Government Cracks Down on So-Called "Bath Salts" as Public-Safety Hazard

On April 12, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) published a Final Rule to permanently control 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylcathinone (methylone) and a Notice of Intent to temporarily schedule three synthetic cannabinoids. Methylone, a psychoactive stimulant drug falsely marketed as “bath salt” products, is permanently placed in Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act, the most restrictive category, which is reserved for unsafe, highly abused substances with no accepted medical use. The DEA previously temporarily scheduled methylone on October 21, 2011, after finding it posed an imminent hazard to public safety. On October 17, 2012, the DEA proposed making methylone’s Schedule I status permanent, taking steps that concluded with the Final Rule last week.

The FDA’s Notice of Intent to temporarily control three synthetic cannabinoids—UR-144, XLR11, and AKB48—was an action taken after finding that these three substances pose an imminent hazard to public safety. This action will become effective upon publishing a Final Order to temporarily control these substances as Schedule I substances for up to two years, with the possibility of a one-year extension. 

Read about one psychiatrist's battle against the abuse of "bath salts" in Psychiatric News here. 

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