Tallahassee-- Bath salts that go by the names Route 69, White Rush, Bolivian Bath, Vanilla Sky and many others were banned Wednesday by the state.

Attorney General Pam Bondi issued an emergency order Wednesday afternoon, making it a felony to sell or possess the salts.

Bondi called a news conference late this afternoon where she announced the filing of an emergency rule that will add substances containing MDVP, which is the ingredient in "bath salts" to the schedule of controlled substances.

Bondi was joined by Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen and other law enforcement officials, FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey, and Representatives Jimmy Patronis, Marti Coley and Brad Drake.

Together, they announced that due to the violent nature of the side effects involved with substances containing MDVP, the state is filing the emergency rule.

Bondi says this will provide law enforcement with the tools necessary to take the dangerous substance off the shelves and protect the abusers from themselves and others.

She went on to say these drugs are dangerous and should not be confused with any type of common bath product.

"Our kids can overdose on this. So what we want to have done, we want to have it made a schedule 1 drug and to put it in perspective, that's right up there with cocaine and heroine. So parents please tell your kids this can be bought at the mall, at stores, this can be bought anywhere and no longer after today," said Attorney General Pam Bondi.

"Our medical personnel feel they're overdosing on it. There's no instructions on it. There's no directions on how to use it. It's creating super human strength that takes 7 to 8 officers to deal with these individuals as under the influence of it," said Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen.

Authorities believe social networking sites have helped spread word of the drug. The state acted quickly in an effort to stop problems during spring break.

The emergency rule will expire in 90 days, but lawmakers are expected to make it law before the rule goes away.

Reported side effects of MDVP include: increased heart rate, nosebleeds, hallucinations, severe paranoia, seizures, and kidney failure and even death.