Bath Salts Addiction
Just as addictive as cocaine but you can buy it online or at a specialty store which makes it a dangerous combination. The salts contain Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and mephedrone, psychoactive drugs with stimulant properties. Users snort or smoke the substance to produce a cocaine or meth-like high.
One of the ingredients in bath salts, mephedrone, is of particular concern as it presents a high risk for overdose. These chemicals act in the brain like stimulant drugs thus they present a high abuse and addiction liability.
“Bath Salts” (also sold under the guise of plant food) are a threat to human health and public safety, as evidenced throughout the nation in recent months. Classifying the synthetic drugs marked as bath salts under Schedule I control of the Controlled Substances Act is necessary, detailing health risks and the rise in bath salt ingestion and related medical emergencies through the nation. Some steps are being taken as of July, about 21 states including New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida have bans against the so-called bath salt drugs. However, there is definitely a lot more work that needs to be done.
Between January and February 2011, there were over 250 calls to U.S. poison centers related to bath salts. This is well over the 236 calls received for all of 2010. That is an enormous increase. Bath salts are a dangerous drug whose full risks and effects are still unknown. What doctors at poison centers have reported is that bath salts can cause rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, chest pains, agitation, hallucinations, extreme paranoia, and delusions.
Bath Salts As Addictive As Their Illegal Alternatives
In an effort test how addictive bath salts can be using a method called intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) by which lab animals (in this case mice) are implanted with brain stimulating electrodes, researchers have measured the ability of bath salt drug mephedrone (also known as meow meow) and cocaine to activate the reward circuits in the brain.
In the ICSS studies, animals are trained to perform a behavioral task for which they are rewarded by direct stimulation of the brain pathways involved in reward perception. In this instance, the behavioral task was spinning a wheel. Their efforts were measured before, during and after having received various doses of mephedrone and cocaine. While as expected cocaine increased the ability of mice to be rewarded by self-stimulation, mephedrone does the same thing. It increases the rewarding potency of ICSS just like cocaine does. The effects of mephedrone on the brain’s reward circuits are comparable to similar doses of cocaine. Research shows that mephedrone likely has significant abuse liability.
Bath salts are dangerous, easily obtainable both in small local stores and online, and the formula used to create the drug can be altered to skirt the law enforcement and make research difficult.
Handling Bath Salts Addiction Through Treatment
Bath salts are a relatively new drug, so it’s hard to know the full long-term effects, but they seem to have many similarities to methamphetamine (meth). Taking a lot of it for a long time can lead to emotional and physical “crash-like” feelings of depression, anxiety and intense cravings for more of the drug.
Since it contains amphetamine-like chemicals, bath salts will always carry the risk of stroke, heart attack, and sudden death.
Those addicted have sought relief through treatment. One method successful for countless thousands has been Narconon, a drug-free, long-term residential rehab program.
For more information on getting someone help who is struggling with bath salts addiction contact us today.
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