Mom protests store harming her son

BATAVIA, N.Y. (WIVB) - The showdown over the sale of bath salts is not quieting down in Batavia. A mother is protesting the store at the center of an emotionally-charged case.

Jason Lang's family is not giving up on him despite his addiction to bath salts.

His sister, Brandi Smith, said, "I am not going to stop until I feel that justice has been served for our community."

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>> News 4 spoke extensively to Jason's mother, Nicolette Lang, who faces trespassing charges for begging the store owner to stop selling drugs to her son

On Thursday, Smith and Nicolette Lang, Jason's mother, held a protest in front of the Batavia store they say is still selling bath salts, despite a law banning them signed by President Obama. Their cries for held are being head by a local councilwoman, who says it's a safety issue for all of western New York.

Rose Mary Christian said, "What I see on TV and what I am seeing in our community is a nightmare."

And it is a nightmare for neighbors of the store like Ron Washburn.

"I've talked to the police officers about it," he said. "We've made several calls that they are still selling this stuff. The owners and the workers in the store are handing stuff to people when they walk by. They think we're blind. We sit here and see it all."

Local social worker Joan Liggetto says she's seeing a problem in the youth she works with.

"I have actually known children who have come in here under the age of 18 and have come in here and purchased bath salts. They have told me this themselves," she said. "These children who are 13, 14, 15-years-old are just destroying themselves very impulsively and it's scary and that's why I am here."

News 4 is not identifying the store because we do not want to enable users. But we did contact the store, which said they have no comment on the protest. When we asked if they are still selling bath salts, they also said no comment.