Man Eating Face in Miami Case Prompts Bath Salts Ban

CORAL GABLES (LALATE) – The man eating face in Miami case prompted an initial ban on bath salts by officials yesterday. The man eating face attack in Miami by Rudy Eugene against Ronald Poppo resulted in a vote by Miami-Dade commissioners Tuesday. The vote effectuated a preliminary ban on the sale of bath sales and related substances.
While the final ban is still pending approval next month, officials tell news that they believe the ban will get the final votes necessary. The move for the measure comes as Ronald Poppo, victim in the man eating face attack, is improving well in his long road to recovery.
During Rudy Eugene’s attack of Poppo, Eugene chewed off Poppo’s face from roughly the forehead to just above the mustache line. Officials are still awaiting toxicology reports on Eugene. Meantime, no evidence has indicated that Rudy Eugene had consumed any substances prior to the attack. No evidence has linked Eugene to bath salts on the day in question.
Earlier this month, local examiners told news that Eugene may have bit off Poppo’s face but that Eugene did not consume the flesh. Despite Eugene being called the Causeway Cannibal shortly after news of the attack, officials confirm that Eugene didn’t consume Poppo’s face. They reported no traces of flesh in Eugene’s stomach; they did report traces in his teeth. Officials told news that they also found substances in Eugene’s stomach that are pending testing, including a few pills.
But this week, Miami-Dade commissioners took their own effort to erratic what they believe is a local problem. On Tuesday, they gave the first approval in a step to ban the sale of bath salts. The proposed ordinance would ban not just the sale of the substance but also the sale and advertising of any substances “structurally similar”, reports CBS. The fine under the proposed ordinance would be five hundred dollars; the crime would also carry a sixty-day jail term.
During the vote, commissioners noted how Gov. Rick Scott had passed a similar law last year. But to avoid arrest under the new Scott law, vendors reportedly structurally changed the substances makeup to avoid prosecution.
Now Miami Dade is attempting to draft its own ordinance to prevent that same loophole trouble. They are attempting to draft the ordinance broad enough so that any attempt to structurally alter the substance would still be a crime.
Reports claim that bath salts are currently selling at $40 a gram locally. Brands that potentially would be banned, if the ordinance is passed, would include Blue Silk, Hurricane Charley and Ivory Snow, claims the Miami Herald.
On Tuesday, the matter went to a vote by the commissioners with no discussion. It passed unanimously. The final vote on the ban is July 3, 2012.
Doctors tell news that the substance can cause one to fell stronger, but also more paranoid. “[They] can hear voices, become paranoid,” Dr. Randy Katz, medical director of emergency services for Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood to WPTV. “They can endure pain that a typical person couldn’t handle. It can make them stronger.”

Miami

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