Despite the failure of New York legislation that would have banned sales of the hallucinogenic herb salvia in the state, officials and prevention leaders want parents to know about the substance, the Daily Gazette (Schenectady) reported July 27.

A dozen states since 2005 have either outlawed or regulated this herb from the sage family; New York did not join that group this year when a Senate-passed measure did not make it through the state Assembly. About another dozen states are still considering their own restrictions.

Dianne Henk, spokeswoman for the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), said the state agency is using an educational rather than regulatory approach toward salvia for now. Henk said state officials do not track the extent of salvia use in the state, but have posted information about the herb on the Internet in an effort to inform parents of how easily available it is to children.

Drug prevention leaders say they have not seen a great deal of use of the hallucinogen, but know that youths are aware of it. "More kids know about it than are actually using it," said Patty Kilgore, clinical director of the Saratoga Partnership for Prevention. "It's not classified, but it probably should be."

A February report derived from National Survey on Drug Use and Health data indicated that about 750,000 people ages 12 and older in 2006 used salvia, which the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has called a "drug of concern."