tonight on "nightline," excited dlirium, a frightening phenomenon. said to make even the most doss il person said to act like a wild animal. is it caused by bath salts? tonight, why doctors and cops are worried. dance moms, the controversial reality show where very young girls go through grueling practices. >> what more do you want from her? >> and high stakes competition. we go behind the scenes to ask, how far should a kid be pushed to be the best?

and hundreds of thousands of calories. we'll meet the guys behind the sensation as they create yet another bacon-laced gut buster. >> good evening. i'm bill weir. bath salts, it's not a term you think would strike dread into the hearts of cops nationwide, but it's become the street name for a potent drug that could be available at your local mall or convenience store, right next to the vitamin supplements. not only does it bring an extreme high, but it's also been said to cause excited dlirium. some think a ghastly crime in miami is just the latest consequences. here's abc's matt gutman. >> reporter: watch this police video of a man in a psychotic state called excited dlirium.

the violence and super human strength. bloody, naked and hallucinating, they fight their demons. anybody near them, walking through bullets, snapping off taser prongs. growling like caged animals. those afflicted by it are literally cookie in their adrenaline-fueled bodies. most of them are overdosing on drugs and lately increasing numbers on a new drug, legal for the most part, its street name, bath salts. >> this may be the next epidemic. >> she's a neuro scientist and one of the nation's leading experts on excited dlirium and addiction. >> the numbers of adverse events associated with bath salts has increased three-fold in the past year. >> reporter: cases have shot to national attention since saturday when rudy was found

here in miami, naked and chewing another man's face off. >> when you see somebody else eating someone, it was really horrific. >> the victim of the attack, a homeless miami man, lost up to 80% of his face. police think it may be connected to bath salts. and scientists who have been studying these drugs for a generation, are genuinely scared. >> this raises the level of fear in me. this is almost like a science fiction episode where someone makes a very dangerous molecule and it's released into the public. >> the powder is mostly snorted creating a rush that comes with dangerous side effects. we rode along with this former narcotics officer. >> it's concerning that not one officer can subdue any of these people. it takes ten or 15 people. >> bath salts, these would be

useless in a tub, still legal in many states, the drug mimics the effects of cocaine or met amphetamine, but each strain is different clouds under different names at suburb an malls and convenience stores across the country. >> there's a spectrum. >> dr. burns from florida poison control is an er doctor at miami's memorial hospital and he's seen it first hand. >> in particular, the patients are suicidal, they have negative thoughts they can't get rid of. many of them are hearing voices. and that seems to go on even after they stop the drug. >> reporter: in a previous investigation for "20/20," we saw first hand just how dangerous bath salts can be. he's an athletic young man and avid bmx biker, had taken about $40 worth of bath salts. his father and stepmother, both

doctors were at a loss. >> bath salts? >> he had snorted it and it sent him into waves of hallucinations right in the kitchen. he saw non-existent police cars and helicopters. >> he was counting them, 21, 22, there's a least 30 police cars out there, dad. >> suddenly suicidal thoughts. >> he grabbed a butcher knife and slashed his neck ear to ear. >> reporter: that cut wasn't too deep. 24 hours later they found him bleeding a rifle at his feet. >> i said, baby, he's dead. we lost him. he's gone. >> he took his life because he was just scared out of his mind. the drug destroyed him. >> reporter: that's the biggest fear among the medical community, more than cocaine or even meth it seems bath salts

permanently alter the brain's chemistry. >> sweating, tremors, all the way up to coma, hypothermia and death, but also the psychiatric symptoms people get. >> a ban on the chemicals has been proposed, but there's still no federal sknan the drugs are still being sold in a dossen states. >> around the world, he's a monster, a cannibal. >> reporter: it could be weeks for a toxicology report reveals whether he was high on bath salts when he attacked his victim. but with bath salts on the rise, law enforcement is bracing for more horror like this. i'm matt gutman in miami. >> thanks to matt. coming up, a peek behind the scenes of the red hot reality show, dans moms, for a look at

the lengths some will go to raise a champion. oh, we call it the bundler. let's say you need home and auto insurance. you give us your information once, online... [ whirring and beeping ] [ ding! ] and we give you a discount on both. sort of like two in one. how did you guys think of that? it just came to us. what? bundling and saving made easy. now, that's progressive. call or click today. with these new depend real fit briefs,untry and today we are surprising pro football all stars. there's wes, clay and demarcus.what's up guys. now i know you don't need one, but would you try these on for charity and prove just how great the fit is? seriously? no way for charity? let's do it! yup... they're doin it. the best protection now looks, fits and feels just like underwear. let's go drive, use the legs...

