NCJ Number
238358
Date Published
July 2011
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This report from the U.S. Department of Justice, National Drug Intelligence Center examines the problem of synthetic cathinones (bath salts) as an emerging drug threat in the United States.
Abstract
Synthetic cathinones, also known as bath salts, have been assessed by the U.S. Department of Justice, National Drug Intelligence Center as an emerging drug threat in this country. The report examines the availability and use of synthetic cathinones as an alternative to illegal stimulants and notes that they are often times sold in combination with other synthetic drugs or marked as different drugs altogether. Information is presented on the demographic and population characteristics of synthetic cathinone abusers, as well as the production and distribution of synthetic cathinones. Legislation to ban the sale of some synthetic cathinones and cathinone derivatives has been introduced in all 50 States and the District of Columbia as of May 2011. In addition, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is gathering information on the pharmacology, toxicity, and abuse of synthetic cathinones and its derivatives in order to develop regulations for placing the products on the Federal schedule of banned substances. 1 table, 2 appendixes, and 47 endnotes