The drugs known as "bath salts" will soon be banned in Pennsylvania. Gov. Corbett signed a bill Thursday making it illegal to sell or possess them and other so-called designer drugs such as synthetic marijuana.
"If left unchecked, synthetic drugs could have developed into the most dangerous drug crisis since methamphetamine labs found their way into our state," Corbett said at a ceremony in the Capitol.
Bath salts have grown in popularity across Pennsylvania in the last six months, selling for as little as $10 in some convenience stores and on the Internet. State authorities have linked use of the drug to an increasing number of violent - even fatal - behaviors.
