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MAINE COMPASS: Joint effort needed to stop 'bath salts' abuse

Rep. Seth Berry, Geoffrey Rushlau, Evert Fowle

Abuse of the street drug "bath salts" is epidemic in parts of Maine, and the stronger measures we proposed and supported last winter likely will become law this week.

This important step will give our courts important latitude. It must be complemented by vigorous prevention, education and treatment.

Last February, we warned Maine policymakers about a dangerous new class of synthetic drugs, sold as "bath salts," to avoid scrutiny. Working with Maine's Drug Enforcement Agency and the Northern New England Poison Control Center to ban the substances, we sought quietly to nip a coming epidemic in the bud.

In June, our bill passed and bath salts became illegal. The penalties we had proposed, however, ultimately were watered down because of competing budget priorities.

Bath salts abuse has since exploded. In 2010, the Northern New England Poison Control Center recorded just a handful of bath salts poisonings in Maine. So far in 2011, they have confirmed more than 120. One of those was a 3-year-old child.

The effects of bath salts can last for several days or even weeks.

They can include agitation, uncontrolled movements, insomnia, bizarre and vivid hallucinations, severe paranoia, acts of violence to self and/or others, muscle loss and elevated risk of stroke, heart attack and organ failure.

Inexpensive and widely available, these substances are possibly the worst drug Maine and the rest of the United States has ever seen.

Dr. Mark Ryan, the director of the Louisiana Poison Center, said recently, "If you take the worst attributes of meth, coke, PCP, LSD and ecstasy and put them together, that's what we're seeing here sometimes."

Signs someone may be using bath salts include sweating and thirst, jerky body movements and grinding of teeth, and they can be catatonic and suddenly get violent with little or no warning. If you believe someone may be under the effects of bath salts, do not approach or confront them. Call 911 immediately.

This week, the stronger penalties we supported last winter will likely become law.

These will give both courts and law enforcement officials more tools to stop traffickers and require treatment for users.

We greatly appreciate the help of Gov. Paul LePage and of the sponsor of the second bath salts bill, Rep. Doug Damon, R-Bangor, in bringing this issue back before the Legislature.

Two weeks ago, the federal government followed Maine's lead by enacting its own ban, giving greater hope for control over Internet and interstate sales.

In addition, enforcement and treatment will be easier now that a routine blood and urine test has been deployed statewide.

Strong laws and enforcement are important. They are often the lever that makes a person obtain treatment.

We can pay now for education and treatment, or pay later for expensive jail time, enforcement, judicial processing and lost lives.

Robust education efforts will save both money and lives. We applaud Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen for his recent call to educators, as well as teachers who have taken it on themselves to learn about this new threat, and to talk with young people and parents about its dangers.

Crucial education work is also being done statewide by the Maine Office of Substance Abuse and by local Fund for a Healthy Maine Partnerships. Funded by tobacco settlement money, these coalitions of public health and other leaders represent Maine's greatest investment in prevention and treatment.

Robust treatment efforts also will save money and lives. Each time a drug user or seller is sent to jail or prison, it costs an average of $44,000 per year.

Outpatient treatment is a valuable tool in rehabilitation, and costs just $7,600 per year.

Typically, in fact, every $1 spent on treatment programs saves $7 in other public spending. Like others at the front lines, substance abuse professionals need adequate resources and leadership to fully address this new challenge.

The penalties we proposed and supported last winter will help against bath salts, but are not enough now that an epidemic has begun.

Maine's efforts must now be comprehensive, coordinated and fully funded. Anything less will again put more lives and taxpayer dollars at risk.

Rep. Seth Berry, D-Bowdoinham, represents District 67 in the Maine House of Representatives, and sponsored the original bill to prevent bath salts abuse. Geoffrey Rushlau, a Republican, is the district attorney for Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox and Waldo counties. Evert Fowle, a Democrat, is the district attorney for Kennebec and Somerset counties.