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Mephedrone: Characteristics of use
and effects as reported to the FRANK
helpline
June 2010
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Contents
Background and introduction, 3
Mephedrone user reporting, 5
Moving on from Mephedrone, 21
Naphyrone user reporting, 23
Conclusion and recommendations, 26
Appendix 1: Mephedrone user experiences, 27
Appendix 2: Naphyrone user experiences, 33
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Background
and
Introduction
The essentiagroup have operated the
FRANK helpline since it launched in May
2003, and each year of operation we
have answered a relatively small volume
of contacts relating legal or herbal drugs.
However around May 2009 we noticed
that we were receiving increased
volumes of queries about legal highs;
Cathinones in particular, with most
queries being about Mephedrone.
Originally these calls came from the West
Midlands area but by the end of summer
2009 we noted that we were getting calls
nationwide about the drug.
By autumn 2009 FRANK was receiving
contacts about Mephedrone on a daily
basis. In November alone FRANK advisors
had around 700 conversations with
members of the public about the drug. In
February 2010 we spoke to more callers
about Mephedrone than Cocaine and
contacts peaked in March due to high
levels of media attention surrounding
Mephedrone.
In the last 6 months, December 2009 to
May 2010, FRANK has had more than
7,000 conversations about Mephedrone.
Queries can be roughly divided into two
types:
1. People looking to get more information
about the drug, including risks, effects,
detection times
2. Users reporting effects they have
experienced and have enquiries
around these effects
The first type of call typically comes from
friends or family members who are aware
that someone close to them has
consumed these drugs. In addition,
members of the public or professionals
such as teachers, social workers,
nightclub owners and GPs have come to
FRANK for general information on
Mephedrone.
The second type of contact comes from
the Mephedrone users themselves. The
person will typically provide detail on any
previous drug history, as well as providing
their current Mephedrone usage, any
poly drug usage, typical dose, frequency
of
use
and
effects
they
have
experienced. Part of the reason they are
contacting FRANK is to enquire if these
effects are normal or to be expected.
Given the extremely large number of
phone, email and text discussions that
FRANK
continues
to
have
with
Mephedrone and emerging unclassified
drug users we are able to build up quite
an extensive knowledge in this area.
This report will look at the characteristics
of use and effects reported to FRANK by
Mephedrone users. It is important to note
that the information in the report is
gathered from calls, emails and texts we
have received and may not be indicative
of the general using public. It is also
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noteworthy that individuals are more likely
to contact FRANK reporting effects that
tend to be of a negative nature. The
report includes excerpts from email and
texts FRANK has received between
November 2009 and May 2010*. We hope
that you find this report useful and that it
will give you an insight that may help with
work or studies that you may be
conducting in the field of Mephedrone.
Samantha McLaughlan
Account Director
The essentiagroup
*These exerts have been taken as verbatim and spelling/grammar/structure have not been
changed
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Drug names
Across all channels, advisors note that Mephedrone has been referenced as a
number of street names by people who have contacted FRANK.
The most common names quoted are „Bubbles‟ and „Mcat‟. Anecdotal
feedback from advisors states that the term Bubbles tends to be used by
younger callers curious to find out more information, and the term Mcat by users
themselves. Concerned parents often used the terms „Meow Meow‟ in addition
to Bubbles or Mcat.
See below for street names for Mephedrone that have been referenced in
discussions with FRANK:
Baby bio
Bonzaii
Bounce
Bubble love
Bubbles
Bubbly
Charge
Devil‟s weed
Dodgy drone
Drone
Hoover freshener
Ivory wave
Legal/Herbal coke
Magic plant food
Mcap
MCat
Megatron
Meow
Meph
Miracle high
Shake n Vac
Sparkle
Stardust
Occasionally people who contact FRANK cannot differentiate between the
chemical and the street names, or get confused with the street names:
“Is 'Meow Meow' just another word for M-CAT or is 'Meow meow' a different drug?
“Do you know what bubbles are & what is meow meow”
“So is Mcat Mephadrone Or is Mcat different. I don't want to touch Mcat if it's related to
Mephadrone”
“I'm a little confused about Mephadrone. I've heard so many different names for it and
what sounds like proper chemical names as well but I have no idea which one is right:
4-methylmeth-cathinone, methcathinone, Mephedrone etc. Are these all different
drugs or abbreviated versions of 4-methylmethcathinone?”
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Characteristics of users
The most common age group who
have contacted FRANK with regards
to Mephedrone are those aged 16-24
years. In addition, FRANK also
receives a high proportion of
contacts from concerned parents,
friends, family members etc with
regards to Mephedrone use amongst
the 16-24 age group.
Many of this group are at University
and a large proportion live in a
separate location from their family.
Queries are fairly split between the
genders, with slightly more queries
from and about male users.
We receive calls from all over the UK,
and people will reference living both
in urban and in rural communities. We
have noted however that a number
of people have made reference
about Mephedrone “hitting their
town”, or that “everyone in town is
talking about it/taking it”.
“I live in a small town which has recently been overcome by this new substance
Mcat"
“One day this new lad came to the scene, parked up one day and told us
about Mephedrone (meow, mkat etc.), this was a few months ago...and now
me and all of my friends have tried it, one of them is addicted and its changed
him so much, mentally and physically, it actually scares me. I tried it once at a
party, and i will admit, i loved it. Thats what we all did at one point, but it went
from that, from every other weekend...to every weekend, to every single
weekend and even during the week...its BAD. I go out on the weekend now, and
i feel like i have to have some to have a good time, cos everyone else is. I know
its down to willpower but, is there anything extra i can do to prevent me taking it
at all? I mean, sometimes i get randomly depressed, because i know i'll never
have that feeling ever again without taking that drug. And whenever im in my
town (always) i hear about meow, meow meow meow and i'm sick of it. I just
want this shit to be illegal before it harms any of my mates”.
