Bath Salts

What are the street names/slang terms for bath salts?

Purple Wave, Vanilla Sky, Bliss, herbal treatment, incense, plant food or fertilizer, insect repellant, pond cleaner, vacuum freshener

What are bath salts?
May be sold as bath salts, but not the same chemical compound as Epsom Salt (magnesium sulfate) or other legitimate water-soluble therapies. Bath Salts are used similar to amphetamine. They are made synthetically and chemically designed to mirror cathinones (triggers release of dopamine in user). Bath salts are derived from the Catha edulis plant. Also called KHAT (aka: Arabian tea, qat, gat, qaat, jaad, chat or jimma). 


What does it look like?

  • White, crystalline powder with light yellow hue
  • Unpleasant odor (vanilla and bleach, stale urine, or electric)
  • ‘Dirty’ or ‘tan’ – copper-colored powder (free-base form)
  • ‘Pure’ batch – white powder
  • European ‘grey’ powder

How is it used?

  • Ingesting
  • Inhaling
  • Injecting
  • Smoking
  • Snorting
  • Atomize in water and inhale
  • Eye drops or nasal spray

What are its short-term effects?

  • Foaming at the mouth
  • Breathing rapidly
  • Extremely rapid heart rate
  • Resisting treatment
  • Incoherent Speech

What are its long-term effects?

  • Combative
  • Hallucinating
  • Anxious and paranoid
  • Muscle pain
  • Continuous movement

What is its federal classification?
Included in 1986 Controlled Substance Analogue Enforcement Act of controlled unregulated substances (for human consumption) that mimic controlled substances. Additionally, on 10/21/2011 U.S. DEA prohibited the selling or possessing of Mephedrone, MDPV, and Methylone or products that contain these chemicals for a one year period.

Source

Intel Branch, FDNY Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness (CTDP)