Senator Martins: State Takes Action Against Dangerous Bath Salts, Bill Signed Into Law

A new law is on the books aimed at stopping the sale and use of deadly “bath salts,” a type of illicit drug recently connected to the deaths of young party-goers in New York City, as well as other deaths around the country. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, use of bath salts in the United States has increased significantly since 2010.

Bath salts--man-made drugs similar to methamphetamines--can cause heart attacks, seizures, permanent brain damage and severe hallucinations. An individual's behavior on bath salts often turns violent, leading them to harm themselves and/or others.

The State Senate led the fight to crack down on this dangerous narcotic. The new law (S.3469A/Chapter 341) adds more chemical compounds—the type of compounds used to make these bath salt drugs—to the state's banned substances list. It imposes criminal penalties on those who sell, use and/or possess these drugs, and also makes it a felony to sell the substances to a minor or on school grounds.

Rest assured, we in the Senate are doing everything we can to keep our state laws current to keep these treacherous drugs off the streets and prevent our young people from becoming victims.

For more information about bath salts, click here: http://www.aapcc.org/alerts/bath-salts/