Collecting, Testing, Informing wedinos.org BULLETIN WEDINOS Quarterly Newsletter Issue 2 Jan-Mar 2014 The WEDINOS project has been designed for the collection and testing News from the Home Office of substances and, most importantly, dissemination via www.wedinos. 10th March 2014 - Changes to the scheduling org of pragmatic evidence based harm reduction information for users. of tramadol (prescription only medication). The WEDINOS aims to go beyond identification of novel substances, to address drug will be placed in Schedule 3 to accompany the harms associated with use of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), new its Class C control. It will be exempted from the combinations of established drugs and NPS and Steroids & Image Enhancing requirements under the Misuse of Drugs (Safe Drugs (SIEDs). Custody) Regulations 1973. https://www.gov. uk/government/publications/letter-to-acmd-on- tramadol Headline Figures 12th February 2014 - Minister writes to Les • From Oct 2013 to March 2014 Iversen, chair of the ACMD, accepting the council’s recommendation to reclassify ketamine • 774 samples received as a Class B drug and announcing the intention • 71 samples rejected to consult on its scheduling. https://www.gov.uk/ • 703 samples analysed government/publications/government-response- • 169 substances identified in either combination or in isolation to-acmd-advice-on-ketamine • This quarter (Jan 2014 to March 2014) • 559 samples analysed • 140 substances identified in either combination or in isolation • 40% of psychoactive samples contained Amphetamines /Substituted WEDINOS reports 12 amphetamines, including: Methamphetamine, Ephedrine and Cathinones. new substances to the 34% contained Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists. • 1/3 of SIEDs samples did not contain what they were believed to European Early • BRAIN – Since January 2014 there have been six hospitalisations in North Wales following the consumption of a substance known as Brain. Warning System WEDINOS was able to obtain and analyse a sample of this substance. The Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Upon analysis it was found to contain Amphetamine, Caffeine and MDPBP Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) holds a as major components, and BZP and di-(-phenylisopropyl)amine as minor master list of new drugs not previously components. identified or profiled, but are available in Europe. WEDINOS is pleased to be one ‘Legal highs, club drugs, designer drugs, new psychoactives...’ of the few providers of this information. The term new psychoactive substances has been legally defined by the European In the past quarter WEDINOS has Union as a new narcotic or psychotropic drug, in pure form or in a preparation, submitted the following12 notifications to that is not scheduled under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 or the European Early Warning System: the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, but which may pose a public health threat comparable to that posed by substances listed in those conventions” • Mescaline NBOMe (Council of the European Union decision 2005/387/JHA) (N-(2-methoxybenzyl)-2-(3,4,5- trimethoxyphenyl)ethan-1-amine) Steroids and Image Enhancing Drugs (SEIDs) • para-Chloroamphetamine - SIEDs relates to a category of substances that include anabolic / androgenic amphetamine derivative steroids, peptide hormones, injectable tanning agents, diuretics, fat burners and aromatase inhibitors. • THJ-2201 - synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist WEDINOS in the News - • 5F-MN-18 - synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist The • BB-22 - synthetic cannabinoid Independent receptor agonist http://www.independent.co.uk/ voices/comment/a-lethal-ignorance- • JWH-175 - synthetic cannabinoid we-could-make-drugs-safer-we- choose-not-to-9162854.html receptor agonist • Coluracetam - nootropic drug • Diethyltryptamine, DET - psychedelic Tryptamine • Ethylone - stimulant • MDA - synthetic empathogen • Methoxphenidine - NMDA receptor BBC Newsbeat channel blocker http://www.bbc.co.uk/ • Phenazepam - benzodiazepine South Wales Argus newsbeat/25951290?utm_ http://www.southwalesargus. source=Drug+Testing+News&utm_ co.uk/news/gwentnews/10984527. medium=twitter Newport_drug_campaigners_ hit_back_over_criticism_of_ scheme/?ref=nt/ Findings… Who… Where a WEDINOS Effects Record was The average age of all sample submitted and gender completed; 81% providers was 29. Of those samples of submissions were from males. that were submitted as Mind Altering/ Where… The gender split for Mind Altering/ Psychoactive and age was stated the Psychoactive substances was 65% male average age 31. The age of sample Samples were submitted from all of the 7 to 35% were females. providers fell for Steroids & Image Welsh Health Boards. In relation to Steroids & Image Enhancing