Synthetic Cathinones (Bath Salts): An Emerging Domestic Threat.

摘要

The National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) assesses with high confidence that the distribution and abuse of synthetic cathinones will increase in the United States in the near term, posing yet another challenge to U.S. law enforcement officials. Poison control centers and medical professionals around the country are increasingly reporting patients suffering adverse physical effects associated with abuse of these drugs, further compounding the problem. Available data and law enforcement reporting suggest increasing levels of synthetic cathinone availability and abuse, but such information is limited and precise levels are unknown. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) currently tracks seizures of synthetic cathinones at U.S. ports of entry (POEs), but many synthetic cathinone products are disguised or mislabeled to impede detection. Because common field test kits, drug-detecting canines, and routine urine drug screens do not detect synthetic cathinones, law enforcement officials are challenged in interdicting such drugs and prosecuting their manufacturers and distributors.