CMAJ News

Britain moves to curtail new drug craze

Published at www.cmaj.ca on Apr. 26

lmost unheard of a year ago, mephedrone exploded onto A the recreational drug scene in the United Kingdom last summer as users began looking for alternatives after the supply of the drug “ecstasy” dried up across Europe. It quickly became the drug of choice for many. It was cheap and legal. It could be purchased on the Internet, where it was benignly marketed as plant food. Companies even delivered it to the door. Yet almost as quickly, 4methyl- methcathinone — one of a family of drugs that derives from the flowering khat shrub, which is chewed as a stimu- lant in Africa, similar to coca leaves from South America — came under Reuters/Radu Sigheti Reuters/Radu intense media scrutiny. Its use was tagged as “epidemic” Mephedrone is derived from an African shrub called khat, which is grown in the when two young men — Nicholas foothills of Mount Kenya and chewed as a mild stimulant. Khat's active ingredient is Smith, 19, and Louis Wainwright, 18 cathinone, an amphetamine-like substance that can produce a euphoric state for up to 24 hours. — were found dead after taking it on a night out. Demands escalated to have it declared illegal. Headlines declared other amphetamines as Schedule III it,” says Dr. Luke Mitcheson, a clinical that as many as 20 people had died controlled substances. psychologist and a lead researcher on the under mephedrone’s influence. One Typically snorted or swallowed, survey. Those surveyed are often pio- headline screamed: “Boy rips off own mephedrone’s effects last a few hours, neers of drug-taking and it is reasonable scrotum after taking mephedrone.” but can last days if taken during binges. to assume they would be drawn to this Another asserted: “Man blasts himself Those effects include a head rush fol- type of stimulant. “You don’t have to go in face with shotgun after mephedrone lowed by a sense of euphoria, bound- through a drug dealer, you can get it party.” less energy and talkativeness. But other online and lots of people are saying good The British government moved to effects include a bloody nose, dilated things about it,” he says. act, deeming the drug illegal on Apr. 16 pupils and erratic heartbeat. Come- A 24-year-old woman says privately as a Class B substance under the Mis- downs are usually characterized by that she began using mephedrone use of Drugs Act, which carries a maxi- fatigue, dizziness and mild depression. because “everyone else was raving mum sentence of five years in prison “We were absolutely flabbergasted about how fun it was and that it was for possession and up to 14 years if just at how popular mephedrone really cheap. It was really fun. I was caught trafficking. grew,” says Duncan Dick, an editor quite hyper and really on it. I wanted to “We are determined to act to pre- for MixMag, a popular club magazine. dance and got all lovey with friends.” vent this evil from hurting the young In their 2009 drug survey, more than Dick says no particular social scene people of our country,” British Prime 40% of respondents indicated that they is related to mephedrone use, unlike Minister Gordon Brown told the House had tried mephedrone, also known as ecstasy’s association with the techno of Commons on Mar. 24. “m-cat” or “meow meow,” at least music scene. But it does appear that By contrast, there is no evidence once, making it the fourth most popu- previous users of other drugs are more that mephedrone has become a problem lar drug in the UK after marijuana, inclined to try mephedrone. in Canada, although experts say that cocaine and ecstasy. A 24-year-old man says he wasn’t may be because cathinone and an ana- “I’m not flabbergasted at all. It makes won over until he tried mephedrone a logue, methcathinone, are grouped with perfect sense that people would be using second time, when a group of 10 mix-

CMAJ•JUNE 15, 2010 • 182(9) E393 © 2010 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors News and-match friends, some with dreads, One vendor, NaughtyPlantFood.com, extent to which mephedrone has thus far others with orange mohawks, sat began selling mephedrone in November. invaded Canada may be a function of around drinking cider and beer while A spokesperson, who refused to be umbrella drug policies that limit the abil- cutting up lines of mephedrone and dis- named, said “phenomenal” demand and ity to sneak drugs into Canada. “There’s cussing philosophy, workers’ rights and a close link to a supplier in China per- a provision in the substance act that says tragic tales of consumerism. suaded the firm to easily get in on the analogues of certain drugs and other “I finally got why people were doing act. “We haven’t seen sales like this similar drugs may be illegal too,” he it,” he says. “I felt very alert, very happy, with any other type of business,” he says. “It’s a catch-all provision.” very chatty and very sociable. … When I wrote in an email. Yet, experts say that doesn’t mean got more and more into it, it became an The firm sells a gram of mephedrone mephedrone won’t eventually arrive antisocial thing. I wouldn’t want to be for about 20% of the cost of a gram of on Canadian shores. “We haven’t with anyone or talk to anyone.” cocaine on the street. solved the issues of drugs even where The explosive growth in Canadian authorities appeared mys- there is clear illegality,” says Dan mephedrone’s use was also a function tified when asked about the drug. Reist, assistant director at the Centre of its low cost and ready availability, “Methcathinone? I’m going to have for Addictions Research of British experts say. to Google it,” said RCMP communi- Columbia. “There’s no legal loopholes “Global web-based distribution and cations strategist Robin Percival. She around cocaine and yet it’s a major global communications markets allow later wrote in an email that “it is not drug. The idea that legal prohibition new drugs to be rapidly shared,” says an issue in Canada at this point, and to will somehow be the answer to closing Dr. Adam Winstock, a psychiatrist at our knowledge, it has never been down drug markets is ill-informed.” the UK’s National Drug and Alcohol seized here.” — Allison Elwell, Ottawa, Ont. Research Centre and the other lead Ottawa, Ontario-based lawyer researcher on the MixMag survey. Eugene Oscepella says the limited DOI:10.1503/cmaj.109-3245

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