the legislation," said Rosenthal.
MDPV is the ingredient in the product being marketed as bath salts, but sold under names like Ivory Wave, Zoom, or White Lightning. Rosenthal says the salts are sold in a one-ounce package in convenience stores for $60. He says that's a little less than the street value of cocaine.
Similar legislation passed last year banning a synthetic drug called K-2, a product that was also sold in convenience stores. K-2 has similar effects to marijuana when smoked and it became illegal this year.
The legislation banning MDPV passed the House 113-3 and now heads the Senate. The bill is HB2089.
(Source: Illinois Radio Network) |
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| 03 31 11 by Newsroom |
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