The DeKalb County Partnerships for a Safe, Active, and Family Environment (DCP/SAFE) wants to educate the public about the dangers of increasingly popular synthetic drugs such as “bath salts,” which recently have made national headlines.

In 2011, poison control centers reported a 20-fold increase in bath salt use, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, the partnership said in a news release.

These “bath salts” are not to be confused with traditional bath salts. Synthetic drugs are produced in unregulated laboratories and work by stimulating the nervous system in a way similar to cocaine and methamphetamine. The drugs can cause chest pain, high blood pressure, increased heart rate, agitation, paranoia, hallucinations and delusions. In rare cases, using these drugs can lead to extremely violent behavior.