Schumer Wants to Ban Synthetic "Bath Salts" Drugs

Submitted by Phillip Smith on Mon, 01/31/2011 - 2:00pm (Issue #669)

Drug War Issues

Politics & Advocacy

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) told the Associated Press Saturday that he wants the federal government to criminalize the new synthetic stimulant drugs mephedrone and MPDV (methylenedioxypyrovalerone). Although he said he was announcing a bill Sunday, it had yet to be filed as of Monday afternoon.

mephedrone ad (image via Wikimedia)

Marketed as "bath salts" under brand names including Ivory Wave, Zoom, and White Lightning, and sold in head shops, convenience stores, and corner gas stations across the land, as well as on the Internet, the drugs have effects on users similar to those of cocaine or amphetamines.

The substances are already banned by emergency action in three states -- Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi -- and similar actions are likely in other states. Alarm-raising press reports are typically followed by hasty administrative or legislative action at the state house.

Now, Sen. Schumer wants to ban the substances nationwide. The bath salts "contain ingredients that are nothing more than legally sanctioned narcotics," he said.

The DEA is aware of the bath salts drugs and have them listed as drugs of concern, but it has so far not moved to enact a ban.

Drug War Chronicle has been following the mephedrone story for the past year. Read our recent overview here.

News Brief

This work by StoptheDrugWar.org is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

Comments

Anon9 (not verified)

If you are a retailer, join the Retailers Compliance Association

Don't agonize, organize!

http://www.therca.org/about_us

Mon, 01/31/2011 - 3:27pm Permalink

Moonrider (not verified)

Schumer is

an authoritarian, statist, drug war idiot who would rule every aspect of your private life if he could get away with it.

Tue, 02/01/2011 - 2:52pm Permalink

King Pothead (not verified)

New Yorkers should ban Schumer

New Yorkers should come to their senses and ban Charles Schumer. He is nothing more than career politician scum trying to score a few cheap political points. And he pretends to be concerned about the public now, but give him a few days and he'll side with large corporations on some issue that screws the people. Just like he has time and time again. Not that I want his seat taken by a Repugnantcan, but surely their is a better liberal to be had for the good state of New York.

Thu, 02/03/2011 - 2:02pm Permalink

HUMANBEING (not verified)

drugs

drugs are all around us; tv, food, alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, etc. its not that any politician, or government truly cares about the health of people, they are only interested in you doing the "drugs" they deem "legal"! Its not that the government doesn't want you to do drugs, they want you to do their DRUGS, THE ONES THEY CAN PROFIT FROM!

Fri, 02/04/2011 - 2:33pm Permalink