TENNESSEE LAWMAKER WANTS TO BAN SALLY B HERB

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- A Tennessee lawmaker wants to ban the
hallucinogenic herb Salvia divinorum, known by the nickname "Sally B."

The herb, which is becoming popular among teenagers and college
students, causes effects when it is smoked or chewed.

"When something like that is legal, it says to the kids that it's OK
to take," said state Sen. Tim Burchett, who sponsored a bill that
would ban the drug in Tennessee. "It would be nice to close the barn
door before the cows got out."

For now, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration has listed
Salvia divinorum only as a "drug of concern," and it is easily
available on the Internet and in stores that specialize in drug
paraphernalia. Several stores around the Ohio State University campus
sell the herb.

Countries such as Australia and Denmark have already banned it.
Burchett's bill would make it a misdemeanor in Tennessee to possess
the plant for consumption. The legislation has already passed the
state Senate and is being debated in the House.

Delaware is poised to join Louisiana and Missouri as the third state
to outlaw Sally B. A bill called Brett's Law -- named for teenager
Brett Chidester, who smoked the drug and committed suicide -- is
awaiting the governor's signature. Similar legislation has been
introduced in New York, Illinois, Oklahoma and Alaska.

The DEA has the authority to make Salvia divinorum illegal to buy
over the counter and categorize it as a controlled substance, but
often it is faster for states to pass their own laws, said DEA
spokeswoman Rogene Waite. The White House Office of National Drug
Control Policy has found relatively low numbers of Sally B users
compared to drugs like marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine.

"If this was something that was popping up on the national radar
screen as a national threat, we would be aware of it," policy
spokesman Rafael Lemaitre said. "That doesn't mean states shouldn't
address this."

There is no evidence to suggest Sally B is addictive or toxic. Users
say the effects of Salvia divinorum can be intense but only last
several minutes compared to hours for LSD.

Paul Doering, a University of Florida pharmacy professor, said people
who have used the drug described it as "not being terribly pleasant."
"They would almost to the person say, 'Been there, done that. I
wouldn't do it again,' " he said. "I think the attraction is that it
is so easy to obtain."

One Internet seller, Daniel Siebert, cautions that Salvia is not "a
party drug" and should not be obtained by people under 18. He
proposes regulations similar to ones on alcohol and tobacco. "It
seems a logical thing to do would be to have some controls that
discourage irresponsible use, but don't prevent everybody from having
access to it," Siebert said.

Doering, co-director of the Drug Information and Pharmacy Resource
Center in Florida, warned of Sally B's dangers several years ago. But
he believes laws against vogue drugs are more likely "knee-jerk
reactions" by legislators. "I'm in favor of people making good
decisions," he said. "If people made good decisions, you wouldn't
need these kinds of laws."