bath salt companies : should they be sued ?

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bath salt compaines : should they be sued ?

  • yes

    Votes: 15 26.3%

  • no

    Votes: 38 66.7%

  • maybe

    Votes: 4 7.0%
  • Total voters
    57
anewbeginning

anewbeginning

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given the disasterous results, should they be held responsible ?
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ericL said:
No
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I am not claiming to understand any legal arguments before I am presented with them, but if they are not really bath salts...and it is clear what they are marketed for......

I am curious to see some opinions which are saying no.
 
then who is responsible for the cannibal zombie attack ????
 
GreenStyle said:
I am not claiming to understand any legal arguments before I am presented with them, but if they are not really bath salts...and it is clear what they are marketed for......

I am curious to see some opinions which are saying no.
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nm
 
"Bath salts" is slang for various stimulant street drugs. Nothing to do with anything at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Your argument is similar to charging horse breeders with making heroin (horse).
 
VisionaryTics said:
"Bath salts" is slang for various stimulant street drugs. Nothing to do with anything at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.
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Dang it, I was planning on using my 15% off coupon this weekend to pick some bath salts up too!
 
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I realize we don't all have time, as med students, to read the news closely.

I'm sure many of us learn about "news" from friends' Facebook postings and the like.

However, please please please go out and read a REAL news article about something before starting up a debate/poll/conversation about it. Don't just think, "hmmm, Aunt Mabel posted something about that cannibal guy being high off bath salts, I wonder what other people think about the culpability of bath salts manufacturers."

Unless you were using the phrase "bath salt companies" as a euphemism for "drug dealer," in which case carry on.
 
coffeebeanjenn said:
I realize we don't all have time, as med students, to read the news closely.

I'm sure many of us learn about "news" from friends' Facebook postings and the like.

However, please please please go out and read a REAL news article about something before starting up a debate/poll/conversation about it. Don't just think, "hmmm, Aunt Mabel posted something about that cannibal guy being high off bath salts, I wonder what other people think about the culpability of bath salts manufacturers."

Unless you were using the phrase "bath salt companies" as a euphemism for "drug dealer," in which case carry on.
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Right but the problem is currently "bath salt companies" = 100% legal. I have seen it sold at the gas station right across my school. Therefore its a little different than a "drug dealer." Last time I checked the only "cocaine" sold at BP is the energy drink called cocaine.

When it becomes illegal, then you can say bath salt companies = drug dealers.
 
GreenStyle said:
I am not claiming to understand any legal arguments before I am presented with them, but if they are not really bath salts...and it is clear what they are marketed for......

I am curious to see some opinions which are saying no.
Click to expand...

I disagree that they are marketed for anything. The company lets word of mouth do that for them. Besides, even though their intended use is as a drug, they are marked "not for human consumption" or "incense". That has definitely been done for liability reasons.
 
Held responsible for what? Alcohol makes people do bad things too. Sue Anheuser Busch?

Don't think these things should be illegal either because something even worse always takes their place. The harder we've tried to get rid of them the more potent and dangerous drugs have gotten.
 
Frank Nutter said:
Held responsible for what? Alcohol makes people do bad things too. Sue Anheuser Busch?

Don't think these things should be illegal either because something even worse always takes their place. The harder we've tried to get rid of them the more potent and dangerous drugs have gotten.
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The problem is that since these things aren't marketed for consumption they don't undergo the rigorous testing ingested compounds do. I agree with you that things should be legalized unless there's a good reason to ban them, but in this case the due diligence hasn't even been done. These compounds are just research compounds that didn't pan out and are now produced as drugs.

I also agree that prohibition is ultimately harmful. The fact that weed, for example, is illegal is probably a major reason why bath salts are even popular.

(sent from my phone - please forgive typos)
 
As long as drugs like cannabis remain criminalized, these types of problems will persist. There will always be ways to slightly alter psycho-active drugs to make novel compounds not currently prohibited. This is the exact same situation seen in the 'dietary supplement' industry where companies slightly alter anabolic steroids to prevent them from being illegal. Funny thing is that the novel compounds almost always end up being more toxic than the illegal one they're based off.
 
i guess people have spoken : they are not responsible.
 
Rothbard said:
Do you think Anheuser-Busch should be sued? If not, the same arguments apply to bath salt manufacturers.
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Anheuser-Busch works as advertised: you drink, you get drunk. Bath salt manufacturers don't deserve to be sued for the advertised effects of their product (an amphetamine like high) because their users implicitly agreed to experience those effects when they used to product. However the problem is the unadervtised side effects (psychosis). Any manufacturer who sells a product with a high rate of unintended side effects is liable. If you buy a hot plate the manufacturer isn't at fault if you burn your hand on the hot plate, but they are liable if it explodes.
 
