Bath salts pulled from shelves

Local lawmakers and law enforcement officials are staying on their toes after Gov. Bobby Jindal announced Thursday that he has added several chemicals disguised in bathing salts to the state’s Controlled Dangerous Substance Act.

The emergency ban came after Jindal said Louisiana Poison Control received 165 calls since late September from people in crisis after snorting, smoking or injecting the dangerous substances hidden in packets of bathing salts.

“These drugs have crept into our communities and they are hurting our kids,” Jindal said. “We have to do everything in our power to protect our children and to make sure our streets are safe for our families.”

One day after Jindal’s ruling, local lawmakers took the next step to try to broaden the scope of the governor’s ban.

State Rep. Joe Harrison (R-Gray) met agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other state representatives Friday morning to discuss ways to extend the ban to keep the products off the shelves for good.

“What was done with the Governor’s Office is fine, but it didn’t really have the teeth of what we need to stop this,” Harrison said. “Because we’re talking about 85 possible chemical compound changes that they can make to still make this legal and that would continue until we’d get to the type of thing that we need now and that’s finding a law that would stop it that’s in existence.”

What resulted from the meeting of the minds has not been finalized or brought before the Louisiana House of Representatives as of press time.

Harrison touted, however, that he was confident he and his colleagues would be able to announce something in the near future that would bring a little more comfort to Tri-parish families.

He hopes to find existing state and federal laws that can apply to the use of these salts.

“This is something that will really kind of put the teeth in it that the stores will not put it in their store or they’ll be in jeopardy of some very serious consequences,” Harrison said. “[What we plan to do] it’s really, really stringent and that’s what we need. We need to put the fear of God into them.”

Locally, all of the Tri-parishes report that they’ve seen instances of the six newly-banned chemicals on shelves throughout the area disguised in bath salts.

Officials say the items, which are manufactured in China and India, go by the street names, such as Ivory Wave, Ocean, White Lightening, Scarface and Hurricane Charlie.

Harrison said the narcotic ingredient adds “absolutely nothing” to the product and is only placed into it for the value it gives the item for those hoping to abuse the substance.

“You’re talking about a few grams of this being sold for $40 and the type of terminology they are using, for instance, why are they using grams instead of ounces?” Harrison asked. “Bath salts are sold in a different format. … This isn’t a bath salt. There’s no way that a little packet of that, which is a few grams can give someone what they need to take a bath. You’d have to bathe in a 6-ounce cup of water.”

Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Commander Major Darryl Stewart said since Jindal’s ruling, his unit has gone into stores throughout the area to inform businesses of the ruling and to urge them to get rid of the illegal items before they are forcibly removed.

With Jindal’s ruling, those found in possession of the salts could be charged with possession of a Schedule I drug, which is the same charge one receives when in possession of heroin.

Charges for Schedule I drugs could mean up to 30 years in prison for someone convicted.

“With the governor’s ruling, we now have the authority to take action immediately,” Stewart said. “But what we’ve been doing is we’ve been giving people the opportunity to take action on their own. We’ve been giving them a chance to send the items back so they can recoup the costs they made on the purchases.”

Harrison applauded the efforts of law enforcement throughout the area and said he questions those who would attempt to sell the products since Jindal’s ruling, knowing what the drugs could potentially do to Louisiana’s youth.

“I question those people that are driven by the profit, knowing what’s in that product, knowing that the same people or the same young kids are going in their shop time after time to buy a very small piece or a very small bottle of this for upwards of $40,” he said. “Where is their conscience? It’s sad. It’s really sad. We have enough trouble with the quote-unquote real illegal drugs without allowing someone to sell this in the guise of being a bath salt.”

Morgan City Police confiscated 700 packets of banned bath salts Friday. Gov. Bobby Jindal deemed the products illegal last week. COURTESY PHOTO