Why bath salts

That means they have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. People who are caught with bath salts can face fines and jail time. Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What It Is: The name "bath salts" sounds innocent, but these are powerful and dangerous stimulant drugs.

Sometimes Called: bloom, cloud nine, flakka, scarface, vanilla sky, and white lightning How It's Used: Bath salts are sold as a white or off-white powder, mostly in small plastic or foil packages.

What It Does: Bath salts contain manmade chemicals that increase brain and central nervous system activity in much the same way as drugs like amphetamines or MDMA ecstasy. Tempted to give them a try?

Fill up your tub with lots of warm water and add g of your chosen salt and repeat two to three times a week for maximum results. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Recommended The beauty brands revolutionising the way you fake tan.

These bathing products have no mind-altering ingredients. Synthetic cathinones usually take the form of a white or brown crystal-like powder and are sold in small plastic or foil packages labeled "not for human consumption. Synthetic cathinones are part of a group of drugs that concern public health officials called new psychoactive substances NPS.

NPS are unregulated psychoactive mind-altering substances with no legitimate medical use and are made to copy the effects of controlled substances. They are introduced and reintroduced into the market in quick succession to dodge or hinder law enforcement efforts to address their manufacture and sale.

Synthetic cathinones are marketed as cheap substitutes for other stimulants such as amphetamines and cocaine. Much is still unknown about how synthetic cathinones affect the human brain. Researchers do know that synthetic cathinones are chemically similar to drugs like amphetamines, cocaine, and MDMA. A study found that 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone MDPV , a common synthetic cathinone, affects the brain in a manner similar to cocaine, but is at least 10 times more powerful.

MDPV is the most common synthetic cathinone found in the blood and urine of patients admitted to emergency departments after taking bath salts. Molly—slang for molecular—refers to drugs that are supposed to be the pure crystal powder form of MDMA.

Usually purchased in capsules, Molly has become more popular in the past few years. Some people use Molly to avoid additives such as caffeine, methamphetamine, and other harmful drugs commonly found in MDMA pills sold as Ecstasy. But those who take what they think is pure Molly may be exposing themselves to the same risks. Law enforcement sources have reported that Molly capsules contain harmful substances including synthetic cathinones.