Perrotfish said:
Anheuser-Busch works as advertised: you drink, you get drunk. Bath salt manufacturers don't deserve to be sued for the advertised effects of their product (an amphetamine like high) because their users implicitly agreed to experience those effects when they used to product. However the problem is the unadervtised side effects (psychosis). Any manufacturer who sells a product with a high rate of unintended side effects is liable. If you buy a hot plate the manufacturer isn't at fault if you burn your hand on the hot plate, but they are liable if it explodes.
Click to expand...

Technically, bath salts are labeled as not fit for human consumption, though obviously I think everyone knows that's just covering your ass type labeling and everyone 'knows' what they are used for.
 
coffeebeanjenn said:
I realize we don't all have time, as med students, to read the news closely.

I'm sure many of us learn about "news" from friends' Facebook postings and the like.

However, please please please go out and read a REAL news article about something before starting up a debate/poll/conversation about it. Don't just think, "hmmm, Aunt Mabel posted something about that cannibal guy being high off bath salts, I wonder what other people think about the culpability of bath salts manufacturers."

Unless you were using the phrase "bath salt companies" as a euphemism for "drug dealer," in which case carry on.
Click to expand...

it was my understanding that these compounds ARE commercially available because the specific chemicals used have not been deemed controlled substances. It was word of mouth, but I was led to believe that you could purchase bath salts (the drug) at shops which already skirt the line of legality (hemp paraphernalia shops and such).
 
Perrotfish said:
Anheuser-Busch works as advertised: you drink, you get drunk. Bath salt manufacturers don't deserve to be sued for the advertised effects of their product (an amphetamine like high) because their users implicitly agreed to experience those effects when they used to product. However the problem is the unadervtised side effects (psychosis). Any manufacturer who sells a product with a high rate of unintended side effects is liable. If you buy a hot plate the manufacturer isn't at fault if you burn your hand on the hot plate, but they are liable if it explodes.
Click to expand...
The psychosis would be dose dependent, analogous to how alcohol poisoning would be.

The dose makes the poison.
 
CaptainSSO said:
The psychosis would be dose dependent, analogous to how alcohol poisoning would be.
.
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That's not what I heard on the toxicology podcast I listen to. Both bath salts and synthetic cannaboids (Spice) are supposed have significant rates of psychosis at normal doses. Most of these ER patients are not overdoses, they're just unlucky.

Fun fact: Marajuana occasionally has psychosis as a side effect as well. Its way more rare and resolves much more quickly (usually within 24 hours), but it happens.
 
Perrotfish said:
That's not what I heard on the toxicology podcast I listen to. Both bath salts and synthetic cannaboids (Spice) are supposed have significant rates of psychosis at normal doses. Most of these ER patients are not overdoses, they're just unlucky.

Fun fact: Marajuana occasionally has psychosis as a side effect as well. Its way more rare and resolves much more quickly (usually within 24 hours), but it happens.
Click to expand...

But isn't "bath salts" really just a catch all name for a bunch of synthetic hybrid drugs. I think it contains a mix of whatever the maker puts into it.

Therefore, I would expect the symptoms to range from a euphoric feeling to turning into a flesh eating zombie depending on the contents/dose.
 
SpecterGT260 said:
it was my understanding that these compounds ARE commercially available because the specific chemicals used have not been deemed controlled substances. It was word of mouth, but I was led to believe that you could purchase bath salts (the drug) at shops which already skirt the line of legality (hemp paraphernalia shops and such).
Click to expand...

Anyone? Confirm/deny?
 
SpecterGT260 said:
Anyone? Confirm/deny?
Click to expand...

This is true. I won't mention names, but as of a year ago you could buy 'bath salts' at fairly reputable places. When I had my first case of this a year ago, nobody knew what bath salts were (MS3 got the assignment to explain to everyone what it was). I'm sure with the bad press, most places have pulled it from the shelves, but there is nothing illegal about the compounds as they are not considered hazardous or scheduled by the FDA.
 
link2swim06 said:
But isn't "bath salts" really just a catch all name for a bunch of synthetic hybrid drugs. I think it contains a mix of whatever the maker puts into it.

Therefore, I would expect the symptoms to range from a euphoric feeling to turning into a flesh eating zombie depending on the contents/dose.
Click to expand...

I thought that 'Bath salts' means synthetic near-amphetamines. There are several variations but they're all chemically similar. Other synthetics, such as synthetic cannaboids (spice) are not bath salts.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong but i think the "bath salts" say something like "do not ingest" on them. The companies know what they are making, the users know that they are taking a drug they have little knowledge about. Does anyone anywhere really think snorting (or whatever you do) with something called "bath salts" that says "do not ingest" on it is a good idea?

Btw, this is where the war on drugs leads us... Drug wars in mexico resulting in mass murders and people turning to very questionable substances like spice and bath salts (resulting in OMG I CRAVEZ HUMAN FLESH).

Wake up America, end the war on drugs, focus on education/personal responsibility, and let people who choose to get high do it the old fashioned way with pot, heroin, and cocaine.
 
I think the major nail in the coffin is that these particular "bath salts" in question are also not intended to go into your bath ;)
 
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