SPRINGFIELD, IL – State Senator Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-Chicago) sponsored House Bill 3042, which passed out of the General Assembly, to ban dangerous designer drugs that are being sold as "bath salts." Governor Pat Quinn signed this measure into law Friday. When ingested, the chemicals being marketed as bath salts can cause suicidal thoughts, hallucinations, paranoia and violent behavior. Senator Collins has pushed HB 3042 in an effort to eradicate this type of usage.

"It’s extremely important that we take swift action to make the people of Illinois aware of this issue and to make the sale, distribution and possession of these harmful substances illegal," said Senator Collins. The matter was brought to Senator Collins attention by community activist, Andrew Holmes who said, "I am disturbed by people getting high off of these synthetic drugs that are being marketed as bath salts."

The predominant chemicals found in these products are mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone, also known as MDPV. Southern states such as Mississippi, Kentucky and Louisiana have all sought to address this trend by banning the bath salts. Recently, these designer drugs have become more prevalent in Illinois. The chemically-laced substance has been found for sale in smoke shops, convenience stores and on the Internet.

The Illinois Poison Center has received more than 80 reports of exposures to the substance sold as bath salts. According to Dr. Carol DesLauriers, Operations Director at the IPC, many of these cases require hospital evaluation.

"Due to the often harmful side effects associated with the amphetamine-like substance, IPC supports immediate regulation of this emerging drug of abuse," DesLauriers said.

This legislation will ban the possession of these chemicals, whether in the form of bath salts or otherwise, regulating them as a Schedule I controlled substance due to the danger they present, and making possession of them a felony.