| Mephedrone: harm reduction advice |
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Drug Information - Mephedrone Mephedrone is a white powdered stimulant which has similar in properties to other amphetamines. It acts on the central nervous system and causes rapid heartbeat. Users feel alert, exhilarated, talkative. It is synthetic so unlike cocaine and heroin, it is not derived from a natural plant but created artificially by combining various chemicals. As recently as 2007, practically no-one had heard of mephedrone. Then there was a very sudden increase in its use in 2009 which highlighted a changing pattern of drugs emerging into common use in Britain. These were the legal highs which were being marketed and sold through dozens of websites. There are few detailed studies on mephedrone but experts suspect it is addictive and encourages repeat dosing. Its possession and supply became illegal in UK in April 2010. Patterns of Use Mephedrone is mostly manufactured in China and when still not controlled, became available on many websites advertised (falsely) as plant food or bath salts. It went from being an unknown substance to one of the most commonly used in a matter of months. The rapid escalation of use was very alarming to the legal authorities and the Government and a ban was brought in very quickly. Part of the initial attraction of mephedrone was that it was legal to buy. It was also attractive to young people because it had very high purity when other drugs like ecstasy and cocaine had become highly adulterated (less than 20 percent purity in many places). Lastly, the price was very low (about £10 per gram) about a quarter of the cost of cocaine. Because mephedrone has been around for such a short time it is not yet known how many people have taken it. But every indication from drug services, hospital A&E departments and drug surveys suggest its take up through 2009 was substantial with many thousands of new users. Effects Mephedrone is a euphoric drug closer to ecstasy than cocaine. It is bombed and dabbed but also snorted. The hit is very fast and lasts perhaps 30-40 minutes. The first few occasions of use, the mephedrone user feels an intense rushing high. There is a sense of well being and contentment; users on high doses or a long session may also hallucinate. Many users report feeling very ‘light’’ with an ‘empty’ head. There is enhanced sensitivity to music and conversation but users have also referred to short-term memory loss. There is a downside to any stimulant making you feel very low or depressed the next day, It looks like it may have addictive qualities and a minority have binges with many doses. Regular use will experience a very negative effect on sleep patterns. Harms Very little is known about mephedrone as it emerged as a drug of choice only recently. Nothing is known about its long-term use. But we do know amphetamine stimulants accelerate the heart rate so it is fair to assume mephedrone would share some of the same features of cocaine and speed where there is increase risk of damage to the heart. As with some other amphetamine-type drugs, mephedrone may come to be identified as addictive when it is taken regularly over a prolonged period of time or if considerable amounts are taken in a relatively short period. The relatively low price of mephedrone encouraged some to take large quantities where the consumption of the drug became central to their lives. Injecting amphetamines may lead to overdose but it is generally rare to overdose by snorting stimulants. There have been several reports of drug deaths caused by mephedrone immediately prior to it becoming a banned substance. At least two have these reports have proved false. Many of the deaths involved poly-drug use and high levels of alcohol. The one confirmed death from mephedrone use to date involved injecting the drug, as well as the consumption of other legal and illegal substances. Taking mephedrone can cause a deep feeling of agitation, heart palpitations, skin rashes, sweating, vomiting and headaches. Users who snort the drug can expect to get bad nose bleeds. Heavy users may well experience insomnia; there is also the danger of paranoia and even triggering a psychotic episode. The Law Legal to possess until April 2010, mephedrone then became a Class B drug. It is likely you would be arrested when caught in possession as the officer could not be sure what the drug was by its appearance and odour alone. You may be offered a caution which is still a criminal offence and your details will be recorded on the Police National Computer. You may appear in court and receive a fine, perhaps some community service but prison is an unlikely outcome. It is not clear how courts treat mephedrone dealers as there have been so few cases but a custodial sentence is at least probable depending on the amounts involved. Since the Ban Since the mephedrone became a banned substance many of the websites which supplied it have shut down or switched to selling new legal highs. Users are not finding much difficulty in getting hold of supplies as many users stockpiled mephedrone once it was suspected that a ban would come in to force. A street trade in mephedrone has developed and the price has already at least doubled, increasing to £20-25 a gram |