Bath Salts: A Short History
The drugs now known as bath salts were first created in France in 1928 and 1929. Some were initially researched for potential medical use, but most were unsuccessful due to severe side effects, including dependency. Abuse of these drugs began in the former Soviet Union in the 1930s and 1940s, where they were used as antidepressants. Also known as Cat and Jeff, they became popular in the United States in the 1990s.
Between 2004 and 2008, these drugs were used in Israel until their key ingredient was made illegal. By 2007, they had gained more popularity among drug users when they started appearing on internet drug forums.
In 2009, analyses of “Ecstasy” pills in the Netherlands found that over half did not contain the primary drug associated with Ecstasy, but rather drugs found in bath salts.
In 2012, two key drugs used in bath salts were made illegal in the US. However, underground chemists then developed new variations with slightly different chemical formulas—and promoted them openly as bath salts, or repackaged them as glass cleaner or other names.
How much do you really know about synthetic drugs?
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