CORNISH — A Vermont woman could be facing drug charges after a state trooper found her with a hypodermic needle and syringe containing what’s believed to be bath salts — a synthetic drug — according to a news release.

State police said Trooper Charles Newton was on patrol the night of Oct. 3 in the towns of Cornish and Plainfield, near the Vermont border, because of recent commercial and residential burglaries in those communities.

About 10:15 p.m., he noticed a vehicle parked at the Connecticut River boat launch, just north of the Cornish covered bridge and the 12% Solutions store, a target of past burglaries.

Newton stopped to talk to the operator, Christine Spaulding, 33, of Mount Holly, Vt. A man was also in the vehicle but he was not identified in the news release.

Spaulding’s license was under suspension, police said. Newton, in investigating why Spaulding was parked at the boat launch so late, discovered a hypodermic needle on the driver’s seat that Spaulding allegedly tried to hide by sitting on it.

Police said Newton learned the syringe contained a synthetic drug consistent with bath salts. Spaulding, however, was not charged with a drug offense at that time because, according to state police, the chemical compounds in bath salts can be altered enough so that it is considered legal but not necessarily safe.

The evidence was forwarded to the state police laboratory for testing, which will determine if Spaulding is charged with another offense.

Baths salts can be highly addictive, even more so than cocaine and heroin, according to state police.