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Motivation to use
Information provided to FRANK by
Mephedrone users tends to suggest
that the majority of people are
initially taking the drug because their
friends are taking it. Most use takes
place in a social setting; primarily
house parties or at nightclubs.
However, some regular users have
made references to going from using
with others to using on their own.
“Ive taken mcat a few times
with my group of friends when
we are at a party, i know its
wrong, but what started out as
a time passer turned into a
frequent thing”
“My son has admitted to me that
he has taken mkat what can i do
he says he only takes it socially”
FRANK has noted that peer pressure
plays a part in many individuals use
to use Mephedrone.
“I had about 5-6 beers last night and for some reason was talked into takeing a line
of mcat”
“All the boys in my year at school (year 11) have started taking mcat !! Its disgusting
and really worrying. There's even thi s one kid who deals. Its really getting out of hand
because a lot of the boys try to copy the more popular ones by taking mcat too”
“I need to speak to someone about Mephedrone, it's increasing in my lifestyle and i
dont know how to pull myself away from it when all of my friends surround their lives
with it. Everytime i go out i end up taking it unless i'm with my boyfriend who is
completely against it. I hate that i have taken it, but how is it possible to stop when its
all everybody does”
“I had a tiny line of mcat while I was out last night with friends drinking it was the
first time I tryed it. Will it harm me”
“Ok heres the thing last night we had this 18th birthday party and loads of pple
were snorting M cap and smoking weed they sed it wa cool and everything but i
sed no but i felt bad about it i mean i don't want to get preassured into it any tips
on how to handle it? i mean i'm only 15”
“What Should i Do All My Mates Are Takin Bubbles and Mcat”
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Purchased-prior to
classification
Purchased-post
classification
Most people reported to FRANK that
they had purchased Mephedrone
online. Others reported that they had
purchased in a shop or from a dealer.
Most commonly under the following
guises:
Some users state that they are still
able to purchase Mephedrone
online, but that they are receiving a
different looking substance. Others
report that friends stockpiled supplies
prior to classification. Some report
that since its classification
Mephedrone is not as easy to
purchase. Others have started to
purchase Mephedrone from a
dealer.
Bath Salts
Plant Food
Decibel Capsules
Reports of pricing tend to suggest
that it can be purchased for around
£10 to £15 per gram, with maximum
prices of £20 a gram being reported.
“I think I am finding a larger and larger
dependence on the now illegal drug
Mephedrone .It started off for me as just
a party high to lift me up when out.
Now it has been made illegal I am
finding it harder and harder to get hold
of and is costing me a lot more than I
can cope with. Going cold turkey is not
an option for me but I never wanted to
be involved in illegal drugs and I don't
want to move onto some new legal
high as I would like to stop taking drugs
completely”
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Characteristics of use
FRANK
receives
contacts
from
individuals
who
have
tried
Mephedrone once to individuals who
have been using regularly for over 6
months.
Quantities of use tend to vary with
some users reporting taking a singular
dose containing a “very little”
amount, whilst others reporting up to
6 grams worth in multiple doses over
a weekend.
A lot of users who contact FRANK
cannot be sure as to how much they
have consumed in a single dose or
sitting. This may have been due to
bulk buying of the drug with friends
and unfamiliarity with measurement
sizes.
The majority of people who have
contacted FRANK have made
reference to Mephedrone being in
powder format. The most popular
method of consumption is nasal
insufflation, users will make reference
to having “lines” or sniffing from a
key. Some callers will report oral
ingestion in the form of “bombing”
the drug i.e. wrapping the drug in a
cigarette paper and swallowing with
a drink. Others report consuming in
capsule format.
“Last night I took Mephedrone.... It was
only a small amount on the end of a key,
I had no problems last night. However I
suffer from anxiety and am really anxious
about it today”
P a g e | 11
Poly drug use
Use with alcohol
Users
report
that
they
have
consumed
Mephedrone
both
singularly and mixed with other drugs.
Below are the most common poly
drug groups reported to FRANK:
Some
users
report
a
strong
association
and
urge
to
use
Mephedrone following consumption
of alcohol. A similar trend has been
reported before on FRANK with
Cocaine and alcohol.
Mephedrone only
Mephedrone and cannabis
Mephedrone and other
stimulants (notably Cocaine and
ecstasy)
Mephedrone and ketamine
“I have a pattern forming where I
am taking Mephedrone too often,
starting on a friday night and not
sleeping till sunday morning. I
want to stop, to
comedown/hangover is horrible
and i am not having a weekend
to enjoy - have you any
tips/guidance for how I can break
the habit. All I can think is to avoid
having that first drink on a friday
night”
“I was at a house party and
everyone including some of my
friends were doing this new drug
'Mkat' so i thought i would give it a
try. Ever since then at the parties
ive been at its always been going
around and i cannot resist it. I
usually do about 3-4 lines that
night. I dont do it during the week
or anything. Only when im out
and drinking i crave it, i dont
crave it when im sober. I was
wondering how to stop craving it
when im out drinking, at
parties..etc before it becomes too
late and i loose my close friends
because of it”
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As an alternative drug
FRANK has noted that many people
who contacted us had used
Mephedrone as a replacement for
another classified drug. A number of
reasons have been expressed:
Mephedrone is cheaper
Mephedrone was legal assumption that it must be “safe”
(reported prior to classification)
Mephedrone was easier to
purchase (reported prior to
classification)
FRANK received reports from people
who
had
previously
had
dependencies on other drugs, mostly
Cocaine, who were now using
Mephedrone under the impression
that its legal status meant that it
posed no harm to them. Likewise we
received reports that people were
using Mephedrone in order to cut
down from illegal drugs like Cocaine.
