Her Miracle Recovery Network explains why addiction experts demand "bath salts" be added to standard panel of available drug tests
LOS ANGELES, July 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recently reported the number of new synthetic drugs such as Bath Salts rose by more than 50 percent in less than three years.
Why? According to Meg Higgins, owner of the recovery network, Her Miracle in Los Angeles, CA it's very simple. "Bath Salts are cheap, easily found and they don't show up on standard drug tests. Drug users across the country are always looking for the next drug they can use that won't get them fired from work, kicked out of their sober living home or sent back to jail for breaking parole."
These are NOT what you find in Bed Bath And Beyond. They are a new group of designer drugs sold as tablets, capsules, or powder and purchased in places such as tobacco and convenience stores, gas stations, head shops, and the Internet. These drugs mimic stimulant Cocaine, hallucinogenic LSD, and stimulant methamphetamine, or "Meth." They are sold under harmless names like: Ivory Wave, M-cat, Vanilla Sky, and Bliss.
A study being published in the August issue of Neuropharmacology reveals Bath Salts appear to be far more addictive than the drug Meth, already feared for its dangerously addictive qualities. In the study, tests showed rats worked more than 10 times harder to get the Bath Salts vs. the Meth.
"Adding Bath Salts to standard drug testing protocol is imperative," says southern CA interventionist, Dr. Louise Stanger Ed. D, LCSW, CIP. "I have seen the devastation this drug has done to families. Bath salts are highly addictive and have been shown to cause permanent cognitive impairment. We can't intervene or treat these people properly without definitive testing."
On the legal front there are concerns as well. "Without effective screening for Bath Salts, my clients with drug cases know they can continue to use without any real consequences to the court or probation," says Jeffrey Merrick, Esq., an alternative sentencing specialist. "One of the big selling points of these designer drugs is that they are not illegal and don't show up on drug tests. Without real consequences, even clients in treatment centers and sober living homes may continue using these drugs."
Bath Salts are not going away. Their popularity is growing at a concerning rate. "Even the US Navy is worried," says Higgins (Her Miracle Recovery Network). "They released a graphic and pretty shocking PSA on Bath Salts! As recovery professionals, it's crucial we keep up with the times. That means keeping up with the ability to detect new designer drugs and get help for the people taking them."
Release Contact: Mollie Durkin, 424-235-9494
References:
1. US NAVY PSA "Bath Salts: It's not a fad…It's a nightmare." www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhlaHwnErBI
2. Neuropharmacology. 2013;71:130-140. Abstract The study was funded by grants from the US Public Health Service. The study authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.