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Bath Salts Drug Tied to Crime Rampage

When Charlie Bates sexually assaulted four University of South Florida students and terrorized dozens of others in September, he was under the influence of an ingredient found in synthetic bath salts.  An autopsy of the man killed in a shootout with police found “an extremely high level” of methylone in Bates’ system at the time of death, according to The Tampa Tribune.  The synthetic drug can cause “hallucinations, agitation and seizures,” as well as psychosis and death.  
 

Originally founded in December 2006 as an independent grassroots publication dedicated to coverage of health issues in Florida, Health News Florida was acquired by WUSF Public Media in September 2012.