Drugs to 29. Enhancing Drugs, 94% were submitted by males, last quarter all SIED samples were submitted by males. Gender / Age profile of samples providers - Psychoactive Samples A 14 12 * 10 * 8 6 4 B 2 0 0-13 14-15 16-17 18-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 G Female Male *Females aged 20-24, eighteen samples were received in one package; these samples have been counted as one individual. Males aged 30-34, six samples were received in one package; these samples have been counted as one individual. F D C E Post analysis Class A increased Who… from 29 samples to 36. Class B also Breakdown of sample Reasons for purchase increased from 27 to 29; Class C and submissions by Health Board fell from 16 to 14. Substances that are 48% of samples were purchased as not controlled fell from 62 to 55. areas Steroids & Image Enhancing Drugs; In relation to the Mind Altering/ 41% were purchased for Mind Altering/ Psychoactive samples, 62 were A - 28 samples - Betsi Cadwaladr Psychoactive purposes. The remaining purchased as not controlled / legal. B - 2 samples - Powys Teaching 11% of samples did not have any reason Following analysis 7 contained a Class C - 95 samples - Aneurin Bevan for use stated. A substance and 4 Class B, based D - 8 samples - Cwm Taf on the highest classified substance E - 46 samples - Cardiff & Vale present. F - 38 samples - Abertawe Bro What… Morgannwg . Where the intended purchase G - 3 samples - Hywel Dda substance was listed as Mind Altering/ Temporary Class Drug Orders Psychoactive. 18 samples were received from The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 has been undisclosed locations. 320 were received 29 samples were purchased in the belief amended to enable the Home Secretary to place from England, 3 from Northern Ireland, a new psychoactive substance causing sufficient that they were Class A substances 1 from Scotland and 7 from outside the concern about its potential harms under 27 Class B United Kingdom. temporary control by invoking a temporary class 6 Class C drug order. With the exception of the possession In relation to Welsh Health Boards, 62 were bought as not controlled / legal. offence, all the offences under the Misuse the highest proportion of samples came of Drugs Act 1971 will apply for substances from Aneurin Bevan University Health Proportion of controlled and not controlled by this measure. This new power Board, 95 samples were received, controlled / legal – Perceived and Actual became available on 15 November 2011. accounting for 17% of all samples (Psychoactive Substances) analysed. The Bristol postcode area 50% 46% submitted the highest proportion of 41% samples received from outside of Wales (47), equating to 8% of all samples analysed 27% 25% 22% 22% 20% 12% 10% 0% 0% 0% Class A Class B Class C TCDO Not controlled/Legal Perceived classification upon purchase Actual classification post analysis NB. Following analysis samples were categorised based on the highest classified substance present. Order of classification / control – Class A, B, C, Temporary Class Drugs Order, Not controlled. Most commonly identified substances Most commonly identified substances in all Mind Altering/Psychoactive samples. The most commonly identified psychoactive substance was Cocaine. 80 69 The most commonly identified psychoactive substance that is not 60 currently controlled was the synthetic 46 39 cannabinoid receptor agonists’ 40 5F-AKB48 and 5F-PB-22. 28 27 23 Levamisole was most popular 18 18 20 16 16 16 bulking/cutting agent identified; however, it exclusively appeared in samples that 0 also contained cocaine. In comparison Caffeine is found in far more samples, including those that contained Heroin, Cocaine Caffeine 5F-AKB48 5F-PB-22 Cannabis Diazepam MDMA, Amphetamine, Cocaine, Levamisole Benzocaine Mephedrone 5-MeO-DALT Mephedrone, Methamphetamine, Methiopropamine BZP, MDPBP, 5-MeO-DALT, and Cocaine, Mephedrone, Cannabis and Diazepam (Not prescribed) are controlled substances. Methiopropamine as major components. Testosterone Enanthate was the 5F-AKB48 and 5F-PB-22 are synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists, 5-MeO-DALT is a psychedelic Tryptamine and Methiopropamine is a stimulant, these substances are not controlled. most commonly identified Steroid & Image Enhancing Drug, found in 34 Levamisole, Caffeine and Benzocaine commonly found bulking/cutting agents in psychoactive substances. samples. Mephedrone As we continue to hear anecdotal Ten most commonly identified reports of a potential fall in purity New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) only, levels of Mephedrone and a rise in the as per NPS definition practice of cutting Mephedrone with 30 28 bulking agents, we have again reviewed those samples where mephedrone 25 23 was a major component (n. 27). Of 20 18 18 those 78% contained Mephedrone 16 15 only. In the