We have an update to a story you first saw on WAAY 31. Fake bath salts made of chemicals similar to cocaine and ecstasy are now illegal in Alabama.
WAAY 31's.... Stephanie Beecken has been following this story. State and local leaders say her reports have been instrumental in making this and other substances illegal.
The bath salts have been sold in many stores across the Valley including Pleasures in Huntsville but Tuesday morning, the store put up a sign saying "Last Day! Bath Salt Banned Buy Now!”
But be warned if you're caught with the fake bath salts, you could get in legal trouble.
In January, WAAY 31 shared one woman's experience after taking bath salts.
“It felt like the back of my brain stem was on fire. I couldn't see straight. Obviously it was eating my brain.”
We hid this woman's identity for her privacy. She says she had a frightening experience after using the substance one of her friends ended up in the ER.
“I can't believe it's legal. I cannot believe it's legal. It blows my mind,” she went on to say.
Now it's illegal. Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange and State Health Officer Doctor Don Williamson made an emergency ban on the chemicals mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MPDV) found in the fake bath salts.
“I took the action to go ahead and schedule these compounds hence bath salts as schedule one drugs. This becomes important because now this makes possession of these drugs and the use of these drugs illegal. I think we are seeing early eruptions of use and this gives us the opportunity to reduce dramatically it's availability in the state and hopefully prevent the sorts of problems that Louisiana has seen,” said State Health Officer Doctor Don Williamson.
The emergency rule makes the compounds illegal for 120 days. Then state leaders will make a final rule to make the fake bath salt chemicals a controlled substance permanently adding to the recently banned salvia and synthetic marijuana. WAAY 31 was the first local station to report the dangers of synthetic marijuana as well as bath salts. State Senator Arthur Orr who has supported the ban says the community awareness was crucial in making the substances illegal.
“TV stations particularly WAAY were very responsible for getting the salvia bill the attention it needed to pass in the lass session in 2010 and have also been very responsive with the bath salts bill,” said State Senator Arthur Orr.
These substances in salvia and synthetic marijuana as well as fake bath salts are schedule one controlled substances meaning they have no medical use and are not legal to have or use. Someone caught using it or selling it could be charged with a felony. Narcotics investigators throughout North Alabama will be out Wednesday checking stores to make sure the illegal bath salts are off the shelves.
