I wasn't following the Miami incident too close that some people are calling a zombie attack, but while listening to a radio interview, I heard someone mention the terms bath salts, and a light came on. Some people think that it's just big brother poking their nose in our affairs again with the idea of potentially putting laws out to make it illegal to buy them. Before you dismiss such laws, you might want to read the following article. Also, it was at least two years ago that I read another article on this same topic, and it was saying that people were having psychotic episodes and winding up in the emergency centers because of the use of bath salts. If I remember correctly, they were saying that these had been imported from Asia somewhere, so this isn't really a new thing. What surprised me at the time was that I wasn't reading a lot about it. What doesn't surprise me now is that there may be a link between the bizarre behavior in Miami and the use of bath salts.
Here is an exert from an article I recently discovered on this topic. It also says, "The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Israel have banned the chemicals."
Bath Salt Health Hazards
The pharmacological activity of MDPV, and related chemicals may
result in serious and potentially fatal adverse effects. MDPV inhibits
the norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake system and leads to central nervous
system stimulation. Acute side effects may include rapid heart rate,
high blood pressure, hyperthermia (elevated body temperature), vessel
constriction, muscle spasm/tremor, and seizures. Higher doses can lead
to behavioral and psychiatric effects such as severe panic attacks,
psychosis (hallucinations, delusions), paranoia, agitation, insomnia
(inability to sleep), irritability, and violent behavior.1,4
In the reported Marquette County, Michigan cases the most common signs
and symptoms of toxicity were agitation (66%), tachycardia (63%), and
delusions/hallucinations (40%). Accidental deaths due to overdose and
"bath salt"-related suicides have been reported.5,6
Care of patients with an overdose may require admission to the
intensive care unit, use of intravenous sedatives, antipsychotics,
and/or restraints, or other measures to protect the patient and health
care providers from harm. Rhabdomyolysis (the destruction of muscle
fibers and the release of myoglobin, a protein, into the bloodstream
that may lead to kidney damage) may occur, as well.1,5 Supportive care is given in overdose cases as there is no known antidote.
Source: Bath Salts or PABS
