Lou Barletta Cosponsors Bill to Ban So-Called Bath Salts, Synthetic Drugs

Press Release

U.S. Representative Lou Barletta, PA-11, has cosponsored the Synthetic Drug Control Act, which bans so-called bath salts and other synthetic drug substitutes and places them on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.

H.R. 1254, introduced Wednesday in the House, bans chemical compounds used in synthetic drugs that are commonly sold as bath salts or plant food. These substances have been identified as cocaine substitutes. Also banned would be chemical compounds that affect the brain in a similar way as THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

"We've all been shocked by the recent violent, erratic actions committed by those under the influence of these so-called bath salts. We've heard the stories of parents endangering their children with knives and by driving under the influence of these substances. We've seen the vicious attacks committed by those who ingested or smoked these substances. There is no question that synthetic drugs such as these bath salts pose a clear and present danger to the residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and these substances should be banned immediately," Lou said.

Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act bans drugs and controlled substances that have a high potential for abuse and have no use in medical treatment in the United States.

The bill Lou co-sponsors also gives the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency more authority to temporarily ban drugs such as these in the interest of public safety until the agency can prove the chemical is harmful or lacks medicinal or industrial value and should be banned permanently.

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