“My friend has recently started to do methadrone when we go out clubbing, she
always used to buy two grams of Cocaine and take them with her but now she
does this methadrone, she seems to be having the time of her life whens shes out
but her eyes roll in the back of her head when shes dancing and it really scares
me..she says she gets a better buzz from the meth and it costs her £15 and the
gram lasts her the whole night where as Cocaine was costing her £80 a night
and would just make her voilent. im really worried about her keep doing it as
they go back to peoples houses and do it untiil the next night, i have tried talking
to her but shes says she likes it and its legal”
“I have a problem with drugs. I used to smoke lots of weed for years but now I
have stopped i went though a phase of using k then methedrone. I think i ts all a
substitute for weed as a was on that every day for 6 years”
P a g e | 13
Other reports
Many people will comment to FRANK
on the smell of Mephedrone. It would
not be uncommon for users to report
a pungent, ammonia type smell that
emits from them following regular
use.
“Can i get the smell ov mcat out ov
my skin”
“Why doe methadrone(McaT) release
a distintive smell”
“I constantly smell of it. People who
have taken mcat know what the smell
is. And can recognise it. I have walked
past people and thought 'you take
mcat' If you don't know what it is
though you would probably think I just
smell like wee”
Immediate Effects (within
hours of consumption)
Following consumption of a single
dose, users have reported the
following positive effects, however
not all these effects will be
experienced by all users:
Feeling hyper
Talkative
Increased feelings of sociability
Feel wide awake
Euphoric feelings
Positive rush
Whilst the following negative effects
have been reported:
Eyes rolling back in head
Grinding their teeth
Sudden changes in body
temperature
Itching of the skin
Racing heart and/or palpitations
Compulsive re-dosing
Nausea
“Mkat makes me (now i will be blunt) hyper, frantic, insistant, edgy and intense. I
forget everything i have done from my night, so it is wasted. I gurn. I get white bits
around my mouth. I become horny, and this doesn't do well when you are out and
feeling amazingly attractive (when you look awful and your lips are imflamed). I lick
my lips alot and my eyes shudder. Last week apparently i attempted to crowd surf off
of a speaker in a club in Manchester onto three girls and had to be caught by two of
my lad friends. I don't remember this”
“Is it normal to get really hot and sweaty then absoutly freezing cold whilst on mcat”
“I snorted 1 line of MCAT about 8 hours ago and at the moment my heart is beating
really fast and i have the shakes. Should i be concerned”
P a g e | 14
“When we take Mcat we sometimes itch and gurn, some people a lot more than
others, why is this”
FRANK has had varied reports of the duration of the immediate effects. Many
people who contact FRANK want to know how long the effects of the
Mephedrone will last for as they have been experiencing the effects for many
hours.
“Do you know how long mkat lasts for I took it at 1 am”* (*text received at 5.15am)
It appears to be common amongst some Mephedrone users who contact
FRANK to re-dose in a single session. Many users report an overwhelming craving
to have more of the drug, sometimes immediately after taking it, and often still
want to re dose after experiencing negative effects from the drug.
“I used to be able to go out and have a small bit of mkat each sat night. Now that I
am used to it and know loads of people who also take it I find that I am taking it
more and more, sometimes in the same night, and sometimes through into the next
day”
“I have recently come across Mephedrone. The first time I took it I enjoyed it and felt
very socail. However, since i have suffered panic attacks, heart palpitations, and a
compulsion to have more”
P a g e | 15
Short term effects (up to a
week following consumption)
A very common query to FRANK will
come from individuals who have
used Mephedrone within the last
week, quite often they are reporting
effects they are experiencing and
want to know if these effects are
common amongst other users.
We have identified the most
common psychological, physical and
behavioural short term effects as
reported to FRANK below, again not
all these effects will be experienced
by all users and the more serious
effects tend to be reported in cases
of higher dosages.
