By Colin Lecher Posted 06.27.2012 at 1:01 pm 22 Comments

Bath Salts DEA

Does the drug commonly known as "bath salts" make you particularly crave the taste of human flesh? There's no scientific evidence that it does. But it certainly could lead to a bit of cannibalism as a side effect.

Bath salts, the nickname for a relatively new type of designer drug that's been cited as the cause for recent violent attacks -- not to be confused with actual salts you put in your bath -- does cause hallucinations for some people, along with a laundry list of other psychological effects. Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), loosely agreed upon as the active ingredient in many bath salts, is under an emergency DEA federal ban, along with other, similar drugs in the cathinone family. It works like a stimulant, increasing activity in the nervous system in the same way as cocaine or Ritalin. The reuptake of neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine is inhibited, and if that's done with potent enough doses, it could lead to extreme paranoia and delusions. If a user's reaction is especially bad, they could end up doing something horrific in a drug-induced psychosis--such as eating someone, as in the now-famous Miami "zombie" attack.

Similar incidents have occurred with other drugs, before bath salts hit the news; rapper Big Lurch was famously locked away for life in 2003 after killing and eating parts of his girlfriend while under the effects of PCP.

"Most people, fortunately, don't want to chew peoples' faces off," says David Levey, a spokesperson for the DEA. "But it's all across the board, and it's often unpredictable." There are more and more tales of bath salt-related cannibalism popping up, but that doesn't mean the salts are causing a zombie epidemic. Dr. Mark Ryan, Director of the Louisiana Poison Center, says the events, though relatively infrequent, are "unusual, so they get our attention."

There isn't even a clearly defined understanding of what "bath salts" are and what they are not. Levey says the DEA classifies them according to their effects, similar to those of other drugs; Ryan says that when he uses the term, he's talking about members of the cathinone family of chemicals. But both men have seen a wide range of products packaged, labeled, and sold as bath salts. Ryan, in particular, has found batches that were just pure caffeine, or a local anesthetic.

The CDC has explicitly stated that the cannibalism incidents are not the result of a zombie virus. In short, says the agency: The face-eating has happened in isolated incidents. It's uncommon. There's no specific reason for it other than drug psychosis. Don't take bath salts.

22 Comments

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Robot
06/27/12 at 1:40 pm

Life life to its fullest and live simple too.
Understanding the balance, so not to puff out your candle soon, must be mastered. Besides, why do drugs, when there is so much chocolate in the world, sheesh!;)

.............
Every day is a new day!

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GregN913
06/27/12 at 1:51 pm

My greatest fear is the increasing power of the DEA to control chemicals through the Federal Analogue Act. It's ok to get the dangerous stuff off the streets, however this is only going to make it harder for actual research labs (and well-educated college students) to get their hands on their favorite phenylethylamines...

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Waltz
06/27/12 at 2:05 pm

From what I have read the Miami case had nothing to do with bathsalts and may actually have had to do with the guy quitting drugs. He had a history of violence that was probably kept in check by years of smoking marijuana. When he quit he went into some sort of psychosis.

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mbrd71
06/27/12 at 5:15 pm

Couldn't it be that some people are just crazy anyway, and throwing in a stimulant/hallucinogen just makes it a lot worse? I'm using my own limited experience, but just because naturally violent people get even more rude, obnoxious, and violent when they're drunk, doesn't mean that everyone does. I'm always pretty happy and laid-back under the influence.

I'll pass on making an experiment out of these bath salts though.

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paulpence
06/27/12 at 8:30 pm

If there were a drug that causes people to become crazed face-eating cannibals, then what happens when someone makes a highly contageous disease that produces that drug?

Gotta go, time to watch Sean of the Dead.

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companyion
06/27/12 at 9:27 pm

No wonder why football players sniff bath salts. Its not a liability because they wear helmets.

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alain
06/28/12 at 3:05 am

It was incorrectly labeled as cannibalism! There was no ingestion of flesh, he used his jaw as a weapon to tear-off that man's face and it is bad enough but he wasn't eating him.
Rather than Sean of the dead, 28 days later about a rabies break-out would be a more correct analogy.

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CodeZero
06/28/12 at 9:37 am

These people need to look up the definition of "Zombie" IE A re-animated dead body (be that mammal or otherwise) Some dude jacked out of his mind biting or eating someone DOES NOT A ZOMBIE MAKE!

Cannibals are not Zombies and Zombies are not TECHNICALLY Cannibals either as Zombies generally do not eat other Zombies, and since Cannibalism is defined as "the practice of eating the flesh of your own kind". So, since living humans are not Zombies, Zombies are not Cannibals.

And the Florida guy, Toxocology came back negative for typical "Bath Salt" chemicals. So try again.

