Governor Pat Quinn signed into a law a ban on synthetic drugs marketed as bath salts. This law follows the overdose death of a downstate woman earlier this year.
Illinois is the 11th state in the U.S. to ban the drug methylenedioxypyrovalerone, or MDPV, which had been available at tobacco shops and convenience stores. Although the bath salts are labeled as “not for human consumption,” MDPV provides its users with a hallucinogenic high when smoked, injected, or snorted. This is high is similar to a methamphetamine or ecstasy high.
Quinn banned bath salts to keep Illinois’ drug policies aggressive and responsive to new trends.
Across Illinois, there have been multiple deaths related to the use of bath salts. In April, the first reported death of a bath salt overdose was reported in Illinois, which sparked increase debate of bath salts being sold within the state.
Bath salts have been added to the list of other drugs that are banned in Illinois. These include synthetic marijuana, also known as K2 or Spice,and salvia divinorum, a herb that causes hallucinations.
Bath salts use had been a problem particularly in the South and Midwest, and these states have already placed a ban on bath salts.
Bath salts high can be dangerous to the user and bystanders. When people who are high on bath salts come to the hospital, they are especially dangerous and sometime require multiple people to restrain them. This poses a risk to the hospital staff, as well as other patients. Additionally, there have been cases of people who are high doing risky acts that put other people in danger. One case was a man who climbed up a flag pole and then launched himself into the middle of traffic and another case involved a man breaking into a monastery and stabbed the priest.
