State bans drug called "bath salts"

Michigan has banned the sale of a highly addictive drug known as “bath salts.”

Dave Wade is with the Michigan Department of Community Health.

He says the substance is a type of amphetamine and probably comes from China.

It’s sold at smoke shops and online.

Wade says it’s a gray powder that may also be labeled “plant food” or “pond scum remover.”

He says it’s very dangerous to people who smoke, inject or inhale the drug.

"They’re going to have a very high level of agitation, aggression. They’ll have a rapid heartbeat, confusion. They’re going to be extremely paranoid and have these hallucinations and delusions.”

Wade says since February, about 70 people in Michigan have been treated in emergency rooms after using the drug.

The new law puts “bath salts” in the same category as heroin, amphetamines and methamphetamine.