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NJ Assembly Panel Passes Ban On Bath Salts

TRENTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A ban on synthetic drugs known as "bath salts" is one step away from adoption by the New Jersey Legislature.

A bill passed a week ago by the state Senate was cleared by the Assembly Health Committee Thursday. It now needs to be approved by the full Assembly before being delivered to the governor to be signed into law.

The bill makes it a crime to possess or sell the chemicals used to make the drugs.

Marketed as bath salts or incense, they're snorted by users and mimic the effects of cocaine and methamphetamine. They can cause health issues ranging from increased blood pressure and heart rate to hallucinations and suicidal thoughts.

In April, New Jersey's attorney general classified the chemicals used to make the drugs as controlled dangerous substances.

Should bath salts be banned? Sound off in our comments section below…

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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