WASHINGTON, April 12 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has blocked voting on a bill that would outlaw synthetic drugs such as "bath salts," officials say.
The legislation, which would include the chemicals comprising synthetic drugs under the Controlled Substances Act, has already passed The House.
The recent drug fads, "bath salts" and synthetic marijuana have resulted in nearly 7,000 calls to poison control nationwide last year, USA Today reported. People who take the drugs have been afflicted with a variety of ailments, from kidney failure to paralysis, a few of the cases deadly.
Bath salts are chemicals that come in a powdered or crystallized form, meant to be eaten or snorted to achieve a high. Synthetic marijuana is typically dried plant clippings sprayed with chemicals and meant to be smoked. The exact chemicals vary, making it more difficult for the Food and Drug Administration to determine exactly what needs to be added to the controlled substances act.
The synthetic drugs can be sold in stores and evade FDA regulations by including labels saying they are not fit for human consumption. The Drug Enforcement Administration has imposed an emergency ban on synthetic drugs, which expires in October.
Other senators are pressuring Paul to lift his block on the bill so it can be debated on the Senate floor. Paul, who is a libertarian, has said criminal justice should be left to states rather than federal government.
"He's a doctor. He understands these compounds are dangerous," Paul spokeswoman Moira Bagley told USA Today. "Our state has already made it illegal. It would be great to do that in all the states."
