Schumer has announced a bill that would add mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) to the list of federally controlled substances. He is also pushing New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to ban the substance in the state.
"These so-called bath salts contain ingredients that are nothing more than legally sanctioned narcotics, and they [image-nocss] are being sold cheaply to all comers, with no questions asked, at store counters around the country," said Schumer.
The drugs come in powder and tablet form and are ingested by snorting, injection, smoking and, less often, by use of an atomizer, said the report.
Users experience an intense high, euphoria, extreme energy, hallucinations, insomnia and are easily provoked to anger, according to the news agency, citing the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which is currently investigating the drugs.
They have emerged as legal alternatives to cocaine and methamphetamines, and one or both have already been banned in the European Union, Australia, Canada and Israel, the report added. In the United States, Florida, Louisiana and North Dakota have all recently banned the substances.
"The longer we wait to ban the substance, the greater risk we put our kids in," Schumer said.
Media reports over the last year describe the drugs as becoming increasingly popular, particularly among young people attending nightclubs, although the actual number of individuals using the drugs is unknown, according to the report.
"These products are readily available at convenience stores, discount tobacco outlets, gas stations, pawnshops, tattoo parlors, truckstops and other locations," said an alert issued by the DEA cited by Reuters.
"Prices range from $25 to $50 per 50-milligram packet," the DEA alert said.
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