Playing Devil's Advocate since 1978

"The only constant in the universe is change"
-Heraclitus of Ephesus 535 BC - 475 BC

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ssilletti
06/28/12 at 10:41 am

The guy in Florida only had THC in his system according to the official reports. www.cnn.com/2012/06/27/us/florida-cannibal-attack/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

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Hitmandan
06/28/12 at 11:28 am

The thing that is unfortunate about this is they are categorizing all these analogs as "bath salts" as a person that may or may not do some of these things like methylone which is another known as a "bath salt" which is an also known as bk-mdma. It is relatively harmless in moderation, as most things are. The above mentioned MDPV is EXTREMELY dangerous and any person in their right mind shouldn't experiment with it unless extremely well versed in analog drugs. This whole drug against war is just making it more dangerous for the people that do drugs. Chemists will never run out of new analogs that may or may not get more and more dangerous. If you really want to care for and protect the people,. Then legalize the stuff that is tried and true. Things known to be relatively harmless in moderation as opposed to these new chemicals that have only been around for a short time.

As for the cannibalism....THC doesn't do that...this guy had some kind of prior condition or there is something more going on here they aren't telling us about...

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CodeZero
06/28/12 at 12:34 pm

ssilletti... the report also said that he had several undigested pills in his stomach as well, curious what those were filled with.

Playing Devil's Advocate since 1978

"The only constant in the universe is change"
-Heraclitus of Ephesus 535 BC - 475 BC

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jedlicka12
06/28/12 at 4:48 pm

Everyone talks about how they 'couldnt find any traces of bath salts in his system', but they haven't been reading between the lines - most reports that I have read make mention of that fact that until now they have not been able to actually test for them.

The last article I read also made mention of some pills in his stomach, but said that medical examiners were unable to identify them as of yet.

The whole thing about these designer drugs is that they are hard to find in the body, they cannot be found in urine tests, don't hang around in the hair, and are even sometimes hard to find in the blood.

It will require a lot more investigation on the cadaver by pathologists before anything definitive is published.

Druggies be warned.

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Iam AnonEmous
06/28/12 at 9:57 pm

Not a Faux or mass media fan at all, but I saw a link to a similar report from CNN above. Knowledge is Free... Share it!

www.foxnews.com/us/2012/06/27/medical-examiner-finds-only-marijuana-in-miami-face-chewer-system/

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lakeview
07/02/12 at 9:38 am

Although the "Miami Cannibal" case turned out to be not affiliated with bath salts, bath salts are sold disguised as a harmless substance used for relaxation, but people are ingesting them seeking euphoria.

In addition to experiencing altered moods, many bath salt users are having psychotic episodes marked with agitation, hallucinations and violent behavior.

This drug has dangerous consequences as noted in different news events in the United States.
for an up close look at what they may be sold as and more, view the infographic here

www.lakeviewhealth.com/bath-salts-infographic.php

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uselesstoy
07/02/12 at 11:51 am

Sadly I have a rotten feeling that we will be seeing quite a few more cases like this in the near future. Let me explain before everyone jumps in to tell me i am wrong. In my more reckless youth of 20 years ago, I had extensive experience with multiple hallucinogenics. Mainly LSD and shrooms. Bath Salts weren't even around, but hallucinating is hallucinating. You can never predict how it will affect you on any given day. Now, let me start with this...
Has anyone ever played the game. I bet you can't stop thinking about One Eyed Purple People Eaters (for example) for the next 60 seconds. aaaaand go... It is physically impossible. Now, plant that little gem of a seed into the mind of someone who is deeply hallucinating on the drug of his choice. He will IMMEDIATEDLY begin to compulsively obsess on the subject, say 1000 fold over a sober person. 15 minutes or so later the individual will A. Be hiding in the closet from them. B. Be running through the neighborhood with a broomstick and a net in an attempt to capture one. or C. Declare himself to be the King of all One Eyed Purple People Eaters and everyone should bow down to his royal highness.
Well folks, due to the EXTENSIVE media coverage on this subject, just about every raver/triphead out there is gonna have that little factoid seed of possible cannibalism/ zombieism rattling around in his little head at the start of his trip. Now, take a large rave of 5000 plus, multiply that by 100 raves. This gives you the figure of 500,000 (for example). Now take that hallucinating half million people, and try to guess how many will follow that little possible cannibalism seed down Alice's wonder hole and come out thinking that not only is cannibalism okay, but he better claim his meal before he looses his chance. Kinda scary huh?
It may sound unbelievable, but unless you had the experience of a bad trip where you can NOT stop thinking about the subject that is freaking you out, you will never understand.

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sam6302
07/04/12 at 1:51 pm

A daughter of my Ex was on various school drugs. The were highly effective at destoying her brain.

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anthonystar19
07/07/12 at 8:59 pm

Guess folks need to wake up and smell the 'coffee' or moreso the 'consequences' of certain types of 'drugs' or moreso certain types of 'habits' and stay away from them!

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Kiljoy616
07/13/12 at 12:04 pm

No, but mental disorder could.

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shoan
07/15/12 at 11:14 pm

as Billy explained I didnt know that a stay at home mom able to get paid $7613 in a few weeks on the computer. have you read this webpage NuttyRich.com

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cipher510
07/21/12 at 5:31 pm

zombies are coming hide the brains!!!!



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