(AP) -- The Drug Enforcement Administration says it will temporarily outlaw possession and sale three synthetic stimulants as dangerous chemicals that pose an imminent hazard to public health.
Sometimes packaged as bath salts or plant food and marketed under names such as "Purple Wave," "Vanilla Sky" and "Bliss," the stimulants are especially popular among teens and young adults and are perceived as mimics of cocaine, LSD and methamphetamine.
The DEA says users have reported disorientation, extreme paranoia and violent episodes after ingesting the chemicals. They are sold on the Internet and in head shops and other retail outlets.
The ban will last at least a year, during which the government will determine whether it should permanently control the stimulants - Mephedrone, MDPV and Methylone.
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