Legislature Passes Bill to Prohibit 'Fake' Bath Salts

The State Legislature has passed a bill that would prohibit the sale of “fake bath salts,” which state Assemblyman Edward Braunstein, D-Bayside, said are being used as recreational drugs.

Braunstein, who proposed the bill, which passed the Senate Friday, said the salts can produce a high, but that they have dangerous side effects.

“The consumption of fake bath salts not only poses a threat to one’s physical well-being–it can produce dangerous mental and emotional side effects as well,” the assemblyman said.

“There have been cases in other states where individuals who have snorted or injected these bath salts have committed violent crimes, including murder.”

The state’s Senate and Assembly have both passed Braunstein’s legislation, which would classify “fake” salts that contain Mephedrone as controlled substances and ban their sale.

The bill would not prohibit the sale of genuine bath salts.

Braunstein said the “fake” salts can cause serious mental problems, including hallucinations, extreme paranoia, delusions, hypertension, headaches and suicidal thoughts.

Several states and nations have imposed their own bans, including Florida, North Dakota, Louisiana, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.

“The health problems associated with the use of bath salts as a recreational drug are very disturbing and the state needs to pay attention to this public health issue,” state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, said.

“We need to crack down on the sale of ‘fake bath salts,’ so the manufacturers of these products can no longer put the health of our residents at risk,” he said.