A Delaware senator praised pending¹ legislation proposing a nationwide ban on "bath salts," a dangerous synthetic² drug that's on the rise in the United States and might have led to the recent attack in Miami where a man allegedly ate off 80 percent of a homeless man's face.

一名特拉华州参议员称将推动在全美范围内禁止毒品“浴盐”的立法行动。这种危险的合成毒品的使用在美国呈上升趋势，而且可能是导致近日迈阿密“啃脸案”的罪魁祸首。在这起案件中，罪犯咬掉了另一名流浪汉面部的80%。

"Dangerous drugs like bath salts are terrorizing our communities and destroying lives," Democratic Sen. Chris Coons said in a statement Monday. "Stricter measures must be taken to stem the growing prevalence of bath salts and other new designer drugs."

The number of calls to poison centers concerning "bath salts" rose 6,138 in 2011 from 304 in 2010, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. More than 1,000 calls have been made so far this year.

These so-called bath salts, not to be confused（混淆） with cleansing⁴ products, are an inexpensive, synthetic, super-charged form of speed. The drug consists of a potpourri⁵（百花香，混合物） of constantly changing chemicals, three of which -- mephedrone, MDPV and methylone -- were banned last year by the US Drug Enforcement Agency.

Bath salts are still easily available online, though, and come in brand names such as "Purple Wave," "Zoom⁶" or "Cloud Nine." A 50-milligram packet sells for $25 to $50.

The drugs create a condition police have come to call an "excited delirium⁷（精神错乱） " that makes users paranoid（类似妄想狂的） , violent and unpredictable. Miami police last month shot and killed a man who was allegedly feasting on the face of another homeless man in a daylight attack on a busy highway.

Police are investigating whether the drugs found in bath salts were in the alleged³ attacker's system. This case is not the first time police have had to respond to people high on the drug committing illegal acts or exhibiting dangerous behavior.

In most cases, the active ingredient found in bath salts is a chemical known as MDPV. As far as the effects they have, bath salts are a central nervous system stimulant⁸（激励的） that acts something like a mix of methamphetamine and cocaine⁹. They dramatically increase the dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the human brain in two dangerous ways.

It's a dangerous situation, leading to a high that some drug abuse experts describe as up to 13 times more potent¹⁰ than cocaine. The altered mental status it brings can lead to panic attacks, agitation¹¹, paranoia¹², hallucinations（幻觉） and violent behavior.