By TaRhaun Russ
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-948850.mp3
Balth salt drugs problem growing in Panhandle – A popular cleansing product is stirring up a lot of dirt in the panhandle. TaRhaun Russ reports the Bay County Sheriff's Office is on the hunt for people abusing Bath Salt.
Ingesting and inhaling Bath Salt is an act deputies want to stop. They are keeping a close eye on some shops selling the product, especially since it's about to be the busy season for beach goers.
"We have probably 200,000 to 250,000 high school and college students coming here for spring break starting around the end of February, First of March. And we are very concerned about what types of incidents we are going to encounter and a concern for the safety of the kids that are coming to town."
Major Tommy Ford says people are using bath salt as a drug leading to symptoms like rambling speech, paranoia, and hallucination. He worked a case recently involving a 48-year-old woman under the influence who burst into her mother's bedroom and threatened to kill her.
The major says deputies are getting a week of training to spot abusers of what they now refer to as a synthetic drug and they are in talks with legislators in Tallahassee to monitor the problem.