JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Spice and bath salts have been banned in South Carolina for more than five months. While the South Carolina General Assembly was on break, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control passed an emergency ban on the sale and possession of Spice and bath salts Oct. 24, 2011. This ban by DHEC came as a result of the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency placing the substances commonly found in bath salts and Spice in the same category as heroin and cocaine.
The S.C. General Assembly is back in session for 2012 and is busy working on House Bill 3793. When and if it is passed, House Bill 3793 will amend South Carolina State Code 44-53-190 to include substances commonly found in bath salts and Spice on the State's Schedule I controlled-substances schedule. Schedule-I status is reserved for those controlled substances with a high potential for abuse; no accepted use for medical treatment in the U.S., and a lack of accepted safety guidelines for use of the drug under medical supervision. Examples of Schedule I controlled substances include heroin, cocaine and some forms of codeine.
Additionally, even though Spice and bath salts can still be found in local tobacco stores and gas stations, these substances are not legal. Local law enforcement agencies are continuing to crack down and will eventually catch up with all stores selling Spice and bath salts.
Any Airman caught using, possessing or distributing illegal drugs, such as Spice or bath salts, is subject to at least a General Discharge which means he or she will no longer be eligible for the G.I. Bill.
Bottom line, by smoking bath salts or Spice, you not only subject yourself to the possibility of serious injury, you risk losing your job and possibly landing in jail.