Bath Salts Research Paper

“Bath salts are a synthetic drug that create feelings of euphoria and can be taken by smoking, snorting, and injecting the substance. Users often re-dose as the effects only last for 3-4 hours, and may stay up for several days. Bath salts are seen as a cheap alternative to cocaine, ecstasy or methamphetamine. Side effects of bath salts may include insomnia, agitation, hallucinations, and even violent behavior upon first use. Long-term use can lead to liver and kidney damage, as well as a breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue.”¹ Bath salts are chemically related to cathinone, which is a stimulant found in the khat plant. Khat is a shrub grown in East Africa and southern Arabia, and it’s been found to have a mild stimulant effect if you chew on the leaves. Synthetic variants of cathinone can be much stronger than the natural product, and in some cases can be very dangerous. Synthetic cathinones are marketed as cheap substitutes for other stimulants, and are sold in small plastic or foil packages labeled “not for human consumption.” “They were also sometimes labeled “plant food,” “jewelry cleaner,” or “phone screen cleaner,” people can buy them online and in some stores under a variety of brand names such as Flakka, Cloud Nine, Vanilla Sky and Scarface.”⁶

Similar to morphine, it is used for pain relief and is taken orally. When abused, the tablets are and snorted, or dissolved in water and injected.”⁵ Oxycodone was first developed as an effort to find non-addictive pain killers and medicine for the soldiers during World War 1. However, oxycodone has a high potential for abuse and addiction. “Like all opiates, oxycodone works by binding to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord, and these receptors are responsible for both.” Taking oxycodone without a prescription from a doctor results in extremely high risk of developing dependence and