Psychological effects
Feelings of anxiousness
Feelings of paranoia
Visual/audible hallucinations
Depression
Suicidal thoughts
“Why does mcat make you feel
anxious the next day I'm having a
massive anxiety attack”
“Four nights ago I snorted
approximately 1.5g of mephadrone, I
am feeling very paranoid and anxious
two days after I took it. How do i get
rid of these nasty effects? I also felt
quite suicidal last night”
“I had some mcat at the weekend
proberly about 2 thickish lines ts now
wednesday and i feel a nervios reck
im thinking of seeing my gp bt would
like to know if my nervs will calm
down or get worse”
Physical effects
Sleeplessness for several days
Difficulty concentrating
Nose bleeds and nose burns
extending to the throat
Flu like symptoms
Mouth or throat ulcers
Chemical feeling at the back
of the mouth
Loss of appetite
Passing blood in urine
Facial contortions
Dizziness
Headache
Difficulty breathing
Chest pain/tightness in chest
Nausea and vomiting as well as
vomiting blood
Numb and/or cold extremities
Tingling in hands and feet
Loss of muscle limb control
Involuntary muscle movements
Seizures/fits
Stomach cramps
Blurred vision
“Twitching” vision
Purple rash around the face
Itching of skin
Bladder problems
P a g e | 16
Example of contacts that
users
described
their
physical effects
“I know of someone who recently tried
MCAT (one key) for the first time, and
then again a week later (same dose)
Days later they have come down with flu
like symptoms, bad throat, bad taste in
back of throat, tired, etc”
“My husband has consumed a large
amount of methadrone and since
Saturday experienced muscle spasms,
facial contortion, muscle loss of control
on limbs, involuntary movements. He has
not got any better. How long will this last”
“After taking some mcat last Saturday
I've been feeling a little odd every now
and then, sometimes with a slight
increased heartrat”
“I've taken the drug mcat in th last 12
hours and hav discomfort in my chest is
this normal”
“Can Mephedrone cause side effects
such as lumping, swelling and itching of
the skin If so why”
“My friend gave me some Mephedrone
to try on Thursday night. I haven't felt
right since. Only done a few lines but I
feel very dizzy and haven't eaten much
since. Is this normal for meph”
“Sometimes when i take Mephedrone it
causes my vision to go blurry for short
spells and twitch. It is imposible to focus
on anything, why does this happen and
what is the name for this”
“I sprinkled mcat onto some weed i
smoked in a spliff, is this dangerous for
my lungs as there hurting”
“Iv been taking mcat most weekends
some weekdayS my thumb does not hurt
but its not working like its numb and my
elbows are very tender is this out to do
with the mcat”
“My boyfriend took 4-5grams of
methadrone AKA Mcat on saturday
night and ever since has been ill, hes has
bad headaches, hes startd going
dizziness, not been to see clear and
focus, and seeing and hearing things
that arnt there”
“Iv been taking a drug called 4-mmc for
about 3 weeks solid i have 3 lines a day
and im now getting bad side effects eg
paranoia, ice cold fingers and feet, hard
and fast heart beat and my main
concern major anger issues my best
freind told me i done somthing wrong
and i punched him it just made me so
angry im becoming worried as i think im
addicted to the drug”
“I have recently come across
Mephedrone. The first time I took it I
enjoyed it and felt very socail. However,
since i have suffered panic attacks,
heart palpitations, and a compulsion to
have more. Even though it causes really
bad nose bleeds. I am really concerned
about its effects on health - physically
and mentally, but i feel trapped”
“I took methadrone lastnight cant stop
vomiting blood. And very dehydrated
whats going on”
“Everytime I take Mkat I am sick and its
black, what does this mean I haven't
been eating”
“I took mcat at the week end an have a
really bad throat and massive ulsers, can
hardly swallow or talk. Is this normal after
taking it”
“After taking mcat 4 nights ago my
throat has got progressively worse, in the
way that it is extremely painful to swallow
and feels slightly swollen. My glands are
all up and my throat is really sore, is there
anything i can do to make it better or will
P a g e | 17
it just get better on it's own? And do you
know why/ how this happens”
“I took plant food on saturday night and
ever since i have not been able 2 eat i
have been sick and panicky i also keep
getting really bad pains in my chest and
find it hard 2 breath at times. i have
been experiencing panick attacks 2”
Some users who have rubbed
Mephedrone onto their gums have
reported swollen lips, sore mouths
and mouth ulcers:
“I recently took methadrone and
unfortunately my top lip has swollen up,
this may have been because i placed
some of the methadrone on my top
gum. It's now been 24 hours and the
swelling has reduced, although my lips
still remain larger than usual. Do you
know why this has happened ? And
what can I do to get my lips to go down”
“I recently tried the legal drug meow
meow, and i was too scared to sniff it so i
rubbed it into my gums, now its a few
days later iv come down with a severe
throat infection, my lips are blisterd an
cracked an im finding hard to breathe..
could this be related to taking the
meow”
“I took some metrodrone m cat meow
last night and all of a sudden my lips
swelled up un belivalbe there now like
ready to pop looks like i have been
punched in face even my toung n
mouth feels real sore,can you get any
symtons of m kat? heard of anything like
this before”
In addition to this mouth and throat
ulcers have also been reported by
users who have tried to swallow
Mephedrone in a capsule/cigarette
paper that has started to dissolve
before it has been swallowed
properly.
P a g e | 18
Behavioural Effects
Feeling of being shut down
Feelings of being spaced out
Feeling “odd”, “strange” or “not
themselves”
Aggression
Mood swings
General lack of interest in anything
General lack of motivation to do
anything
“Around 4 days ago, I took MM cat
(methadrone?) and still I don't feel
right. Feel really hazy and don’t want
to do anything or speak to anyone”
Medium term effects
(up to six months following regular
consumption)
Some
individuals
who
have
contacted FRANK report regular use
of Mephedrone, with many stating up
to 6 months usage.
Many of the effects they report are
listed above in the short term effects.
What is noticeably different are the
intensity of the effects, in particular
the psychological effects.
As before not all these effects will be
experienced by all users and the
more serious effects tend to be
reported in cases of higher dosages.
