Bath Salts Claim Southbury Man's Life

A 28-year-old Southbury man's death is being blamed on bath salts.

Christopher A. Tsacoyeanes died on June 27 in Clarendon, VT, and the autopsy results were just released, according to Green Mountain news outlet WCAX.com.

According to the WCAX report, Tsacoyeanes' death was the first one in Vermont attributed to bath salts, a designer drug that the DEA declared illegal in 2011.

Tsacoyeanes was a Pomperaug High graduate who was living in Rutland, VT, at the time of his death.

An obituary published in the Hartford Courant last month describes him as "an accomplished martial artist, athlete and musician" who developed several successful online businesses. Tsacoyeanes had a  and faced charges of the manufacture, sale and administering of restricted substances, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Saint Francis Hospital  earlier this year that bath salts are sold as powders and crystals and contain synthetic cathinones, which are naturally found in the Khat plant. He said they can be ingested, snorted, smoked and injected, and are also called "Ivory Wave," "Vanilla Sky," and "bliss."

"We need to get the word out to the parents to keep an eye out for this stuff," Ibrahim said.