GRAYLING, MI -- On July 15, 2011, Governor Snyder signed House Bill No. 4565. In short, it outlawed certain chemicals found in bath salts.
These substances are sold to users seeking an "ecstasy" or "cocaine” high.
For parents, the new law meant the nightmare was over. No more late night trips to the emergency room trying to save their kids.
But not so fast. Bath salts are still being sold worldwide. Police are even reporting heavy use in our own communities.
“As a mother, you see your child turn grey...their eyes roll back into their head...and you wonder if they are going to pass away,” a mother, whishing to remain anonymous, told 7&4 News as she relived her son’s experience with a bath salt known as ‘Bliss.’ “After snorting it one time, a small amount, he had schizophrenic behavior, had to be restrained, unable to walk normally, speech...you could not make out his speech,” she said.
Her son bought the "Bliss" two weeks ago a local adult super-mart in Ludington.
After using it, he was rushed to the hospital.
His condition is now improving.
But how was this incident even possible?
After all, the state of Michigan placed a ban on bath salts.
Looking for the facts, 7&4 news reached out to forensic scientist Anne Kidd with the State Police Crime Lab in Grayling.
According to Kidd, the devil is in the details. Bath salts are still legally being sold after minor altercations.
“Molecularly they are slightly different, so they are not the same chemically and if they are not a chemical that is listed as being controlled in Michigan then it is not illegal to posses ...however that does not address the danger of the drug,” Kidd said. There is another loophole that makes these products legal. “Packing indicates they are not for human consumption...they do that to avoid regulation...however they are sold with the intention of being consumed.”
These loopholes make house bill 4565 virtually useless.
Kidd said there are dozens of harmful chemical compounds still legal in the state of Michigan.
Controlling them can be tricky.
“One possible approach is to make classes of drugs illegal, but that posses some problems in terms of how you can define these classes and I’m not sure how they can do that,” said Kidd.
Until lawmakers figure out a way, police hope to raise public awareness.
Their message: just because it is legal does not mean it is safe.
