“Seven Mesa High students taken to hospital.”
You might’ve seen that headline recently. It reinforces an ongoing problem in our state, a problem one legislator attempted to address last session, only to be shot down.
That problem is “spice” or “bath salts,” legal substances that kids increasingly are consuming, substances that provide those kids the high they’re looking for, substances that have resulted in hospitalizations, some for long-term psychiatric problems, and even deaths.
So why do bath salts and spice remain legal? Two answers, at least for Arizona.
One is the way the makers of spice keep ahead of the law. What happens is this: A product is put out there, it results in the kinds of problems outlined above, and then the state outlaws the chemical compound that creates that product.
The chemists making the product then alter the compound, and suddenly they have another “legal” substance to sell.
This is the history of bath salts since their inception, the law always behind the chemists’ ability to alter their concoctions to keep them legal.
Hospital emergency rooms increasingly treat kids high on these bath salts, kids who legally purchase them at convenience stores or head shops. Kids are quickly addicted to the substances, which can induce paranoia, panic attacks, sudden mood swings and reckless behavior, not to mention rapid heartbeat over an extended time, chest pains, and, in some cases, heart attacks.
So in the last legislative session, State Sen. Linda Gray introduced a bill that would give the state more power over these drugs.
Currently, here’s how the system works in Arizona: The state identifies a substance, but if the Legislature hasn’t banned that particular combination of chemicals, the state must wait until the Legislature convenes and passes a law specifically outlawing that combination.
Which means? For months at a time, law enforcement cannot go after substances the Legislature hasn’t banned (unless the federal government has first).
In response to that dilemma, Sen. Gray introduced this bill:
“It would give the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy power to add chemicals to its controlled-substances list without legislative approval to ban chemicals used in new bath-salts derivations without waiting for lawmakers to return to session and pass a bill banning the new versions.”
The bill also “required board members to consult with a Department of Public Safety forensic scientist, who typically would identify new drugs for legislators and ensure chemicals met certain criteria before they could be banned.”
Sounds reasonable, right? Give the experts the power to ban in real time the chemicals used in the latest synthetic drug formulas, but with the same oversight by the DPS used by legislators to craft laws to ban specific chemicals. Plus, it allows those drugs to be outlawed at any time; as is, it takes a bill passed by the Legislature to enact bans.
Not good enough for Gilbert state legislator Eddie Farnsworth, and enough House Republicans, however. Because when the bill reached the House floor, it got deep-sixed.
Farnsworth, who helped lead the charge against the bill, believed it gave too much power to the State Board of Pharmacy, believing it violated separation of power.
Said Farnsworth, “What we have to be very careful of is that we don’t decide that somehow the ends of trying to prevent people from committing crimes is going to justify the means of destroying the protections we have in the Constitution.”
I’m not sure just what “protections” are threatened by Gray’s bill, but I do know this:
The bills Farnsworth voted for — the ones that have banned specific chemical compounds — came from . . . wait for it, wait for it . . . the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy.
Maybe Gray will once again introduce her perfectly reasonable bill in January. And probably Farnsworth will once again be successful in shooting it down. But certainly more kids will be damaged by their use of bath salts, apparently a fair exchange for saving Farnsworth’s Constitutional “protections.”
Onondogagrll posted at 8:34 am on Tue, Oct 30, 2012.
Is this article about bath salts or spice? When has anyone ever died or been injured by spice? Please explain. Everything on earth is dangerous if used incorrectly, and I assure you almost everyone coming to the emergency room for bath salts have underlying problems (mental) and have gone way overboard. I do not use these legal things but as a scientist I would like us to calm down and THINK.
Buddha posted at 9:02 am on Tue, Oct 30, 2012.
Onon-
"scientist" ??? THINK? I think you're full of poopoo
Mike McClellan posted at 9:02 am on Tue, Oct 30, 2012.
As of last year, at least 20 people have died as of August while on spice or salts. In addition, you might remember the Phoenix man earlier this month who said he was high on spice and beat his 18-month old daughter, almost to death. Or the Minnesota truck driver high on spice who plowed into another trucker who died at the scene from the accident. In Georgia alone, in 2011, 45 people were hospitalized in critical care units after using spice.
Onondogagrll posted at 9:27 am on Tue, Oct 30, 2012.
I Am a scientist but I mention this not because it makes my opinion worth any more. I only want to show why I am trying to consider the facts and not REACT without them.Mr. McClellan, I am sure people do stupid things while on spice and bath salts. I am not so sure the CAUSE of their stupidity would be the substance they are abusing.Why were 45 people in Georgia on the critical care unit? I can find no sources for this. Alcohol abuse causes many many deaths and hospitalizations. (and is blamed for MANY assaults and murders) Why not outlaw drinking if some people can't handle it? It is the same position you are taking only multiply the damage by 1000.
