Description

“Bath salts”:

• General term for “designer drugs” containing synthetic cathinones:
  • 3,4 methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is most common in the US:
    • Also mephedrone, methylone, and many others
• Sold under numerous names including:
  • Aura, Bliss, Bolivian Bath, Bromo-Dragonfly, Cloud 9, Ivory Snow, Ivory Wave, Meow-Meow, Vanilla Sky, White Dove, White Rush:
    • Labeled “not for human consumption” to evade regulatory control
    • Falsely marketed as plant food, insect repellents, “bath salts” to further evade regulation
    • Not chemically related to epsom salts or bath salts for bathing in any way
• Substances may be powders, tablets, or crystals:
  • Ranging in color from white, yellow, brown, or gray
• May be ingested, snorted, smoked, injected
• Highly addictive CNS stimulant, often with hallucinogenic properties:
  • Many effects similar to cocaine, or ecstasy
  • Severe delirium, psychosis, violence, multiorgan failure, DIC, myocardial infarction, stroke, and deaths have been reported

Epidemiology