Bath salts and fake pot: America's new drug war

Synthetic, over-the-counter drugs that mimic the effects of cocaine and marijuana are gaining popularity. But are they more dangerous than the real thing?

Concentrated bath salts are being used to get a high that mimics cocaine; nine people have reportedly died in the past year after using such synthetic drugs.
(Image credit: Corbis)

The latest drug craze sounds innocent enough: Incense and "bath salts" sold under names like "K2," "Spice," "Purple Wave," and "Bliss." But these products, when smoked, snorted, and eaten, are serious synthetic narcotics and hallucinogens that mimic marijuana and cocaine, but with an often unpleasant and sometimes deadly high. What's more: They are legal in most states. Here, a guide to America's bath-salts epidemic:

What are these synthetic drugs?

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