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Legislation Cracks Down on Spice and Bath Salts

Senator Alting discusses legislation to combat Bath Salts and Spice at a gas station in Lafayette
Senator Alting discusses legislation to combat Bath Salts and Spice at a gas station in Lafayette

Legislation drafted by a Lafayette lawmaker is now law.

Senator Ron Alting’s bill strengthening the ban on synthetic cannabanoids such as Spice and Bath Salts was signed Thursday by Governor Mitch Daniels.

Alting says the measure will likely serve as the standard for national laws.

Under the legislation, retailers who sell the synthetic drugs face losing their license for a year and individual workers could be prosecuted to up to eight years in jail.

Those who use the substances could face criminal charges similar to marijuana possession.

Medical officials say Spice and Bath Salts have proven to be as much as eleven times more potent than cannabis.

Lafayette Police Chief Don Roush says the crackdown is a step in the right direction.

There are 30 known deaths in Indiana related to the drugs, but Alting says the number is likely greater because the substances are not detectable through routine drug tests.