Onondogagrll posted at 9:31 am on Tue, Oct 30, 2012.
And what does this mean "died while on bath salts"? Car crash? Suicide? Heart attacks? 20 people in Arizona or the whole country? Is this like the policeman who "died in the line of duty" while a passenger in his car on his day off. Semantics. Words mean things after all and meanings and truth are relative.
downtownresident posted at 9:33 am on Tue, Oct 30, 2012.
Sounds to me like Eddie Farnsworth, and his pack of thieves, may be selling illegal drugs.
Why else would they fight a sensible bill like this. There has to be money in it for them SOMEWHERE!!!!!!
I just can't believe that they are so grossly ignorant.
suej1962 posted at 10:02 am on Tue, Oct 30, 2012.
We are talking about SPICE and BATH SALTS here...NOT ALCOHOL!! I have watched young people deteriorate mentally from using both of these drugs over the past year or so and it is becoming a BIG problem...As parents we need to get together and change some laws regarding these drugs and start holding the manufacturing companies responsible for what happens to these kids and young adults. My son was using spice and he became so mentally unstable that he had to be placed into a psychiatric facility for over a year...as of yet he has not returned to normal in his mind...I know that there are many other drugs that cause the same kinds of problems but these two NEW drugs need immediate attention...
suej1962 posted at 10:06 am on Tue, Oct 30, 2012.
I am NOT a scientist...but I am a parent and an Addiction Counselor for over 30 years now. What are we as a nation going to do to start combating this drug problem that we have....and I don't want to hear about politics...
Mom O 4 posted at 10:18 am on Tue, Oct 30, 2012.
I hate to sound nieve....these are high school students we are speaking of, right? Where is the parent involvement?
Here is what I know...if you get caught in a Mesa school say..drinking, the district suspends you and disallows you from returning to school until the student AND his/her parent take part in an awareness class about substance and alcohol abuse. If this is a drug, that means to my understanding as a mother of high school students, not allowed on campus.
So the district needs to add these synthetic drugs to their list of "drugs" that students face a penalty over if they are caught in the possession of or under the influence of. If you say it's impossible for parents to be vigilant about their kids actions while in school? I will tell you that you are full of it...I know a lot of parents that are including myself!
Once a parent is REQUIRED to attend these classes with their children under the threat that they are not allowed in school until they complete mandated classes...it becomes a different story. The class is presented as a rude awakening and I remember some of the parents who claimed their child was being verbally abused after the instructor dismissed them for their swagging pants or inability to articulate where to write their names on lines.
Shoot, I remember seeing a girl in that class as young as a 5th grade in the posession of marijuana laced with LSD! . Her Mom claimed she didnt know a thing...than again a father of one of the girls who was busted right alongside my daughter blamed my daughter claiming his darling daughter "would NEVER do something like that"....PUHHHLLLLLEEZE! Kids are kids...but we as parents need to step up so our children dont become a statistc that Mr. McClellan factually speaks of.
Ok, so Eddie Farnsworth shot it down...as a parent of a student who was busted drinking Rum on campus...enough parents should be able to go to the school board and ask that this is added to the "drug" list. Any parent can speak to the Board...it just takes a little effort and involvement in your child's life! You're there to be a parent not to be their friend...
Synthetic or Organic..the case in point is that there is no place for drugs on campus! Dont get me started on cigarettes...
Carolyn posted at 11:11 am on Tue, Oct 30, 2012.
There's a big difference between "spice" (mimics marijuana) and "bath salts" (mimics meth and/or cocaine. Anyone going overboard over "spice" seems ridiculous - but REAL marijuana should have been legalized 45 years ago, and "spice" wouldn't even have existed. Marijuana is non-addictive and relativly harmless - if alcohol (definitely addictive) is legal, marijuana shoud be. Many PRESCRIPTION drugs are more addictive and/or lethal than lots of hard, illegal drugs. "Bath Salts" probably needs to be looked at more carefully and made illegal if, indeed, it is causing deaths. However, those of ANY age who want drugs, illegal or legal, are going to get them. Now THAT's a scientific fact. Where there's a market, there will be suppliers.
Carolyn posted at 11:13 am on Tue, Oct 30, 2012.
...and by the way, ANYTHING Eddie Farnsworth is "for," the citizens of this area should be against. That just might apply to Linda Gray as well.
Mike McClellan posted at 1:15 pm on Tue, Oct 30, 2012.
Ono, the fact checker Politifact reports the 45 in critical care -- here's the link:
http://www.politifact.com/georgia/statements/2012/apr/09/nathan-deal/deal-fake-marijuana-use-rising-connected-death-vio/
But let me ask you this: You mention alcohol as a legal substance that causes all kinds of health problems -- right you are.
