Bath Salts Surface in Missoula

According to reliable local sources, bath salts, the synthetic drug that lead to the recent infamous cannibalism “face-eating” case in Florida, has found its way into the Missoula area. The new hallucinogenic substance that is causing all sorts of wild behavior across the nation, is believed to have been confiscated over the weekend by security guards at the Love Your Mother Earth festival.

“What’s worse was that these bath salts were reportedly laced with PCP, which really messed people up in a big way,” said Matt Powers, who owns Rock Creek Lodge where the festival took place. “We had heard of reports of one person literally standing in a nearby bonfire grabbing handfuls of hot embers and raising them above his head in a violent fashion. He seemed to feel no pain whatsoever.”

Powers said he witnessed the “small black pills,” which were allegedly intended for distribution throughout the event, before they were handed over to officials.

Powers has routinely equipped his venue with a fully-trained staff to be on the lookout for illegal drug use for all of his events.

“Typically our security just deals with calming down the aggressive people that usually go hand-in-hand with consuming large quantities of drugs or alcohol,” Powers said. “This weekend we actually were removing drugs from alleged distributors. There were a number of people that seemed completely oblivious to anything around them. This complete disregard for anyone or anything is obviously a concern. We try the best we can to maintain a safe and enjoyable atmosphere, but with the popularity of the new drug, I obviously have some concerns for my staff. It is our job to protect the patrons against themselves, and others, and with this new drug it seems as though our work might be cut out for us.”

Missoula Police Sergeant Ed McLean said that there has been a recent rise in bath salt abuse in the area.

“There has been a couple of reports, there is one that is under investigation right now,” McLean said.

While bath salts use remains quite uncommon throughout most of Missoula social events, it may be hard to spot if someone is high on the substance.

“They are an impairing drug,” McLean said. “A person operating a vehicle could be under the influence and endanger themselves as well as the public.”

Sergeant McLean also clarified the difference between the commonly used convenience store bath salt products and the narcotic that goes by the same name.

“It is a different drug. Bath salts are called that because of their appearance,” he said. “People aren’t actually going into the supermarket and buying bath salts. They have a chemical treatment that goes along with it.”

Hear the complete interview with Missoula Police Sergeant McLean below:

BATH SALT FACTS:

How does someone act when they are high on bath salts?

• Delusions
• Extreme paranoia
• Hallucinations
• Psychotic episodes
• Loss of appetite
• Loss of sleep
• Increased awareness
• Chest pains

What do bath salts look like?

Keep your eyes open for crystal-like powders often distributed in pill-shape form, or in small baggies. When in its powder form, bath salts can be ingested by numerous methods, such as smoking, snorting or injecting.

What are the street names for bath salts?

According to STAT Testing there are many terms being tossed around that may help you identify if the drug is being used in your circle of friends:

• White Rush
• Cloud Nine
• Vanilla Sky
• Ivory Wave
• White Lightning
• Hurricane Charlie