Bath salts -- a drug that has frightened medical professionals and law enforcement alike, because of its ability to take over the user's mind.
Local hospitals in the Big Country are seeing an average of two overdoses every day and patients are described as out-of-control, sometimes even violent.
As the synthetic drug continues to evolve, those who see the effects firsthand are just trying to keep up.
"It's almost like a semi-truck has hit and they get here and it's like, 'What has happened?'" said Serenity House residential counselor, Elya Whitten.
It's the new kid on the block with respect to synthetic drugs, but the impact of bath salts is stunning everyone.
"It's worse than methamphetamine for the side effects it gives," said Georgia Bowerman, nurse supervisor at Serenity House in Abilene.
The rehab center has seen eight cases of bath salts abuse over the past six months.
Bowerman said the patients have come into the facility on their own, but oftentimes, are still high up to seven days after arrival.
"There's no medication to give to detox these people, so you just have to let them get rid of the hallucinations," Bowerman said.
Doris Morrison has been a nurse for more than 50 years, dealing with drug and alcohol abuse throughout her entire career, and said she has never seen anything like it.
"It's the worse than any I've seen come through here," Morrison said. "They just actually just don't know what's going on."
After detox, patients are taken over to the facility's treatment side and that's when things get real.
"Especially with bath salts, it's like the consequences have just been multiplied by a hundred when you start to compare it to other people in treatment," said Whitten.
Counselors use talk therapy to reassure recovering addicts that everything will be fine, but with a drug as fast-acting as bath salts, sometimes it is just not enough.
"It's like these people use it once and within a couple of months, they've lost everything," Whitten said.
The main side effects of bath salts abuse are paranoia, wild hallucinations, and weight loss.
Since the drug is so new, health experts have not yet determined the long-term effects.
Local hospitals in the Big Country are seeing an average of two overdoses every day and patients are described as out-of-control, sometimes even violent.
As the synthetic drug continues to evolve, those who see the effects firsthand are just trying to keep up.
"It's almost like a semi-truck has hit and they get here and it's like, 'What has happened?'" said Serenity House residential counselor, Elya Whitten.
It's the new kid on the block with respect to synthetic drugs, but the impact of bath salts is stunning everyone.
"It's worse than methamphetamine for the side effects it gives," said Georgia Bowerman, nurse supervisor at Serenity House in Abilene.
The rehab center has seen eight cases of bath salts abuse over the past six months.
Bowerman said the patients have come into the facility on their own, but oftentimes, are still high up to seven days after arrival.
"There's no medication to give to detox these people, so you just have to let them get rid of the hallucinations," Bowerman said.
Doris Morrison has been a nurse for more than 50 years, dealing with drug and alcohol abuse throughout her entire career, and said she has never seen anything like it.
"It's the worse than any I've seen come through here," Morrison said. "They just actually just don't know what's going on."
After detox, patients are taken over to the facility's treatment side and that's when things get real.
"Especially with bath salts, it's like the consequences have just been multiplied by a hundred when you start to compare it to other people in treatment," said Whitten.
Counselors use talk therapy to reassure recovering addicts that everything will be fine, but with a drug as fast-acting as bath salts, sometimes it is just not enough.
"It's like these people use it once and within a couple of months, they've lost everything," Whitten said.
The main side effects of bath salts abuse are paranoia, wild hallucinations, and weight loss.
Since the drug is so new, health experts have not yet determined the long-term effects.
Comments
President Obama signed a federal bill July 12 2012 that make manufacture , sale or use of bath salts , IILEGAL , sonnow maybe law enforcement can do something to enforce these laws
Marti L.
July 24, 2012 at 10:44 am
