Green Country Mother Warns Of Bath Salts After Son Suffers Brain Damage

Even though their labels say not for human consumption, some people are smoking and injecting bath salts to get high.

A Green Country mother wants all parents to know just how dangerous these salts can be.

The mother didn't even know what bath salts were until her 25-year-old son injected some to get high. Now, he's in a psychiatric clinic with brain damage.

They look harmless and have many different names. People think because they can buy them at convenience stores and head shops, they must be safe. They are anything but, causing hallucinations, paranoia, combative behavior and even brain damage.

That's what happened to Gayla's son. He can no longer care for himself or even remember his mother's last name or his daughter's age.

"They said they don't know what, if any, of his mind he'll get back," Gayla said.

When Jared was born, Gayla never dreamed he'd become an addict. There were never drugs or alcohol in her home.

Jared was involved in Cub Scouts and participated in anti-drug programs and they talked about how to say no.

But, at 14 he began smoking marijuana and his addiction grew from there, but she's never seen anything like bath salts.

"It has been the most sorrow I have ever had in my whole life. It is heartbreaking," Gayla said.

She says for the first time in his addiction, her son says he's ready to get help. She hopes to move him from the psychiatric center into a rehab facility but says the lines are long and the costs are high.

She wants parents to realize, if they see bath salts in their kids' pocket or backpack to know how dangerous they are and she has a request for kids as well.

"If you know somebody selling it, if kids know friends who are taking it, they need to tell. They have to tell because they will be seeing somebody's life, saving another family from going through this," she said.

The problem for police: the chemicals and compounds that make up bath salts are perfectly legal, but the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics says selling them for the purpose of getting high, is illegal.

They've already arrested some store owners for selling the salts and plan to make more.

03/14/2011 Related Story: Vinita Shop Owner Busted In Undercover Bath Salt Sting