Only 1% of Teens Have Tried Bath Salts, Nearly One-Fifth Using The Drug on a Regular Basis

A recent NYU study has revealed that there has been low bath salt use among teens but the frequency in which they were used is alarming. 

Over the recent years, there has been an increase in the use as well as availability of synthetic psychoactive drugs. "'Bath salt' use has been associated with numerous adverse cardiac, psychiatric, neurological, gastrointestinal and pulmonary outcomes," reported Eurekalert. 

The study was published in The American Journal of Addiction by Joseph J. Palamar, PhD, MPH, a CDUHR affiliated researcher and an assistant professor of Population Health at NYU Langone Medical Center (NYULMC). 

As one of the first nationally representative studies in the US that looks at self-reported use of the drug, per the research's abstract, the results indicated that "Only 1.1% of high school seniors used 'bath salts' in the last year and the strongest correlate of use was use of other drugs." 

It adds a third of the respondents only used the substance once or twice, making it likely it was out of experimentation only. However, in addition to this, frequent use was also common among those who admitted using "Bath Salts." 

Newsweek adds that "Bath Salts" can bring about different effects on the users but typically, they work as stimulants that bring not only the feeling of euphoria but can also possibly bring about hallucinations as well as violent behavior. 

The study concluded that "'Bath salt' use is not very prevalent, but users of other drugs are at highest risk for use."

"While these results suggest bath salt use is not particularly prevalent among teens in the US, it is important that we continue to monitor new drugs such as 'bath salts' in order to inform prevention and quickly detect potential drug epidemics," said Dr. Palamar (via Eurekalert).

The use of "Bath Salts" have been highly publicized. One of the most recognizable incident involving the substance occurred in May 2012 when a homeless man alleged on the drug, chewed on the face of a homeless man in Florida. 

"Most 'bath salt' users have used alcohol or marijuana, and use of other drugs such as powder cocaine, LSD, crack and heroin was at least ten-times more prevalent among [them]," quoted Newsweek of the study.  

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