Bath Salts banned as illegal substance in NJ

Bath salts have never played a significant role in my life. So I was quite stunned upon reading last month in New York Magazine that a whole slew of wayward souls are snorting (and developing addictions) to bath salts for its pharmacological effects, reported to include stimulation, hallucination, and unpredictable thoughts and behavior. Gothamist reported today that New Jersey legislators introduced a bill to ban the sale and use of bath salts in order to ‘crackdown on the dangerous practice of selling illegal drugs disguised as bath salts.’ The bill came in response to a tragic murder earlier this year of a 22-year-old Rutgers woman. Her boyfriend is accused of the crime and reportedly suffered extreme inescapable paranoia while abusing bath salts. It’s a complex issue, but clearly this is treating a symptom rather than addressing the cause of the problem. Particularly thought provoking in light of a new report conducted by The Drug Policy Alliance showing that New York City spent more than $75 million arresting people for possessing small amounts of marijuana last year.