New regulations issued today by the state Department of Health and approved by the Public Health and Planning Council will make it more difficult for manufacturers and sellers of synthetic recreational drugs to operate.

The new rules will expand the existing list of prohibited drugs and chemicals to include dozens more substances that are used to make synthetic drugs like bath salts and synthetic marijuana. The addition of these prohibited substances is aimed at making it more difficult for manufacturers to simply modify the chemicals used to make the drugs to avoid prosecution.

Under the new regulations, for the first time, the owner of an establishment or an employee selling the synthetic drugs will be charged with possession of an illicit substance and, if found guilty, will now face fines of up to $500 and up to 15 days in jail.

Although the sale and use of many of these substances is prohibited by the federal government, the new regulations announced today give local law enforcement officials, for the first time, the authority to pursue violators under state law and refer those violators to local district attorneys for prosecution.

Senators and Assembly members of both parties have joined in a legislative effort to put New York ahead of the nation in cracking down on these dangerous drugs, said Sen. Joseph Griffo (R/C/IP -Rome).

State Senator Patty Ritchie, Republican of Heuvelton, is praising Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Department of Health’s new regulations to crack down on the synthetic drug epidemic that is sweeping New York State and the rest of the nation.

“Synthetic drugs like bath salts and synthetic marijuana are creating very serious, deadly problems across the nation, and right here in the North Country and Central New York,” said Ritchie.

Ritchie is a sponsor of several bills that aim to crack down on bath salts and synthetic marijuana, to keep them out of reach of children.

Sen. Griffo has also sponsored similar legislation.