Editorial: Law alone won’t eliminate scourge of bath salts
Last Modified: Thursday, July 19, 2012 7:52 PM
Last month, a man reportedly assaulted an acquaintance in Scott and bit some of the victim’s face off.
The perpetrator fled but later showed up at the house of another acquaintance in Carencro, attacking that victim and holding him at knife point until police arrived and arrested him.
A woman who knew the suspect in the case said he had been using ‘‘bath salts.’’
That type of crime has yet to surface in Southwest Louisiana, but law enforcement officials warn about the dangers of bath salts.
‘‘The effects of the drug are similar to that of PCP, where the user feels an extreme body temperature, which a lot time causes them to take their clothes off,’’ said Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Detective Robert Broussard.
He said other side effects include hallucinations, paranoia and extreme aggressive behavior.
Bath salts usually contain mephedrone, a synthetic stimulant that is sold under the name of bath salts or plant food, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse. It has been sold online and in drug paraphernalia stores under a variety of names, such as “Ivory Wave,” “Purple Wave,” “Red Dove,” “Blue Silk,” “Zoom,” “Bloom,” “Cloud Nine,” “Ocean Snow,” “Lunar Wave,” “Vanilla Sky,” “White Lightning,” “Scarface,” and “Hurricane Charlie.”
Last year, the state Legislature approved a bill that makes it illegal to possess or distribute bath salts and synthetic marijuana.
Calcasieu Parish District Attorney John DeRosier said manufacturers of bath salts often alter the formula. That results in a sort of Russian roulette for anyone naive enough to ingest it.
According to the abovetheinfluence.com website, bath salts carry the risk of stroke, heart attack and sudden death. Long-term effects can lead to emotional and physical ‘‘crash-like’’ feelings of depression, anxiety and an intense cravings for more of the drug.
President Obama recently signed a bill banning bath salts and synthetic marijuana, outlawing their local and online sales.
The law, though, won’t eliminate this scourge. People with no conscience and little regard for their fellow man will always find a way to get their product on the market, no matter the human toll and misery it will cause.
Hence, caveat emptor — let the buyer beware. This editorial was written by a member of the American Press Editorial Board. Its content reflects the collaborative opinion of the Board, whose members include Bobby Dower, Ken Stickney,
Jim Beam, Dennis Spears, Crystal Stevenson and Donna Price.
Posted By: Bob Zenn On: 7/20/2012
Title: Gasoline fumes?
Next we need to outlawing inhaling gasoline fumes thru a facemask .
Let's get those push lawnmower back in the stores.
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