A Relaxing Bath Surprise

Ah, it’s been a long day and you can’t wait to get home and soak in the tub. You light the candles and reach for those relaxing bath salts only to find you are out. That’s strange you just picked up some the other day and the bath salts are all gone. Without giving it another thought you take your bath promising yourself that needed soak another day.

Once again your thoughts drift to lit candles, soft music and those relaxing aromas that await you. The bath salts are gone again! Ok; it’s time to get to the bottom of this! In your child’s trash basket you find empty packets of bath salts. What is going on here? My child has the sudden need for relaxing baths?

You get a phone call from the hospital telling you your child is in the emergency room. Your child has overdosed on bath salts. Bath salts? Shocked you go to the hospital and find your son has tried to cut his own throat. Stunned by the whole thing you seek answers.

Snorting, smoking and injecting bath salts is the new drug craze! Some say the effects are as powerful as abusing methamphetamines. Law enforcement agents and poison control centers say the bath salts with complex chemical names are an emerging drug problem. Sold under such names as Ivory Wave, Bliss, White Lightning, and Hurricane Charlie the chemicals can cause hallucinations, paranoia, rapid heart rates and suicidal thoughts. The drugs cause intense cravings with kid’s bingeing three to four days before showing up in emergency rooms.

The chemicals, mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone, are in bath salts and even plant foods that are sold legally at convenience stores and on the internet. The stimulants aren’t regulated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration because they are “not intended” for human consumption.

Niel Brown got high on bath salts, took his skinning knife and slit his face and stomach repeatedly. In Brown’s case, he had tried every drug from heroin to crack and was shaken by the terrifying hallucinations. Mark Ryan, director of Louisiana’s poison control center said “even though it’s a horrible trip, they want to do it over and over again”.

The bottom line for parents is to go with your instincts when it comes to your family. If something does not feel right, then it probably isn’t. Experts say that education is key when it comes to your child. Education does not always work especially with kids and teens; but you have to try anything you can to help them.

Excerpts of this article were taken from “Bath Salts are a growing drug problem” by Shelia Byrd Associated Press. Read the full article here.