Septum erosion
Feelings of depression
Swelling of hands and feet
Difficulty in concentration
Short term memory loss
“I had been consuming around 2 grams
a weekend, sometimes more, sometimes
less. i havent taken the drug for just over
a month and i am now experiencing
swelling of my hands and feet and heart
palpitations”
“I have been taking Mephedrone (mkat)
most weekends for the last 3-4 months
and recently i have had bad stomache
cramps and passing blood when going
to the toilet im just wondering is this a
common side effect or do i need to
consult a doctor”
“I was experimenting with mkat and
coke irregularly for a couple of months
but have not done for 4 weeks. I am
experiencing occasional heart
P a g e | 19
palpitations , is this unusual or cause for
major concern”
“Ive been taking mcat for about 5
months now, not majorly but every
weekend or so, and at first it was really
good, but now my come downs are so
bad.. for like 4 hours at a time i feel really
depressed and dont even want to live
anymor, why have my come downs
developed worse”
“I have been takeing mcat for the past 6
months. every weekend im up all
weekend drinking and snorting this drug i
get pains in my chest and real bad pins
and needles also the come down lasts
for days. even tho its been in the papers
and people are dieing off it i am still
putting it in my body which i dont
understand because i dont want to take
it i say everytime i do it this is not
happening again but it does im so
scared i might have a heart attack and
that i am damageing my body real bad
. i just want to be able to have a drink
and go out like normal 22 Yr old girls do
without takein drugs. i have been takein
drugs for 8 years now i dont want it to go
on any longer”
“I had been taking NKat for around 6
months and have stop 3 weeks ago. but
since stoppin I have become scared of
the dark and find it very hard to get to
sleep and stay asleep. Do you know why
this could be and how I can get over
this”
“I then began to take MKAT from around
September of last year. Over the past
few months I was taking quite a lot of
Mkat, probly around 3-4 days a week. I
have now started to notice a slight hole
in my nose and am getting very worried”
“My son is 18, and has been snorting
copious amounts of Mephedrone,
mmc,for the past 6 months, the one sold
as plant food. He has lost many stones in
weight. His personality has changed
totally, he has become very very
aggressive. He smashed up my house 2
days ago, and when I got him outside,
he then attacked the front door with an
axe. He then went to his mothers house
and within 24 hours, was getting very
aggressive with her. I think he needs
psyciatric help, but he does not. What
can I do, I love him so much, but it is not
him at the moment. I think that if
something is not done in the next few
days, weeks someone is going to get
seriously hurt”
P a g e | 20
Dependency
A lot of the queries to FRANK come
from Mephedrone users who have
identified that they have developed
a dependency on the drug.
Terminology
such
as
“habit”,
“hooked”
or
“addicted”
are
common terms which as used by this
group; it is worth noting that this
terminology is not used as often by
people reporting dependency to
other stimulants such as Cocaine or
ecstasy. Many users identify that they
need help and support to stop using
the drug.
“Every single person i know in my social
group have become addicted to mcat. I
have also been taking it. I keep saying
im not going to do it again as i know its
bad for you but when i get offered it i do
it even though i know i will regret it. I dont
want to be this person any more”
“Is thare rehab in dundee sumwhare i
can go to escape my bubble habit”
“I am in real need of some sensible
advice. I am almost certain I am
addicted to Mephedrone. I have
finished 10g in 2 weeks and ordered
another 10g to come by 1pm tomorrow
as I cant stand not having any. I do suffer
with most of the side effects, blurred
vision, headaches, short of breath,
blueness in extremities, teeth grinding
leading to mouth ulcers, swollen lips, and
after a particularly large dose and very
little sleep in days I had horrific
hallucinations of goblins and witches
and spiders. these hallucinations were
also audible. My feet often swell and the
veins pop on them. I cant concentrate
or remember much short term. BUT I
CANT STOP TAKING IT. While Im high its
wonderful, and i cant stop dosing. its
times like now, on a rotten comedown
that I know I need to stop. But how?
Please, any advice you can offer would
be appreciated. I dont want to die from
this”
“I think I need some help I have just
started taking Mephedrone and have
become addicted its making me feel
amazing but after alittle come down! I
don' t know how to give up and need
help before I become addicted”
“I think I'm addicted to Mephedrone. I
went on a week long binge of it, and
have been doing it ever since. I haven't
been able to get hold of any for a few
days and I feel terrible without it. I'm
craving it so badly from the minute I'm
awake. Tempted to take other things to
try and get the same high. I know this is a
bad place to be in, but what can I do? I
can't stand being sober another day”
“Frank im hooked on Mephedrone a.k.a
dolly. How can i get of this”
“I am starting to feel dependant
mentally on meow it is very addictive for
me i was taking everyday and on new
year i did 6 and a half grams my mates
told me i was lucky to still be alive, after
that i was still doing it very regulary but i
went on a break from it for about 3
weeks and i still had a huge craving for it
I dont get nasty if i dont get it i just feel
really sad”
P a g e | 21
Moving
on from
MephedroneThe introduction of new
unclassified drugs
From mid March 2010 FRANK advisors have reported queries with regard to a
new unclassified drug called Naphyrone. Many of these queries have been
from members of the public who have heard of the drug and wanted some
more information. However, like Mephedrone, FRANK is starting to get volumes
of users reporting effects from having consumed the drug.
P a g e | 22
Drug names
Advisors note the following names
for this Naphyrone have been
referenced by people who have
contacted FRANK:
NRG1
EWhizz
Rave
Energy Rave
Naphthylpyrovalerone
Information to date suggests that
most queries come from those aged
16-24, which is consistent with those
who contact us about Mephedrone
use.
Also consistent is the setting where
this drug is consumed, with house
parties and nightclubs being the
most common places mentioned.
Targeting former
Mephedrone users
Individuals who have contacted
FRANK have made reference to
buying Naphyrone online, some
have mentioned that websites they
formally purchased Mephedrone
from are offering free samples of
Naphyrone. Others have mentioned
that it has been advertised on the
internet as a non cathinone 'plant
food'.
FRANK advisors note the following as
reasons former Mephedrone users
have switched to Naphyrone
Mephedrone is becoming more
difficult to come by
Mephedrone is now a classified
substance and they are looking
for something which is not
“Since the ban on Mephedrone, I have quickly got through my remaining supply. Me
and my friends are eager to find a replacement for meph. We have got ahold of
something called "Naphyrone", aka NRG-1 or naphthylpyrovalerone”
“im not new to drugs at all and not even long ago me and my friends would take loads
of meow and easily get through 3,4 grams a night and be fine.
but as it was illegalised a friend of mine bought some of this other, new stuff which is
sold as a research chemical and even said to be a Mephedrone substitute on the
internet”
P a g e | 23
Naphyrone
users report
Immediate effects
(within hours of consumption)
Users report that they feel little of the
euphoric feelings that are typically
associated with Mephedrone use.
