HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) -
An incident involving a man who attacked another man in what appeared to be cannibalistic attack in Florida is bringing new attention to the synthetic drug known as bath salts.
Police in Miami said the man who went on the so-called "zombie attack" may have been under the influence of bath salts.
Surveillance video from earlier this week showed the man naked while eating the face of another man.
Dr. Juan Carlos Abanses, an ER pediatrician at Huntsville Hospital, said the synthetic drug could cause severe paranoia and psychotic outbursts.
The drug has the same effects as ecstasy, speed, and LSD, according to Dr. Abanses. He said bath salts also have the same amphetamine affects on the heart and could cause seizures.
"A lot of people think they're safe because they're over-the-counter but they actually can be very dangerous," he said.
Dr. Abanses also noticed the use of bath salts has grown in the past year. He said he has treated a number of children in the ER due to adverse affects of the designer drug.
"We've seen several kids coming in with seizures, and some of them hallucinating," he said.
Dr. Abanses said the chemicals in bath salts are designed to mimic illegal drugs and could cause serious harm to an individual's health.
Bath salts fall into the same synthetic drug category as spice and are banned from Alabama stores.
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