Bath salts
Bath salts is no longer a term only being applied to perfumed skin softening salts that help muscles relax. It now describes a white powder sold over the Internet or in head shops supposedly to induce a synthetic high.
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) and the Canadian Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (CCENDU) have joined forces and created an alert warning health professionals about the availability of bath salts across Canada.
Constable Chris Bakker, Powell River RCMP community policing unit, said bath salts have been around for at least 10 years, but only recently have they been used recreationally. “As this drug is created in underground, unregulated laboratories, there is no way to determine what the composition of the drug is,” he said. “Therefore, there is no safe dosage for this drug and any amount can lead to serious injury.”
Called bath salts and being noted as “not for human consumption,” the drug has flown under the radar of authorities and in Canada it is not yet illegal. However, the alert from CCSA and CCENDU states the federal government is taking steps to place one of the main ingredients, methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), onto Schedule 1 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act this fall. This is the same category used for heroin and cocaine. Activities involving possession, trafficking, possession for the purpose of trafficking, importation, exportation and production will become illegal unless authorized by regulation.
Bath salts may also contain methylone or mephedrone. Together, the ingredients lead users to experience hallucinations, chest pain, blurry vision, paranoia, increased body temperature and may become agitated or combative. Recently, use of bath salts has been linked to suicides.
“Bath salts, like any other street drug, are dangerous to the user as well as those around them,” said Bakker. “Some of the side effects include paranoia, agitation and suicidal thoughts which can lead to the user injuring themselves or others.”
The synthetic stimulant is derived from concentrated versions of a stimulant chemical called cathinones found in khat. Khat is a naturally occurring plant native to the Horn of Africa and also Arabian Peninsula. Bath salts travel by many names—ivory white, vanilla sky, pure ivory, cloud nine, whack, Bolivian bath, purple wave to name just a few. As a designer drug, bath salts are one in a whole line of pills and substances that produce an unnatural human experience. They are difficult to track, difficult to police and abuse is on the rise, said Bakker.
“If people come across someone who has used the drug and is experiencing some of the side effects, they should call 911 immediately,” he said. “A drug user going through paranoia or hallucinations needs medical attention, but they can also be unpredictable and dangerous. The police can assist in getting that medical attention.”
Fire danger
Firefighters and the BC Forest Service continue to stay on alert as the lack of rain around the province has kept the forests tinder dry and wildfire threat high.
One hundred and fifty-two wildfires have been reported this year in the coastal forestry region which stretches from Bella Coola to Vancouver and includes Vancouver Island.
“The public is getting the message about wildfire safety,” said Donna McPherson, fire information officer with BC Forestry Service, adding the number of human-caused fires is lower than usual this year.
Of the 152 reported fires, 71 were caused by humans, while the remaining 81 were caused by lightning strikes. McPherson added, “Usually there are about the same number of human-caused fires as lightning-caused.”
McPherson cautioned that people need to be aware the fire danger is high in the region and to take safety measures when having campfires and extinguishing lit cigarettes.
Although there is not currently a campfire ban in the coastal forestry region, the forestry service advises campers to be extra careful. They should make sure campfires have fire breaks, are not left unattended and are fully extinguished before they are left. McPherson also added that people who ride all-terrain vehicles should stay on the trails because the heat from their machines could potentially cause wildfires.
The forest service encourages anyone who discovers a wildfire to call the service’s fire reporting hotline 1.800.663.5555 or *5555 with a mobile phone.
Email scam
Police are advising the public that some Powell River residents have received a scam email informing them they have won $800,000 US from Ontario Lottery Corporation.
Sergeant Rod Wiebe, Powell River RCMP detachment, explained in a statement that the letter advises the recipient to contact the agency via email and also provides a 1.940 number. “While the immediate scam is not evident,” he said, “if you email the person they can solicit funds to release the award or if you call the 1.940 number, a fee can show up on your phone bill.”
Clues alert the public the email is a scam, Wiebe added. The name of the public gaming agency in Ontario is called Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation; Canadian lotteries pay winners in Canadian dollars.
“A quick Google search of the people’s names noted on the letter reveals that they are the subject of several different scams,” Wiebe said.
