Pubdate: Fri, 01 Jun 2012
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html
Website: http://www.theprovince.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Jeff Green
Page: A4

WARNING ISSUED ABOUT NEW DESIGNER 'BATH-SALTS' DRUG

"Bath salts," a new designer drug linked to a Miami man who chewed the
flesh of another man's face while high on the concoction, is showing
up in Canada.

A Canada-wide alert will be issued today warning of the drug's potent
dangers.

"This is the first of the alerts that we'll be putting out," Dr.
Matthew Young, researcher with the Canadian Centre for Substance
Abuse, told The Province on Thursday.

Young said the drug produces a high similar to cocaine and
amphetamine, with dangerous hallucinogenic properties. And it is
highly addictive. Greg Purvis, director of Addiction Services in Nova
Scotia, said New Glasgow, N.S., is the epicentre of the drug in
Canada. He said victims started to appear in his community last month.

"Clients are saying they started in January, February and then we're
seeing them in detox having problems by April," Purvis said. "We
haven't seen this with any other drug." The drug, which has the
chemical name methylenedioxypyrovalerone, is not a listed substance
under Health Canada's Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, making the
drug legal in Canada.

The U.S. Senate designated bath salts as an illegal substance
Thursday. Health Canada has said they're exploring the idea of adding
the substance to Canada's banned list, a necessary tool for drug
enforcement officers.

"There's not much enforcement we can do on it," said Sgt. Jim Walker
of the Ontario Provincial Police's drug enforcement unit.

Walker said he's aware of two seizures of bath salts in Ontario,
including a bust near Ottawa that found $200,000 worth of the drug.

Scott Rintoul of the Burnaby RCMP drug unit, a highly regarded expert
in youth drug use, said he hasn't yet encountered the drug.

Similar responses came from the Vancouver Coastal Health Network and
the Centre for Addictions Research of B.C. at the University of Victoria.

"The strange thing about this drug is that a lot of people buy it over
the Internet," Young said. "It's hard to say where it will travel to
next."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt