Washington State Pharmacy Board Files Emergency Rules to Ban Sale of Bath Salts

The Pharmacy Board in Washington state has filed emergency rules that would ban the sale and manufacture of bath salts, which are being used as substitutes for cocaine and methamphetamine.

The rules make it illegal to make, sell, deliver or possess bath salts in Washington. The Associated Press (AP) notes that other states including Idaho and Oregon have already banned bath salts.

According to the AP, the board is responding to a report from the Washington State Poison Center about an increase in the number of calls about people who had ingested bath salts. These products, sold under names including Red Dove, Zoom and Ivory Wave, contain stimulants that affect behavior and judgment. They are available in smoke shops, head shops and online.

In the first three months of 2011, poison control centers nationwide received more than 1,400 calls for bath salts, compared with 301 in all of 2010.