However, users have reported other
effects similar to Mephedrone but
much more powerful. Please note
that not all these effects will be
experienced by all users and the
more serious effects tend to be
reported in cases of higher dosages.
Intense stimulant effect of buzzing,
„feeling wired and alert‟
Extreme talkativeness
Sweating
Elevated heart rate
Pounding headaches
Increased feeling of nausea
Vomiting
Restlessness
Nosebleeds
Numbness in lips and nose
Blurred vision
Inability to speak
P a g e | 24
“It was like mkat but more intense
without euphoria as such - just a very,
very intense "turbo boost".
“It can take a while to affect youas well,
so you take more thinking your ok and
by the time you feel like youve had too
much its far too late.
and its very moreish but because of the
strenth of it a gram lasts so much longer
than it would with meow. and even the
smallest amount can last like 8 hours”
And please see below taken from a
sample call following a call about
Naphyrone:
“Caller states that people should be
very careful with NRG-1, it's very strong,
caller has only had 1/2 a gram between
3 users and he has been up and buzzing
for 9 and a half hours already. He is
worried that he won't be able to sleep.
He said that although he feels good,
wired and alert, he thinks that if he took
any more that he would collapse or
damage his heart 'blow his head off'.
Caller has been a Mephedrone user
and says that if users take the same
amount of NRG-1 as they are used to
taking with Mephedrone, it could kill the
user. He is also very worried that users
may bomb the drug, which would also
be very dangerous”.
Short term effects (up to
a week following consumption)
Users have described it using words
like „nasty‟ and 'evil' given their
extremely unpleasant comedown.
They have likened it to other drugs
they have consumed and rate
Naphyrone as having the worst after
effects. Again, not all these effects
will be experienced by all users and
the more serious effects tend to be
reported in cases of higher dosages:
Increased feelings of paranoia
lasting for several days following
consumption
Increased feelings of anxiousness
lasting for several days following
consumption
Sleeplessness
Feelings of aggression
Paranoia
Inability to shake an unpleasant
feeling
Hallucinations
Loss of appetite
“My friend took some nrg1 on saturday
night and he is still suffering from
paranoia and voices in his head. When i
hold his hand he seems clammy and
says he feels cold. Not sleeping very well
and talking when he does sleep. Thinks
people are talking about hime and
neighbours are all monitoring him. It's
tuesday now and this is the first time he
has taken it - he was a drug user many
years ago but is now 40 and wanted a
high as the doc said he should nt drink
so much( he has a few beers at
weekends) so he could loose weight. Is
this normal and is there anything that
can be done for him”
“On thursday night I went clubbing and
then a house party. People were taking
Methedrone and another drug called
NRG1 which is apparently new. I took
some and couldn't sleep for a few days,
now I can sleep but I am so tired that's
P a g e | 25
all I want to do. I'm really worried about
what its doing to me and I do n't know
what to do. I've not tried anything like
this before and had a horrible come
down but some of the others there have
had hallucinations etc”
“I took the new legal drug nrg1 on the
weekend and still don't feel myself from
doin it. I've taken a variety if drugs in the
past and never had affects l ike this. Its
now wednesday and I'm abit worried
about how long these I'm going to feel
like this”
“I tried NRG1 on Saturday night
fortunatily the effects have worn off.
However I feel exceptionally melancolly
with not the clearest if heads. I haven't
had a good nights sleep since and
unable to eat a good meal with
stomach tightness. Guessing these are
the reasons I am feeling glum. Is this a
familiar tale”
“ I snorted 0.5 of a gram of NRG-1 not
knowing It was so new no one knew of
it. Come down from hell lasted 36 hours.
Monday today and still feeling very
anxious and paranoid, never felt this
lonely before in my life when no one
knows when it will stop”
P a g e | 26
Conclusion and
Recommendations
Based on the contacts the FRANK
helpline has received we can see that
that Mephedrone has surged in
popularity,
in
particular
from
November
2009
onwards
and
amongst the 16- 24 year old age
group. Following its classification in
mid April 2010 contacts to FRANK
about
Mephedrone,
whilst
still
substantial, have reached a plateau
and we have started to see increasing
volumes
of
contacts
about
Naphyrone.
As the drugs landscape changes so
too will contacts to the FRANK
helpline. Given the large volumes of
individuals we communicate with
regarding new and emerging drugs
we recognise that we, as a singular
body, are in a unique position to assist
in collating information and insight
that could be used elsewhere within
FRANK communications or wider
Government.
We will continue to provide feedback
on emerging drug trends and user
experiences.
P a g e | 27
Appendix 1: Mephedrone User Experiences
“I am not an addict ( yet) but i can see it happening. I go out 3 times a week
and each time i will take loads of methadrone i need to stop because the
come downs get worse and worse and i get so depressed, want to kill myself,
hate myself,cant sleep for days. The most ive ever done in one session was in
the space of 48 hours me and 4 friends had about 9 grams of methadrone. I am
so scared about the long term consequences of this drug. I got out of bed and
collapsed on the floor three times in the space of a week and my whole body
was tingling and shaking and i was having a mini seizure, i go to a university
where there is a huge drug scene and there are drugs absolutly everywhere.
Each time i take it, i always tell myself that i want to stop andnever take drugs
again but it just doesnt work, this time I want to stop FOR GOOD. I am so worried
about my health ( i never collapsed on the floor shaking) before and i just feel
like im wasting//ruining my life. I went to the pub yesteday looking for a quiet
night, ended up going to a house party and not sleeping at all, went home at 5
the next day and went to sleep at 12 woke up at 5. please help me how do i
stop when everywhere around me all my friends all the nights i go to take drugs.
and what are the consequences of methadrone what does it exactly do and
more importantly why is it still legal and so easy to get a hold of?”
