Albany, NY – Nirav R. Shah, the NYS Commissioner of Health, issued an Order for Action prohibiting the sale and distribution of products commonly referred to as “bath salts,” plant food and other ordinary household goods and sold under a variety of trade names like Bliss, White Knight, and Cloud 9. The abuse of these products is becoming popular and has caused hundreds of calls to poison control centers throughout the United States, including New York.
These “designer drugs,” found in many convenience stores, gas stations, head shops, and other retail outlets, contain compounds chemically similar to Cathinone, a Schedule 1 controlled substance. They produce effects similar to those caused by cocaine and amphetamines, and as such the Commissioner, on May 20, 2011, found that they constitute a danger to the health, safety, and welfare of the people of the State of New York.
Local NYS health departments have been directed to provide the necessary assistance in effectuating the ban.