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Volume 97 | Issue 15
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ntdaily.com
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
Bath salts used for legal, dangerous high Salts could be banned by Texas lawmakers
tions, insomnia, and making a bu ser s e a s y to a nger.” Poison control centers have already received more calls this year regarding the drug than in all of 2010, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. There have been 251 calls about the substance since Jan. 1.
BY DREW GAINES
NEWS: British volunteers test flu vaccine Page 2
SPORTS: UNT to host South Alabama tonight Page 5
Senior Staff Writer
The K2 synthetic marijuana craze has come and gone, and users looking for a high have found another household substitute that is more dangerous a nd st i l l lega l i n Tex a s. Sy nt het ic bat h sa lt s normally used for a relaxing time in the tub are reportedly being snorted, ingested and shot-up by young people across the country to get high. The salts come in small packets or jars and are sold online and in head shops under names like “Ivory Wave,” “Cloud 9” and “Hurricane Charlie.” The white to tan powder contains stimulants called MDPV and mephedrone, drugs that are similar to Rita lin and amphetamines but are much stronger, experts say. “The thing that worries us about this is it’s giving people worse reactions than meth or heroin,” said Melody Gardner, t he manager of t he North Texas Poison Center in Dallas. Gardner said that bath salts, when consumed, are highly addictive, despite users often describing their effects as a “bad trip.” This has spelled trouble in places like New
composition and short- and long-term effects is limited,” Volkow said. “Yet the information we do have is worrisome and warrants a proactive stance to understand and minimize any potential dangers to the health of the public.” Hawaii, Kentucky, Michigan, North Dakota and Louisiana
“Thing that worries us ... it’s giving people worse reactions than meth or heroin.”
—Melody Gardner Manager of the North Texas Poison Center in Dallas Ga rd ner sa id she is concerned the products will gain popularity as they become the topic of media and Internet discussions, and eventually take hold in urban areas like Dallas. The last available statistics for Texas show 21 people smoked, ingested or injected bath salts during the first week of 2010, Gardner said. As of Jan. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DREW GAINES/SENIOR STAFF WRITER 6, Denton County did not show Synthetic bath salts are coming under legislative review after reports that some any exposure to the substance. The National Institute on contain cocaine-like stimulants. Drug Abuse confronted the Orleans, La. and East Texas, by t he Dr ug Enforcement drug just last week in a message where officials have reported Administration in December from director Nora Volkow. “Because these products increased use of the substance states t hat t he ef fects of and have linked it to suicide bath salts “include agitation, are relatively new to the drug and deat h in some cases. an intense high, euphoria, abuse scene, our knowledge A “Drug Alert Watch” issued extreme energ y, hallucina- about their precise chemical
have all introduced legislation to ban the distribution and possession of these bath salts, according to the NIDA. T hei r g row i ng presence in Texas has prompted of f icia ls here to seek it s er ad ic at ion a s w el l . State Rep. Garnet Coleman of Houston is said to be working on a bill to ban the drug-laced bath salts in Texas, which could take effect as early as May if passed. A bill to ban the substance would relate to another by Rep. Aaron Peña of Edinburg, which seeks to outlaw K2, a marijuana-like incense, and other forms of amphetamines on a state level.
Car hits student cyclist BY JOSH PHERIGO Managing Editor
VIEWS: Student asks UNT to straighten up parking policies Page 6
PHOTO BY MEGAN SAINT-JOHN/INTERN
Senator Ryan Cho takes notes and listens to other SGA members speak at Wednesday’s meeting.
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SGA squabbles over budget BY ISAAC WRIGHT Senior Staff Writer
The Student Government Association failed to approve its budget for the upcoming spring and summer semesters after senators voiced concerns that money was spent last semester without the consent of the student senate. The SGA executive branch presented its fiscal 2010-2011 budget to student senators Wednesday, to update the senate about how money was allocated last fall and approve the spring and summer budgets. The year’s budget totals $158,000 and covers expenses for fall 2010 through summer 2011. Last semester, the SGA spent more than $82,000, a third of which went to pay SGA executives, said Jesus Romo, the director of internal operations for SGA, in a presentation at the meeting. He said SGA has more money left for the spring semester than in the past. “Past presidents didn’t give the presidents or vice presidents
coming up this much money,” Romo said. Despite his optimism, many senators expressed anger about not being informed of several large purchases made by executives late last fall. Joel Arredondo, a senator for the College of Arts and Sciences, said the SGA bylaws require the executive branch to gain approval from the student senate for all purchases more than $400. Arredondo said that requirement has not been followed. “How are we to make sure the budget, that is student’s money, is being spent responsibly if we’re told or asked for our approval? That hasn’t been done all year,” Arredondo said. Senators said one of the largest expenditures not approved by the senate was SGA’s Welcome Back Bash, a celebration thrown during the first week of school to get students excited about classes. The event cost $3,600, and senators said they not included in the decision-making process. About $800 was spent on sumo
wrestling and medieval jousting equipment for the event. Senators also said they were not informed of an order of $2,700 for Welcome Back Bash T-shirts. “When there’s almost [a] $4,000 dollar event being thrown, I want to know about it,” said Valerie Gonzalez, senator for the College of Arts and Sciences. SGA President Kevin Sanders said the money for programming events like the Welcome Back Bash was allocated in the budget approved at the beginning of last semester. Since the amount spent on programming did not exceed the funds set aside in the budget, Sanders said, there was not a need to seek approval from the student senate. Sanders said UNT officials have found no problems with the way SGA money has been spent. “The consensus in there is that we spent money wisely,” Sanders said. “That’s the only thing that matters to me. We spent money on students.” The budget will be resubmitted for approval at next week’s meeting.
A student under went surgery Tuesday night after he was struck by an SUV and thrown from his bicycle while crossing an intersection near campus. Nathan Hardy, a communication design sophomore, was crossing West Hickory St., heading north on Fry St., when a white Lincoln Nav igator hit him while turning onto Oak, witnesses said. Hardy was f lung from his bike and slid about 20 feet, said Steven Schroeder, Hardy’s friend and roommate, who was cycling just behind him at the time of the accident. “His bone was sticking out of his leg and he was screaming,” said Schroeder, a communication design sophomore. The driver immediately pulled over and called 911,
witnesses said. Emergency personnel arrived in less than five minutes and Hardy was transported to Denton Regional Hospital, Schroeder said. Alyssa Scavetta, a journalism senior who witnessed the accident, said the driver and cyclist approached the intersection at the same time. “They both hesitated, then went ahead,” Scavetta said. Denton Police spokesman Ryan Grelle said the driver was cited for fa ilure to yield. Hardy was on his way from his City Parc apartment to the UNT art building to attend a movie night, said Schroeder, who along with Hardy often commutes on bicycle. “It’s really our only mode of transportation,” Schroeder said. “[Hardy] has a car, but he hasn’t used it in about a year.”
UNT opens Design Research Center BY ISAAC WRIGHT Senior Staff Writer
With a new facility in downtown Dallas, UNT’s Design Research Center is the first of its kind in Texas and is helping the university bolster its commitment to become a Tier One research university. Faculty in the College of Visual Arts have been working on creating the center for the past couple of years, said Keith Owens, the Design Research Center director. In December, that work finally paid off after a former police substation near
the UNT System building in Dallas was renovated to house the center. Classes began in the center on Jan. 18 and currently consist of 12 graduate students in both Masters of Arts and Masters of Fine Arts degree programs in design with a concentration of innovation studies. Students are taking classes and participating in research projects alongside faculty, and Owens said the center gives them a place to have that opportunity.
See DALLAS Page 2