“i have never wrote to yourselfs before...as i do know quite a bit about
drugs...and the stuff i feel save taking and the stuff i dont. i have took
methedrone (bubble is wot we call it here) many many time. I took a gram or so
of the stuff this weekend, (which is a normal amount for me 2 take) but since
then i have not been feeling well at all. its not a comedown,,,cos iv
experienced many of these and i know its not that! i havent eatn properly since,
cannot stop feelin or bein sick, and have stomach cramps...but these feelings
only happen like every 30 mins or so...and in between i feel fine. Felling quite
weak 2...but iv put that down to the fact iv hardly eaten? i just dont know what
2 do??”
“I have been taking mephadrome for about 3 months on and off but i have
taken it the last 5 wks every wkend, sometimes i am taking it for 2 full days. When
i am coming down of it i am so ill from it and its making me miss college. I say im
never going to take it again but when the weekend gets here i cant resist it. It
scares me so much because i have got 2 young children and it is taking over my
life. Can you please give me some advice on how to help me stop taking it and
to give me some extra will power. I am so scared”
“I'm at University in my third year. In my first year i tried a bit of weed, MDMA and
Es.I had never touched a drug before. I am not a lazy or usually unhealthy
person. I play hockey, go to the gym and am very sociable... I love drum and
P a g e | 28
bass and electro music, so i am on the 'scene' at uni. On a friday, saturday and
sometimes teusday night, instead of some one worrying about having time to
go to the shop for alcohol, they are ringing around to see what drugs there are.
In my first year, this was MANDY (MDMA) or Pills. In my second year i stayed
away from drugs for the vast majority due to rowing training and general shock
at trying drugs.”
“However this year (due to the people around me and my friends), MKAT
(MEPHEDRONE)is getting to be rediculous and i'm scarred. In fact it is only 48
hours since i last took alot of it. On wednesday (AU night) at our student
nightclub, even the rugby boys had MKAT and passed it to us in the toilet.
Everyone has gone mad.”
“It is £15 per gram and a few of my best friends (in an attempt to make extra
money to pay off their over drafts) have bought in up to 70 grams of MKAT at a
time to sell. So it is rediculously easy to get hold of. Even if i don't buy any i am
offered it when drunk in the toilets (and i can't help but think to myself, why not,
one key won't do any harm). but now, at hockey training, people are starting to
notice that i am out of it and not very focused.”
“The issue is, that i am already a naturally hyper person. When out though, i get
bored easily, so alcohol or a tiny 'sniff' does the job. I've never tried cocain and
MDMA has completely gone off of the scene (not to mention it being so
expensive.”
“Mkat makes me (now i will be blunt) hyper, frantic, insistant, edgy and intense. I
forget everything i have done from my night, so it is wasted. I gurn. I get white
bits around my mouth. I become horny, and this doesn't do well when you are
out and feeling amazingly attractive (when you look awful and your lips are
imflamed). I lick my lips alot and my eyes shudder. Last week apparently i
attempted to crowd surf off of a speaker in a club in Manchester onto three girls
and had to be caught by two of my lad friends. I don't remember this.”
“I am scarred and worried. I don't want to be the boring one who goes home
early,and isn't on the chatty level of my friends. I have lost confidence in myself
to have fun and see the night through on just alcohol these days. I have tried
not taking ti before, which has been nice to say no, but it is only a matter of time
before i have a small line. I feel de-motivated with my work and generally
paranoid. I get upset after taking it and think the world is coming down on me. I
don't know how to say no to it when i have had a drink.”
P a g e | 29
“This week is packed full of birthdays and drum and bass raves a few of my
friends are playing at. I have a hockey match on saturday but i am worried i will
take MKAT on the friday if it is offered. I have asked my friends to encourage me
in this decision but they take alot of it too and will likely forget and encourage
me to take it. Please help. I discovered Mkat 7 months ago.”
“Hi, i want to ask about my experience with Mephedrone two days ago. I
experienced the full euphoric state when in my high, including feelings of power
and authority, hyperactivity and empathy. When the drug was wearing off, I
was in a state of polar moods, i.e. i kept feeling slight euphoric states (coupled
with body warmness-body high) for a few seconds which were then almost
instantaneously followed by emotions of the opposite spectrum (depressiveanxious mood coupled with cold body sensations). This sensation alarmed me
as it resembled a possible state of dependency/addiction. I took two more
smaller doses the same day so as to maintain my high, again during the wearing
off stages my condition was very polar. My concern is that my calm down
during the next day was rather troubling. Every time I remembered aspects of
my experience the day before, i initially reproduced a small portion of the
euphoric feelings characteristic of my high, followed less than a split second
later by very anxious-depressive feelings. This went on the whole day with the
anxious-depressive feelings being much much more dominant and as I became
more and more anxious about the fact that they were becoming more
dominant, the occurrence and severity of the negative emotions increased
almost exponentially. Today, the day after the calm-down, i again seem to be
in a slightly polar state. This state is less severe and evident than yesterday and
to almost no extent alarming, however it does concern me that even two days
after I used the drug i find myself reinforcing some cognitions and bodily
movements (such as rocking back and forth) which were characteristic of my
actual experience and that these are almost always coupled with positive
feelings and almost always followed by negative ones as described previously. I
understand that part of this polar mood could be purely biological in that the
negative emotions i feel following the slight euphoric sensations are possibly due
to the fact that these euphoric sensations remind me of how good the actual
first experience was (a sort of flashback) and that because the drug is no longer
in my system my brain cant maintain this sensation for satisfactory periods
therefore the mere fact that it vanishes very quickly leaves me with a pseudoexperience of the complete opposite sensation. This polarity of moods may also
be reinforced psychologically in that the flashbacks from the high remind me
that i cannot experience these feelings unless under the drug and that they
cannot be experienced in real life. This is already a very long question but i must
add that my issue, which is the fact that these polar states are still evident, may
also partly be explained by the fact that I shouldnt be playing around with such
drugs seeing as I have been diagnosed with partial O.C.D and have had past
depressive periods in my life which were characterised by polar moods similar to
P a g e | 30
those experienced in my calm-down to Mephedrone. This fact made me
experience the polar states even more severely and made me worry about it so
much that i couldnt be concerned with anything else than my emotions (on the
day of the calm-down, this today is much more minimal, i.e. i can do other
things without obsessing on my polar states however i am reminded of them
every time they occur). To conclude I would really much appreciate it if you
could tell me if there is absolutely anything I can do to make these aftereffects
disappear more swiftly or at least more easily. I am very much scared that I'm
sort of stuck in an awkward state of dependency on this drug.”
