Recently, you may have heard news about several states banning bath salts. For many who are familiar with this centuries-old spa staple, this caused some confusion and concern. However, it’s not traditional bath salts that are being pulled off shelves, but rather a dangerous substance being packaged and sold as bath salts when, in fact, the intended use is as a drug.

Sold under vague names like Vanilla Sky, Ivory Wave and White Dove, these packets of so-called bath salts are actually a white powder containing methylenedioxypyrovalerone, or MDPV. It’s a psychotropic that reportedly produces a “meth-like high,” and it’s being blamed for frightening behavior throughout the US.

Some who have smoked or snorted the substance have experienced hallucinations and paranoia, which has led to violence in several cases. One Florida woman allegedly attacked her mother with a machete while she was high on MDPV, believing she was a monster.

This week, Alabama became the third state to ban MDPV “bath salts,” after Florida and Louisiana. Senator Charles Schumer of New York has proposed a nationwide ban. According to Louisiana Poison Control director Mark Ryan previous attempts to legally sell MDPV included mareketing it as growth stimulator, pH optimizer, and pond scum remover.

Real bath salts contain a wide variety minerals and trace elements, but no psychoactive stimulants like MDPV. You can find safe, healthy, beneficial bath salts from reputable spas and beauty retailers.