nice teamwork! they tried on the new depend real fit. get a free sample so you can too. [ male announcer ] when we all believe there are no limits... ♪ like they talked about [ male announcer ] ...we take our best shots, make our best moves, ♪ they will talk about us ♪ nothing can stop us [ male announcer ] when we all believe, we reach higher, and nothing stops us. when we all believe in the power within, we pave the road to victory.

the 2012 jeep wrangler. proud of believing in u.s.a. basketball. . a century ago people had kids because they needed help

around the farm. these days if reality tv is any indication, people have kids because they need a room full of $14 trophies. "dance moms" is the latest show to examine the line to vicarious insanity. john donovan went in for a look. ♪ >> reporter: a year ago, they were just kids from around pittsburgh who spent a lot of time in dance class and some of the time competing. >> chloe and maddie and neeia, and brooks, and page, and mckenzie, but then their dance class became reality television. now you're stars. well, they are stars. they and their mothers. >> i think that's one of the things that resonates with the audience is that we are dynamic personalities. there's a lot of craziness, but it's a lot of fun. >> reporter: because that's the name of the show, "dance moms,"

where every week, four moms watch their kids get ready for another dance competition and the kids work four to five hours a day after school, often until 9:00 p.m. the moms hover, and bicker. the moms interfere. >> we're saying we're a team! >> does it ever distract you when you're trying to just do the best you can? >> yes. >> reporter: that these arguments are going on. >> i try to just block all the chaos and the drama going on just out of my head and focus on my dancing. >> reporter: but it's not just about dance approximately. >> ball change, up. >> and maybe that's what accounts for this show's passionate fan base, it's about what it takes to be the best and whether that's worth it. >> it's eight, not nine half or ten. eight! >> and it all hinges the fact that the dance instructor does not believe that every mother's child is as special as the next. >> do you know that tune?

if i made you do it again, could you do it? >> reporter: quite the controversial proposition nowadays. >> i want everything to look great, do you understand? >> so you think kids are overcodled? >> yes. ridiculously so. >> so the whole notion of every kid gets a trophy doesn't work? >> kids get a trophy now for being born. no! that's participation. give them a t-shirt a sweat towel. something like that. the trophy should be earned. >> reporter: these girls do earn a lot of trophies. they are amazingly good dancers and miller got them there. >> dance! but at what price, the show asks? each week she ranks them, top of the pyramid and the bottom. the lesson being, you want to knock the person on top off. that's the goal. >> and she rides them. >> suck it up and don't leave again because there's another kid waiting to get in. >> she doesn't have a brain in

her head. i've had it with you! >> she calls us stupid and dumb. >> well, some kids sometimes do stupid things. >> and week after week, she make the girls cry. >> oh. >> reporter: and then she really gets mad, telling them to suck it up, save it for your pillow. suck it up. i don't want to see those pillows. >> you said to one girl, tears are for when you break your arm and it's hanging off, or when somebody dies. >> that's true, but don't cry because you didn't win. >> which is where the moms come in. half the time they're angling to get their daughters ahead, the rest of the time their against abbey's methods. >> may i speak to you? >> no. >> you don't throw my kid out of clos class. i paid for class. >> why are they questioning me? i don't go to anybody's office and say, excuse me, why are you -- >> they're questioning because you're making their kids cry. >> sometimes.

and sometimes i'm making their dreams come true. >> don't hunch the shoulders. >> there are aspects of her that i like, but i think that her methods are questionable at best at times. >> come here! i'll have your head on a platter. >> reporter: a lot of the performances have dark themes like girls with golden guns and lost children. the costumes they're already wearing a lot of makeup, the youngest is only seven. sometimes this is where the moms step in, but the costumes and dark themes, that's what wins, patty says. >> the dark wins. why? i don't know. >> reporter: and that's why the mothers usually give in. they're not just "dance moms" now. they're dance moms who are playing themselves on television. more than 20 mothers were considered for these roles. the four chosen were not picked for their meekness. >> my daughter beat your daughter this year!

