The crime lab has identified 13 new designer drug compounds in the region since a state ban went into effect in October, he said.
“Our death rate has not dropped down. Our cases have increased,” Betz said.
The hospital association grant allowed the crime lab to purchase a chemical library to more quickly and efficiently identify new synthetic drugs, as well as specimens of known drug substances for comparison and prosecution purposes.
Ohio’s law classifies the primary chemicals in bath salts and Spice as Schedule I controlled substances, similar to the classifications for marijuana and Ecstasy. The “controlled substance analog” piece of the legislation states that any structurally similar compounds must be treated as Schedule I substances and carry the same legal penalties.
Funding for the grant came from the 28 hospitals in the association’s 12-county region, said Bryan Bucklew, the association’s president and chief executive. The synthetic stimulant marketed as “concentrated bath salts” has no legitimate use for bathing and is intended for substance abuse, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Bath salts can cause hallucinations, paranoia, rapid heart rates and seizures, medical experts said. Users are often violent and out of control, creating a dangerous situation for medical personnel and other patients in the emergency room, Bucklew said.
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