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Youth's Death Inspires Delaware Salvia Bill
March 27, 2006

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News Summary

Delaware lawmakers are considering a plan to make the hallucinogenic herb salvia divinorum a Schedule I controlled substance, the Wilmington News Journal reported March 23.

Senate Bill 259, introduced by Sen. Karen Peterson (D-Stanton), has been dubbed "Brett's Law" after Brett Chidester, 17, who committed suicide months after starting to smoke salvia. The measure passed the Senate Health and Social Services Committee and went to the full Senate for a vote. "Kids shouldn't be able to buy this online," Peterson said. "It's the equivalent of LSD, so I figured that's where it belongs."

Chidester's mother, Kathy, said of Brett: "He was a great student, an excellent son. I just think he might have had some mild depression and, combine that with salvia, it was a lethal combination."

Missouri and Louisiana are the only other states to have outlawed salvia; the federal Drug Enforcement Administration considers it a "drug of concern."

Researchers say salvia is the world's most powerful natural hallucinogen, although there is no research linking the herb to depression in humans.

 

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Posted by Novel Zephyr on 08 Sep 08 10:37 AM EDT
Salvia is arguably the most powerful natural antidepressant still widely legal in America. I have personally experienced its immense mood-lifting influence. Antidepressants, regardless of whether they are natural or artificial (SSRIs, for example, such as Prozac), often lead people, who are otherwise depressed, to consider suicide. Look into this subject for yourselves; you don't see our lawmakers categorizing Prozac as a Schedule I substance, do you? Stop putting harmless people in jail and stop diverting revenue that could otherwise be taxed towards the black market; you can do both of these by discouraging criminalization of drugs which are physically harmless and non-addicting, such as LSD and Salvia.

Posted by juggalo justin on 10 Dec 08 04:45 PM EST
salvia dident kill him it just opened visions and a new look of life. he dident like the look of life that was presented to him. he saw everything that was wrong with the world because of his depresion and probobly the way he was raised.

Posted by SwenSa on 13 Feb 09 03:15 PM EST
Salvia is a rather frightening drug. It has changed my view point on drugs all together, and I know I will never use weed,mushrooms and LSD ever again. Im not sure why I all of a sudden got the ephiphany of sober life, but im thankful I did. It showed me how scary it is to loose control of the mind, and that it seems logical that over time drugs will warp my thought process. Overall it was more fun to try to explain the frightening experience to someone else than smoking it. People will try it out of curiosity, and likely never try it again. Drug free for life, the mind is way to amazing to mess up.

Posted by Dave on 23 Feb 09 11:00 AM EST
Salvia is a calming and relaxing drug which reacts to your psyche, environment and how well you can accept the trip with understanding. It should be age regulated but not illegal, those who cannot understand it should not use it. Salvia is NOT a party drug! It is far safer than alcohol, tobacco and caffeine yet those are all legal. I encourage everyone who hears of a bill to outlaw it to write their representatives and suggest an age limit rather than total illegalization.

Posted by F-X on 07 Oct 09 08:07 AM EDT
Even though the power of both substances is similar, salvia is NOT the equivalent of LSD. Both of them, as well as any other psychedelic drug, should be legal for adults to buy, sell, possess and use. If we trust adults enough to drink alcohol despite the direct physical damgage, the accidents and the violence linked with its abuse, why not trust a drug that simply might have played a role in a single person's suicide?

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