The Arizona State Senate Tuesday passed HB 2388, which keeps so-called “bath salts” off store shelves. The bill is a companion to one signed by Governor Brewer in February, making these synthetic drugs illegal. HB 2388 now goes to the House for passage.

Bath salts are an epidemic inArizona, and it’s made all the worse with their easy availability. Illegal street chemists are staying ahead of the law by making slight changes to the drug’s composition. HB 2388 will keep law enforcement ahead of the bad guys, by permitting the Board of Pharmacy to adopt rules to define the chemical composition of drugs in the schedules of controlled substances.

“This bill is a necessity because we are a part-time legislature,” says Senator Linda Gray. “If we don’t give this flexibility to the Pharmacy Board, the drug makers will simply wait until we are out of session, change the makeup of the chemical composition and put these dangerous substances right back on the shelves.”

“I thank my colleagues for their support for this crucial, life-saving bill, and I look forward to House passage, so we can get this bill to the Governor,” says Senator Gray.