Pubdate: Thu, 10 Jan 2013 Source: Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ) Copyright: 2013 The Arizona Republic Contact: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/sendaletter.html Website: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/24 Page: B6 EFFORT MUST GO STATEWIDE In Yavapai County, smart law enforcement won a significant victory against an insidious foe, but the Legislature needs to give communities across the state better tools to combat synthetic psychoactive drugs. Sold openly as "spice" or "bath salts," these substances are designed to mimic marijuana or methamphetamine highs. Users, who may be reassured by the fact the poisons are sold legally, have suffered serious mental and physical harm, including death. State law bans the sale of specific formulas of these poisons, but the chemists who design them need only make a few tweaks to get around that. Lawmakers resisted a more comprehensive ban that would have allowed law enforcement to act quickly against new formulations. The stuff remains widely available in stores and on the Internet. Enter Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk. She made the case in court that these poisons are a public nuisance. After issuing a preliminary injunction in September, Yavapai Superior Court issued a permanent injunction in late December to ban all known retailers in Yavapai County from selling synthetic psychoactive drugs. Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Michael Bluff's order gave a hair-curling description of the proven dangers of these designer drugs, which cause even more intense and unpredictable reactions than the illegal substances they mimic. Users can suffer "increased heart rate, possible stroke and cardiovascular collapse, seizures, and in some cases death," the judge wrote. "Users often suffer from delusions and hallucinations, exhibiting signs of severe psychosis, paranoia and anxiety. Users ... will often engage in aggressive acts of violence against medical and law enforcement personnel trying to assist them, and innocent bystanders. Users will often suffer long-term effects from the drugs such as psychosis, insomnia and self-mutilation," Bluff wrote. Polk credits her deputy prosecutor, Scott Blake, for coming up with the unique approach of tagging these poisons as a public nuisance. Polk gets credit for using her office wisely to pursue a good idea to great effect. But the victory is not complete by any means. "While this solution is working thus far for Yavapai County," Polk said in an e-mail, "the Legislature needs to act this session to protect other communities across the state." Polk's injunction applies to known retailers in Yavapai County. Identifying and monitoring such shops is easier in a rural county than it would be in more urban settings. What's more, Polk is attempting to stop Internet vendors from sending synthetic psychoactive drugs to her county. The ease of buying these drugs online - and the profitability of selling them - makes this a challenge across the state. In 2010 and 2011, the Legislature banned the original two designer drugs by formula. But the chemists merely altered the formula and put the poisons back on the market. This time, lawmakers need to pass a bill that can "keep up with the ever-changing formulas in the world of synthetic drugs," Polk said. Polk offered a model for going after these substances. It is smart and creative. The Legislature needs to make the push against these insidious drugs even more comprehensive. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom