Young, Law Enforcement Officials Calling for Ban on Bath Salts

ALBANY – Bath salts that can produce a methamphetamine-like high and possibly have been linked to the deaths of two young men at Allegany National Forest would be banned under a new bill sponsored by Senator Catharine Young (R,C, I – Olean) and supported by several local law enforcement officials.

“Bath salts can cause extreme anxiety, paranoia and psychotic episodes that have led to many reports of violence and self-mutilation. We need to prevent these type of horror stories from happening to someone else’s family,” said Senator Young.

Often labeled "bath salts" and given innocuous-sounding street names like Ivory Wave, Bliss, White Lightning and Hurricane Charlie, these drugs can cause hallucinations, paranoia, a rapid heart rate and suicidal thoughts.

Olean Police Captain Robert Blovsky said several local people had been recently hospitalized after abusing these substances and displaying suicidal behavior.

“We talked to some of the people who were brought to the hospital after failed suicide attempts. They admitted to us that they were using these bath salts and got a high off of them by either smoking the drug, snorting it or injecting it into themselves. It is scary stuff that can make you feel very paranoid and sometimes suicidal. It is important that people in our community are aware of the dangers of using these bath salts,” said Captain Blovsky.

Thee drugs are sold mostly as white, powdery substances that contain active ingredients like methylenedioxyphenethylamine (MDPV) which produces the same effects as cocaine or ecstasy. In addition to bath salts, the chemicals can be found in plant foods that are sold legally at convenience stores all across the state and via the Internet.

“These products aren't being used for the purposes on the label and are not the same type of stuff people toss into their tubs to take a relaxing bath. They are very dangerous and it is shocking how easily anyone, including our kids, can get their hands on these potentially deadly drugs,” Senator Young said.

The highly hallucinogenic and potentially lethal drug was recovered from the vehicle of two Warren County men, Troy Johnson, 29, and Terry Sumrow, 28, who were recently discovered dead at the Allegany National Forest in Pennsylvania. A toxicology report has yet to determine the cause of deaths.

“It’s surprising that something that would seem to be harmless actually is so dangerous,” said Senator Young.

According to the Upstate New York Poison Center in Syracuse, New York, there have been eight bath salts cases across the state that have been managed medically since the beginning of the year.

T. Michele Caliva, who is the Administrative Director of the Poison Center, said that while eight cases may not seem like a significant number, it is actually quite high.

“Poison Centers are only made aware of those cases where an individual develops symptoms and those symptoms are significant enough for a family member or friend to be concerned so that they bring them into a health care facility or they scare the person that is abusing the drug or chemical and they seek care on their own. This also reflects only those cases where a patient admits to abusing bath salts,” Ms. Caliva said.

“Eight cases since the beginning of this year is a red flag that this drug is out there and is being abused in the general public. For every one case that is called into the Center there are numerous incidences where a person is abusing but does not seek health care,” she added.

Senator Young is co-sponsoring legislation that would criminalize both the possession and distribution of these products that contain many different methamphetamine-like chemicals.

Livingston County Sheriff John M. York said, “The ‘bath salts’ drug trend appears to be another epidemic of a new substance abuse. The biggest tragedy of this newest sensation is that it is not illegal in New York State and many areas of the country. It is marketed under many brands and sold in mini-marts and smoke shops by people who have skirted the laws that make these types of drugs illegal.”

Wellsville Police Chief Steven Mattison said, “I am very concerned with the horror stories circulating around the country with the deadly consequences involving bath salts. Fortunately, Wellsville has not experienced a tragic incident, yet. I know from past experiences, that it is only a matter of time before any new experience filters into our community. I am very concerned that our quiet village will be hit hard if we as law enforcement are not standing strong with Senator Young and pushing to stop this from gaining any more momentum.”

Jamestown Chief of Police/Director of Public Safety Harry Snellings said, “I am certainly in support of this bill because of the effects these drugs are having in communities throughout the country. We are now seeing this drug pop up in our area and there is a real concern in the way it is being marketed toward our young people.”

Dunkirk Police Chief David C. Ortolano said, “Unfortunately, as we continue our everyday war on illegal narcotics in our communities, the drug trade will find new ways to meet the addictions of the users. They experiment with new ways to meet their needs and the problem is that often times these new experiments lead to tragic results as the effects are unknown and can be volatile.”

“Senator Young has always been a very good supporter of law enforcement and I applaud her for stepping up to address issues such as this. We need to have strong legislation regarding drug enforcement in order to have success fighting these issues in our local communities,” he added.

There have been over 1,400 reported cases of these dangerous types of bath salts used in the U.S. since September of last year, according to the National Poison Data System; more than 1,100 of those cases have occurred since January 1st.

Products containing these hallucinogenic chemicals have already been banned in countries like the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.

In the United States, the substances have been banned in Florida, North Dakota and Louisiana and there is pending legislation in Kentucky, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.