A bill that would ban the sale, manufacturing, possession and distribution of deceptively labeled hallucinogenic “bath salts” in New York State has been signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The bill was sponsored in the state Senate by Sen. Joseph Griffo, Republican representing the 47th District.

“These pseudo ‘bath salts’ are a dangerous series of chemicals that cause extreme paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, agitation, hypertension, chest pain, headache, and suicidal thoughts when smoked, snorted or injected,” Griffo said. “I thank Governor Cuomo for signing my bill to take the type of state-level action that is needed to protect New Yorkers from dangerous and mislabeled products known as ‘bath salts’.”

Griffo said that although these products are marketed as bath salts or, in some cases plant food, they contain chemicals not found in real bath salts.

“This is a very narrowly constructed law that does not alter the sales of legitimate bath salts, but makes the chemicals in products wrongly labeled as bath salts controlled substances that will not be available,” Griffo said.

Griffo, a staunch consumer advocate and a strong opponent of illegal drugs, said that his efforts to craft legislation began after he began to see multiple news reports that brought to light the use of products claiming to be bath salts as a drug, which was purchased on line.