From
PR Newswire:
Governor Tom Corbett today signed into law Senate Bill 1006, legislation that bans the possession, use and sale of synthetic designer drugs including the dangerous substance known as "
bath salts.''
The General Assembly last week unanimously approved the measure to expand the state's list of controlled substances. The new law prohibits all chemical substances contained in bath salts, as well as
synthetic marijuana and other synthetic drugs, including 2C-E, which is similar to LSD or Ecstasy, and salvia, which causes hallucinations.
Bath salts, which have nothing to do with baths or spas, are designer drugs with an effect on users comparable to cocaine or methamphetamine. The substance had been legally sold in some tobacco shops and other specialty stores. Users sometimes experience agitation, paranoia, hallucinations and often commit violent acts.
Poison control centers nationwide received nearly 300 calls about bath salts in 2010. Already this year, that number has quadrupled. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has received more than 55 calls regarding bath salts so far this year, up from just 10 last year.