Lynette Scarry: She DID have the right to remain silent… (Photo courtesy of Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office)
BY NIKI D’ANDREA
In January of this year, I covered the emerging trend of people using “bath salts” to get a speed-like high. The bath salts I’m referring to aren’t the kind you might buy at CVS or Bath & Body Works to pour in your bathtub for a fragrant, relaxing soak. These “bath salts” were sold in head shops (usually as fine powders) in plastic packets for as much as $120 a gram, with brand names like Ivory Coast, White Lightning, and Eight Ballz. The bath salts were snorted or injected, and users reportedly experienced a high similar to that of meth or cocaine.
Last month, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency announced an emergency ban on chemicals commonly used in bath salts: Mephedrone, MDPV, and Methylone (the ban took effect the first week of October). In addition to users reporting intense highs, they and law enforcement officers were also reporting intense freak outs, including a fatality in Kansas after a 21-year-old guy with bath salts in his system ran into traffic waving his arms.
It’s too early to tell if the emergency ban will curb local cases involving bath salts, but up to this point, Phoenix certainly hasn’t escaped the dangerous euphoria. Four cases in point are below.
