Makers of synthetic drugs and packaged them as bath salts may now get stiffer penalties in Ohio. Attorney General Mike DeWine wants to go after the makers, sellers and users of so-called bath salts which in effect if ingested act like a hit of both methamphetamines and hallucinogens.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, “Ohio has had a synthetic-drug law on the books since last year, but chemists who make the drug compounds have found ways around it by simply tweaking the chemical compound to make it slightly different — and legal. The new proposal would make the base compounds illegal, regardless of chemical modifications …

“…Dr. Dennis Mann of Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton said the hospital began seeing an increase in patients using bath salts and other synthetic drugs about two years ago. He said sometimes the hospital emergency room would be inundated with ‘combative, out-of-control, fairly psychotic people’ who posed a danger to emergency medical technicians and hospital personnel.”

Over the past few years there has been an epidemic of bath salts being sold and used as drugs nationwide. A study over the summer suggests that bath salts may be as addictive as cocaine.