Sold under the names “Blue Silk” or “Cloud Nine”, a new line of bath salts isn’t meant to simply help you “relax”–at least, not in the traditional sense. These “new” bath salts are actually strong synthetic stimulants that increasing numbers of people are using to get high.
Safety officials are extremely concerned about the new bath salts: not only are they cheaper than other drugs, they’re also readily available and legal. However, just because they’re cheap, legal, and available doesn’t mean that they aren’t very dangerous. In fact, many people die from ingesting the salts.
According to scientists, the salts cost about $30 and users typically ingest the product, which gives them a feeling of euphoria. In addition, the stimulants can cause hallucinations, paranoia, and even suicidal thoughts. Many experts argue that the effects are more damaging than those caused by meth. The designer drugs are made from a blend of complex chemicals and several states are already trying to ban the products from store shelves.
If you aren’t convinced by these warnings, maybe you’ll be moved by the experience of one bath salt user. According to ABC News, Neil Brown almost killed himself after he inadvertently began slicing his stomach and face with a carving knife after consuming these new salts. Brown survived, but others haven’t: In southern Louisiana, the family of a 21-year-old man says he cut his throat and ended his life with a gunshot after consuming bath salts. Authorities are also investigating whether a man charged with capital murder in the December death of a Tippah County, Miss., sheriff’s deputy was under the influence of the bath salts.
