Confirmed Bath Salt Death in Vermont

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY VERMONT STATE POLICE
AGENCY OF HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

PRESS RELEASE
Vermont's First Confirmed "Bath Salts" Death

Clarendon, VT - On June 23, at approximately 10:00 AM, the Rutland Barracks was contacted regarding an unattended death in Clarendon, Vermont. Detectives from the Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation were called to investigate.

Upon arrival, detectives confirmed that Christopher Tsacoyeanes, Age 28 of Clarendon, was deceased. The victim was transported to the Health Department's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsy.

On July 30, the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be acute intoxication due to compounds MDPV, Alpha-PVP, and Pentylone, commonly known as bath salts. The manner of death was determined to be an accident (substance abuse).

At the time of his death, detectives with the Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation located a large amount of chemicals in the residence of Tsacoyeanes.

"Vermont's first confirmed death from these illegal designer drugs sounds the alarm even louder," said Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn. "We cannot let up for a minute in our efforts to ban these dangerous drugs and prosecute anyone who violates the law."

A new emergency rule that added 86 more dangerous designer drugs to the state's Regulated Drug Rule went into effect on July 23 - making 32 synthetic stimulants or "bath salts", nine synthetic mescalines, and 45 synthetic cannabinoids or "fake weed" illegal to manufacture, sale, possess or use. Many of these drugs are sold as harmless products such as bath salts or plant food, and marketed under an array of brands like Amp, Purple Wave, Bliss, etc. Dozens more of these drugs have been identified by the Health Department and will be added to the emergency rule in August.

"Whether they are currently illegal or not, there is no medical or sane use for these seriously toxic drugs. They can kill you," said Health Commissioner Harry Chen, MD. "No good can come from using them, but much harm - hallucinations, violence, paranoia, seizures, psychosis, racing heart rate, high temperature, and addiction, and now the first death here in Vermont."

For more information about synthetic drugs, bath salts and the regulated drug rule: www.healthvermont.gov/adap/drugs/synthetic_drugs.aspx.

Detective Sgt. Butch Abdelnour - Rutland Barracks, 802-773-9101
Vermont State Police Public Information Officer, 802-241-5277
Communication Office, Vermont Department of Health 802-863-7281