Hallucinogenic Bath Salts Bill Takes Effect Today

Utica, NY (WIBX) - The state law banning the sale of hallucinogenic bath salts is taking affect today. Senator Joe Griffo, who introduced the bill with Assemblyman Ed Braunstein earlier this year, says it was a hard fought effort over the session to get it on the governor's desk for his signature.

He said, "There had been national attention and exposure to the abuse of these hallucinogenic bath salts...this is very dangerous. We're seeing not only harm being done to individuals but also potentially problems in society that we really need to avoid right now. So, I'm thankful the governor signed the bill a couple of weeks ago. Now it will be part of law in New York State."

Senator Charles Schumer recently introduced legislation in the Senate that would make mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone, two of the substances in bath salts, illegal to possess or sell. Before the bill became law, the state department of health issued an emergency ban on the product, following numerous reports of overdoses and other violent incidents involving hallucinogenic bath salts. According to NYT, New York now follows at least 29 other states in banning the sale of the chemicals that make up the so called bath salts.