Teen Behavior: 7 Dangerous Trends Parents Should Know About

“Bath salts”

The new drug sold legally as “bath salts” in head shops and liquor stores grabbed national headlines when it was outlawed by Louisiana in January 2011. Many states are trying to make the drug illegal, but since it takes different forms and combines different ingredients, state government officials have struggled with how to define the illicit substance. The bath salts have been found to contain mephedrone and MDPV, two drugs that cause severe hallucinations and psychosis in users who smoke, snort, or inject the substances. A single use causes intense cravings that results in three to four day binges and can end in suicide. Because bath salts continue to be legal in many states, some teens incorrectly assume the effects are less dangerous than other known narcotics. In the past six months, there have been over 3,470 calls to poison centers in 28 states to report incidents of bath salt exposure.