45 factsheet Mephedrone Drug effects (dose dependent) Sought-after effects include: (4-methylmethcathinone/4-MMC) • Stimulation, alertness, rushing Street/common names: Meph, Drone, MCAT, Meow meow, Magic, Bubble, Top Cat • Euphoria and hypersensitivity • Empathy and warmth • Well-being and confidence Mephedrone is the most widely used or wrapping in cigarette papers and • Increased libido and sexual of a range of synthetic cathinones that ‘bombing’). A growing number of areas in disinhibition have similar stimulant and entactogenic the UK report injecting. • Talkativeness (‘loved up’) effects to ecstasy. Its Dosage and onset and duration of effect • Time distortions effects, particularly when injected, • Visual hallucinations The typical amount of mephedrone have been compared to cocaine. It is • Reduced appetite consumed over an evening/night is about pharmacologically related to cathinone 0.5 to one gram, usually taken in doses – an alkaloid found in the ‘khat’ plant Adverse effects include: every hour or two; however tolerance (Catha Edulis) that has a long history of • Toxicity (sometimes fatal) builds quickly (some users report using human use. Although mephedrone was • Elevated heart rate (tachycardia) and 4-10 g per night). When injecting, people first synthesised in 1929, its recreational palpitations sometimes use 0.5g or more at a time use came to prominence in 2009 after • Sweating, overheating, hot flushes, and often inject more frequently than is being ‘rediscovered’ a few years earlier. dry mouth typical with heroin – often in excess of Cheap, high purity mephedrone became • Headaches ten times daily. readily available through internet sales • Chest pain and an unanticipated surge in its use Oral • Nystagymus (eye jitters) coincided with a sustained decline • Dose, 50-100mg (light) to 150-300mg • Teeth grinding (bruxism) and jaw in ecstasy purity. From 2010 it has (strong) clenching been controlled under the Misuse of • Onset of effects, 15- 45 minutes • Coldness or numbness in fingers or Drugs Act, since when it has become • Duration of effect, 3-4 hours toes available through similar channels to Nasal: • Blurred vision, dilated pupils other prohibited drugs such as MDMA, • Significant nasal irritation and tissue • Dose, 15-25mg (light) to 75-125mg cocaine and the amphetamines. Within damage (strong) the British Crime Survey (2011/12), ‘last • Agitation, aggression and paranoia • Onset of effects, 5-10 minutes year’ use of mephedrone among 16 to • Soft tissue and vascular damage • Duration of effect, 1-2 hours 24 year olds was 3.3%, the same level (when injected) as ecstasy. Far higher rates have been Injection: • Strong, unpleasant odour documented among samples of clubbers, • Dose, 10-20mg (light) to 60-70mg who typically report much greater use of (strong) Residual effects include: most legal and illicit drugs. • Onset of effects, 2-3 seconds (rush) • Acute depression (sometimes Appearance 5-10 minutes associated with suicide) • Duration of effect, 5 minutes (rush), • Insomnia and sleeping problems Usually a white/off-white powder with a 15-30 minutes • Fatigue and low mood distinctive smell that sometimes clings • Anxiety, agitation and paranoia to people who use large quantities. It Patterns of use • Sore mouth or throat, sore nose and is mostly sold like other powders in Like ecstasy, most mephedrone use is nose bleeds 1 gram bags/wraps or less commonly recreational and self-regulated without • Soft tissue and vascular damage in capsules or tablets. Analysis of evidence of serious harms. However, • Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain seized and purchased mephedrone has users commonly find it more compulsive • Skin rashes and discolouration of skin shown that it is generally of high purity than ecstasy and a proportion progress • Amnesia (>95%) although there are indications to daily use with increased physical and that purity has been reducing in some mental health problems, tolerance and Longer-term effects: seizures. dependency. Harms and risk behaviours • Largely unknown as its widespread appear to escalate sharply for many Cost recreational use remains recent people who begin injecting mephedrone. £10-20 per gram (street price). Much less (<5 years). In parts of the country there are if bought in quantity through on-line suggestions that injecting is being The Law retailers/importation. adopted by a new population of young Since April 2001, mephedrone and all Route of administration injectors. cathinone derivatives (except buproprion Mephedrone is commonly snorted Mephedrone is often used with other and those already controlled under the (which is often painful and damaging stimulants, alcohol and cannabis, which Misuse of Drugs Act, 1971, including to nasal membranes) or swallowed can compound its risks. cathinone itself) are Class B or Class A, if (either ‘dabbing’ with a moistened finger prepared for injection.

28 | Druglink January/February 2013