>> so how real is the reality of "dance moms"? pretty real, the kids say. >> it's actually just how our lives are. it really is. >> reporter: pretty real, the moms say too. >> no one can tell me what to do. >> you may as well stick your hand up her butt and be here ventriloquist. >> we're mothers struggling with things that every mother struggles with in a very public fashion. are we always right? no. >> these moms are just in the way. >> roadblock. >> reporter: that's arrangement as scene on television. i'm john donovan for "nightline" in lancaster, pennsylvania. >> and the new season of "dance moms" premiers june 5 on lifetime. just ahead a bacon cheese burger the size of a toilet seat. how a youtube foot sensation is bucking the health trend in the most epic way. yup, i've got...

[ voice of dennis ] ...allstate. really? i was afraid you'd have some cut-rate policy. [ normal voice ] nope, i've got... [ voice of dennis ] the allstate value plan. it's their most affordable car insurance -- and you still get an allstate agent. i too have... [ voice of dennis ] allstate. [ normal voice ] same agent and everything. it's like we're connected. no we're not. yeah, we are. no...we're not. ♪ ask an allstate agent about the value plan. are you in good hands? they claim to be complete. only centrum goes beyond. providing more than just the essential nutrients, so i'm at my best. centrum. always your most complete. so i'm at my best. but why doesn't it last? [ male announcer ] even after a cleaning... plaque quickly starts to grow back. introducing crest pro-health clinical rinse. it actually keeps your teeth 91% clean of plaque even at 2 months after a dental visit. new crest pro-health clinical rinse.

whether you're worried about your swim suit size or the national obesity epidemic,ties the season to mix in yogurt and sit-ups, but not for three bacon-loving buddies youtube slash mega stars. they are the pharaohs of the

grease pyramid. and epic meal time is a sign of the times. >> beef, lots of beef. i'm hungry. >> reporter: do you like party food? i mean, really party food. >> of course we're going to deep-fry it. >> reporter: i mean like heart attack party food. >> bacon, bacon strips, bacon strips. >> reporter: if you like this, and also crude jokes designed for a 14-year-old, then you're like the millions and millions of people who love youtube sensation epic meal time. >> is it a food show or comedy show? >> it's a celebration of a food show. not a cooking show. a celebration of food show. >> that bite hurt my jaw. >> a food show where they prepare an insane creation of infinite caloric value. a thanksgiving episode included

a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a pig. these shows have earned millions and millions and millions of views on youtube. >> we're making a meet pizza. >> 26-year-old ep stone is the brain, mouth and stomach of the show. a couple of years ago, he was a substitute teacher who had big dreams. he and a friend dabbled in all sorts of web contests, even winning an award from john tesh for this tribute. their success with epic meal time didn't come by accident. they decided there was a market for a food show and licensed the domain name even before posting their first epic video. >> i was like, no, i expected to waste my time producing scum that no one's going to like. >> reporter: we went behind the scenes to see them prepare one of their episodes. a dessert involving ice cream,

jack daniels, bacon, bacon, and bacon. >> describe to me your feelings about this. >> this is my job. when you hold this in front of me, this is work. this is my suit right here. it's my blazer and my microphone, to you. bring the bacon. >> reporter: the shows take up to a thousand bucks a piece to produce, but they are self-sustaining thanks to aggressive advertising and sales. >> epic meal time is a brand. it's more than a show. we have merchandise, website, ad sales, so many aspects to it. >> are you making a good living doing this? >> yeah. i still live in my parents' home, you know. >> reporter: still they persevere, enengaged in a weekly game of one upsman ship, eating more and more and worse and worse. >> reporter: are you concerned at all about the methods? there are kids out there getting your autographs.

>> i'm going to do it. you don't do it. just watch and enjoy. you know, buy a t-shirt. that's how you can contribute. >> reporter: so you don't feel any responsibility at all? >> if you're going to say i'm the reason why that fat kid is eating all the chees burgers, that's crazy. he's probably going to eat cheese burgers anyway. >> reporter: maybe. maybe he would eat the bacon and jack daniels and ice cream thing they made for us. >> five-foot ice cream sunday. >> but like it or not, you do sort of have to agree, it is epic. >> how does it taste? tell them. >> reporter: tastes pretty good. what makes a meal epic? >> always underrated, friendship. >> reporter: friendship tastes good? >> friendship tastes amazing, and it smells even better. >> next time we eat