Mephedrone

Mephedrone Packaged as Plant Food

Mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone) is a stimulant which is similar in chemical make up to amphetamines. It comes in the form of powder or capsules and has a similar effect to amphetamines. There is little evidence to say how widespread the use of mephedrone is in the UK although there is some evidence of its growing popularity. Mephedrone is illegal in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Israel and Germany. It is also known as: 4-MMC, Bounce, Bubble, Charge, Drone, M-Cat, MC, Meow Meow, Meph, Miaow, White Magic.

Change in legal status in the UK

Until April 2010 mephedrone could be sold legally in the UK. According to Drugscope:

Prior to their [mephedrone, methedrone, methylone or related cathinone derivatives] classification under the Misuse of Drugs Act, they could be bought legally on the internet or in headshops. Websites and shops advertised the products as ‘plant feeder’ or ‘not for human consumption’. This is because vendors were under the mistaken belief that this offers protection from prosecution under the Medicines Act. Neither mephedrone nor any of the cathinone derivatives have legitimate uses as fertiliser products. Now that the drugs are classified under the Misuse of Drugs Act, it is illegal for websites and headshops to sell the drugs.

Alan Johnson the then Home Secretary oversaw the classification of Mephedrone as a class B drug on the 16th of April 2010 along with all cathinone derivatives. The Lancet reported that it was the first generic ban of a group of drugs based on their chemical structure. Mephedrone had been implicated in some deaths although it was never found to be the direct cause of any death. Widespread negative media attention preceded the ban. The Sun, for example, approached mephedrone and the issue of "legal highs" more generally with eye catching headlines, including "Legal drug teen ripped his scrotum off" and "If mum knew I took meow meow she’d kill me... sure, it’s dangerous, but you think it will never happen to you" The Guardian reported in January 2010:

Growing numbers of teenagers and young people are receiving emergency medical treatment after being harmed by a legal drug that has the same effects as ecstasy and cocaine. Users of mephedrone are ending up with nose bleeds and burns, paranoia, heart palpitations, insomnia and memory problems. Some have had such a strong reaction to it that their hearts have stopped and they have had to be resuscitated. The drug – also known as "drone", "bubble" or "meow meow" – is causing concern to NHS staff, drug workers and the police, who are powerless to control it because it is legal. It comes in powder, tablet, crystal or liquid form and is ­marketed as plant food or bath salts, often via the internet.

According to Professor David Nutt the “media madness” probably contributed to the ban. Advice was taken from the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) that a ban was appropriate but both Professor Nutt and The Lancet argued that it was a rushed decision based on little evidence. The Lancet went further and claimed that politics had been allowed to "contaminate" science. Following the advice on mephedrone to the government some members of the ACMD resigned.

Effects

There is no body of evidence on long term effects and information on short term effects are reliant on accounts from users. Drugscope describe the reported effects as similar to “amphetamines, ecstasy or cocaine, producing a sense of euphoria and wellbeing, with users becoming more alert, confident and talkative”. Snorting any drug can lead to nose bleeds cuts or burns and mephedrone is no exception. Heart palpitations, blurred vision, muscle tension have been reported as side effects, as too has loss of appetite. Vomiting is reportedly common when alcohol or cannabis have also been consumed.

Resources

• Denis Campbell, Fears grow over safety of 'legal high' mephedrone, The Guardian, 17-January-2010