Syndromic surveillance of ED and PCC data has been widely used for the detection, tracking monitoring and monitoring of health events (e.g. bioterrorism, , disease outbreaks, environmental exposures) over the past decade. In recent years, these data have been found to be useful for public health programs not normally associated with syndromic surveillance (e.g. injury prevention, drug abuse, environmental health). In 2010, the first calls referencing exposure to products marketed as "legal highs" and "bath salts" were received by PCCs in the United States. Synthetic drugs, such as those commonly known as "bath salts," often are labeled as "not for human consumption" and thereby circumvent normal legal control procedures that control the sale and distribution of recreational drugs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the emerging trends for the use of "bath salts" in Ohio.
Objective
Correlation and time series analyses were completed to evaluate the emerging trends in designer drug use for "Bath Salts" in Ohio using emergency department (ED) chief complaint and poison control center (PCC) human exposure data.