Bath Salts
Maine is not alone when it comes to the epidemic of “bath salts.” States across the country are reporting more and more incidents of people under the influence of these dangerous drugs. Since these synthetic stimulants first burst upon the scene two years ago, use has skyrocketed. The number of crimes associated with their use continues to grow, and tragically, so too does the number of deaths associated with them.
People under the influence of bath salts experience highly elevated heart rates, blood pressures and body temperatures. This is followed by psychosis, delusions, and hallucinations that lead to wildly irrational, self-destructive, and violent behavior. Emergency rooms report cases in which medical workers cannot subdue a person under the influence of bath salts. The police chief in Bangor, who is working incredibly hard to address this crisis, has told me about the burden that this places on his department and the dangers it presents to law enforcement officials. He has also explained how troubling it is that more and more young people are gaining access to these drugs.
In 2010, poison-control centers across the country handled 304 bath salt emergencies. In 2011, that number grew to more than 13,000. Unless something is done to reverse this dangerous trend, the number will only increase and the burden placed on our communities will only worsen.
In the face of this epidemic, Maine and several other states have banned the sale and possession of bath salts. Tragically, these harmful chemicals remain legal in some states and, even worse, under federal law. While the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has taken action to temporarily ban some of the chemicals used to make bath salts, it is clear Congress must act to outlaw these drugs permanently.
I am a cosponsor of bipartisan legislation that would make the synthetic chemicals used to make bath salts illegal through the United States. The “Combating Dangerous Synthetic Stimulants Act” would ban mephedrone and MDPV under the federal Controlled Substances Act as drugs that have no legitimate medical value and a high potential for abuse.
In addition, I am a cosponsor of several other bills that would ban the sale of synthetic marijuana and other drug-like products that can be used to make bath salts. Quite simply, these chemicals are dangerous and do not belong on store shelves. These bills have passed the Senate Judiciary Committee without opposition. Unfortunately, they are being blocked from coming to the Senate floor for a full and open debate. Surely, we can agree that these bipartisan bills deserve to be considered.
Bath salts are a national threat and this requires national action. No region of our country or of Maine is immune to this threat. Our state’s leaders, law-enforcement officials, and medical personnel deserve credit for responding quickly to alert the public to the dangers and to discourage experimentation.
Bath salts, and the chemicals used to make them, are a growing and persistent threat. We cannot afford to wait to address this problem any longer. The longer Congress goes without enacting a permanent ban on these chemicals, the more our citizens are put at senseless risk.
