DEA Uses Emergency Authority to Ban “Bath Salts”

Posted on September 14, 2011

Synthetic stimulants which mimic the effects of LSD, cocaine, and MDMA drugs being marketed as bath salts and plant food are being banned by the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to news sources.

The DEA plans to use emergency scheduling authority to limit the production of these products, citing them as imminent hazards to the public.

An administrator stated,

“This action was necessary to protect the public from the imminent hazard posed by these dangerous chemicals. Except as authorized by law, this action will make possessing and selling these chemicals or the products that contain them illegal in the U.S. for at least one year while the DEA and the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) further study whether these chemicals should be permanently controlled.”

These products are sold in retail outlets, headshops, and on the Internet, labeled with names such as Bliss, Ivory Wave, Purple Wave, or Vanilla Sky. The products have not been approved by the FDA and manufacturing is not monitored.

Mephedrone, methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and Methylone are the three synthetic stimulants that will be illegal under the ban. They are already banned in several other countries, but in the United States they are not a federally controlled substance, which made it legal to buy and sell. Side effects of using these products include impaired perception, reduced motor activity control, extreme paranoia, episodes of violence, and paranoia.

As a product liability lawyer, I’m glad to see the DEA taking action on these extremely dangerous products. When used for something they’re not intended for, products can pose danger to consumers. As a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, I hope you visit this blog often to keep informed about new dangers to your health from consumer products.

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