So your logic is this: Since we already have legal substances like alcohol, why not keep spice or bath salts legal, too.
Really?
commonsenseaintcommon posted at 1:17 pm on Tue, Oct 30, 2012.
It's time to stop playing footsie with the retailers of these dangerous products and as citizens we can take action. Maybe we need a few highly publicized lynchings to get the point across.
TempeTownToilet posted at 1:40 pm on Tue, Oct 30, 2012.
Of course the real problem is safe drugs like marijuana have been made illegal, so kids afraid of being arrested use legal, but unsafe drugs like spice or bath salts to get high.
The government created this problem by starting it's insane and unconstitutional "war on drugs"
Legalize drugs and the problem of kids using potentially dangerous drugs like spice and bath salts will go away when the kids switch to smoking safe marijuana.
Mike McClellan posted at 4:42 pm on Tue, Oct 30, 2012.
Leon, I'd have to conclude that based on the fact we agree here, one of us is using bath salts . . .
samkat posted at 5:19 pm on Tue, Oct 30, 2012.
Mike: Here you are arguing against bath salts and then hint that you might be doing them. :-)
Accuracy posted at 8:24 pm on Tue, Oct 30, 2012.
Mike McClellan concluded: “But certainly more kids will be damaged by their use of bath salts….”
Very true. But, more and more are getting high on prescription drugs. Pain killers like vicodin, oxycontin and valium are becoming the second most abused addictive drugs, behind marijuana.
Drugs are Drugs – Pill popping nation – America’s growing addiction.
Legal drugs (prescriptions) can cause serious and potentially life-threatening side effects and can cause drug addiction. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs help millions of people with devastating diseases and chronic conditions. But in the process, these medications can also deplete the body’s natural stores of vitamins, minerals, and hormones — the very nutrients needed to keep energy levels high, fend off infections, and to be healthy.
mrconservative posted at 10:57 am on Wed, Oct 31, 2012.
My brother goes to Mesa High (he's a junior) and I've never heard of this incident with spice and bath salts happening. I'll have to ask him about it.
I saw your "column" in the Mesa Republic last week, Mike. You, know, that "tabloid" that comes out two or three times a week in the Arizona Republic (which, to my shock, endorsed Mitt Romney for president - [smile] ). I found it interesting. A bit negative, but interesting.
Rich posted at 11:57 am on Wed, Oct 31, 2012.
The problem with prohibition is that it doesn't work and generally aggravates the problem it sets out to cure. Banning heroin, marijuana, (name any other drug) has not stopped them from being a growth industry. We haven't had a problem with alcohol in this country since they passed the Volstead Act have we? Prohibition is a simple minded solution to a very complex problem and it is chock full of unintended consequences as well as being ineffective. There seems to be a problem, but to apply and old, tired, and ineffectual solution to it hardly seems wise.
Mike McClellan posted at 1:06 pm on Wed, Oct 31, 2012.
So the alternative to the "old, tired, ineffectual solution"?
Rich posted at 1:50 pm on Wed, Oct 31, 2012.
Would probably involve trying other things, but when you rely on something that doesn't work, chances are you won't find anything that does.
Mike McClellan posted at 4:23 pm on Wed, Oct 31, 2012.
Thanks for the clarification.
Engaged Voter posted at 6:06 pm on Wed, Oct 31, 2012.
One of the oldest working definitions of Insanity is "trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results".
Now, we all know Leon is insane...what about the rest of you? ;)
DonMey posted at 8:24 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
I don't like the permanence of the solution. I think the bill would have been better off if it gave the board the authority to temporarily ban a substance, which would then have to be approved by the legislature within a year or so to remain in effect.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 10:52 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Mesa High was just evacuated today, Mike. Just goes to show how our Educational System is defunct. Get rid of every single ...UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, UC DAVIS, UC SANTA CRUZ, LONG BEACH STATE, BEZERKLEY AND UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO .... LEFT-WING LIBERAL TEACHER IN OUR GRAMMER SCHOOLS, MIDDLE SCHOOLS, HIGH SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND STATE UNIVERSITIES.
....................C.L.E.A.N....H.O.U.S.E.......GET RID OF THE ALL PERVASIVE DRUG CULTURE THAT WE ARE SEEING MORE AND MORE OF. A PRODUCT OF THE ULTRA-LEFT SOCIALIST AGENDA TAUGHT IN CALIFORNIA.
Engaged Voter posted at 2:03 pm on Fri, Nov 2, 2012.
"Get rid of every single ...UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, UC DAVIS, UC SANTA CRUZ, LONG BEACH STATE, BEZERKLEY AND UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO .... LEFT-WING LIBERAL TEACHER IN OUR GRAMMER SCHOOLS, "
But Leon, then who will be left to teach our children how to spell GRAMMAR?
I love it when idiots expose themselves. ;)