“I am scared about the effects that drugs have had on me in recent months, I
am a couple of weeks away from my 26th Birthday, I am at present trying to kick
drugs and have done quite well, though there has been the odd blip! I first
smoked cannabis from about the age of 14, in my late teens and early twenty's I
smoked quite alot, as I got older it got less and less and I don't really smoke it
ever. In my early twenties I experimented with a variety of drugs: speed, ectasy,
Cocaine and a little later, Ketamin. I never did any of these drugs on a regular
basis and apart from the odd grinding come down, I felt these didn't affect me
too bad.”
“Last summer a local head shop started selling 'Space E' which is now more
widely known as MCAT, when I first discovered it I have to admit that I did quite
alot of the stuff, and enjoyed it - since then I laid off taking it but still did on the
odd occasion. On New years I had a cocktail of drugs which included MCat, for
the first time I was sat there at a party experiencing the most severe paranoia i
have ever experienced, I left the party and put it down to too much one night.
Since then, every time I go out I experience more paranoia like this, it is getting
worse and worse and even when not under the influence of anything. I am
worried that it is not just the drugs which have caused me to feel like this though
I would guess it is probably the main cause.”
“I live in a small town on the Isle of Wight where MCAT is running riot, quite
frankly it is destroying lot's of peoples lives. I know that I need to kick all this as my
depression, paranoia and suicidal thoughts are getting more severe as the days
go by, my problem is, I know I need to stop taking any form of substance, but
because all of my friends around me are doing this stuff at party's or whatever,
because of my paranoid state, I end up doing some to try and 'fit in' - it always
ends in personal disaster! I feel really trapped and know that ultimately I need to
move away from my home town - I guess I just need some help and advice
please, I am scared that I keep contemplating suicide and equally scared that I
can't go for a quiet pint with some mates in the pub without losing it with
extreme and I hope, irrational paranoia.”
P a g e | 31
“The reason for me emailing. Is just to make people aware of some of the side
effects of taking mcat. I first started taking it about 3 months ago. Every
weekend. Its cheap and a good buzz and didn't keep me awake for hours like
pills or mdma did. Then every now and again me and friends would have it
during the week. I had it on a thursday one week. I had my last line about 12.
Went to sleep later on. I woke up in the middle of the night for the toilet.
Couldn't move my legs. No matter how hard I tried. it was impossible to move
them. I was so scared I though I was actually going to be paralysed. I woke my
boyfriend up and after about half an hour of trying I could only just move my
legs. He had to carry me to the toilet. Get me dressed. Everything. I couldn't
move my legs on my own one bit. It was so painful. Even just lying in bed made
me want to cry. I went to the doctors that day. Didn't tell him I had taken mcat.
Just told him what was wrong with my legs. He diagnosed me with having
inflamed muscles and joints. Which shouldn't of happened to me until I was at
least 50. So 3 months of taking mcat had made my body age 32 years. He gave
me anti-inflamatories and painkillers.”
“After a few days my legs were almost back to normal and I had forgot about
how much pain I had been in. So that weekend I thought I would be okay if just
had a little bit. I only had half a gram (a lot less than I normally did) felt fine.
Then the next day. My legs were exactly the same as they were the week
before. Not just my legs this time though. I couldn't move my ankles, knees,
pelvis, back, right elbow/shoulder and neck. The only bit of my body I could
move was my left arm. I was in such excruciating pain. Any little movement
made me scream. I couldn't lie on my back because my spine was so messed
up. I couldn't lie on my side because my hips were so sore.”
“So I can't sleep. I can't walk. I can't feed my self properly. I'm basically like a
baby. My boyfriend has had to do everything for me. That was on thursday. Its
sunday now and I still can't walk. It takes him an hour to get me out of bed and
dressed everyday. I haven't been able to go into work because of it. My mum is
considering taking me to the hospital if I don't get better soon. I haven't told her
the reason why I'm like this. But its still messed up that something that's legal can
do this to your body. I have taken pills, mdma, coke, wizz. Nothing has ever
done this to me. I feel worse in the morning. But I would rather feel poo in the
morning for a bit than be crippled for weeks. aswell as not being able to work
there have been other side effects. Nosebleeds, at least one a day! Loss of
appetite, I've lost a stone in a month. I constantly smell of it. People who have
taken mcat know what the smell is. And can recognise it. I have walked past
people and thought 'you take mcat' If you don't know what it is though you
would probably think I just smell like wee. Headaches. Can't sleep at night. In
other words its proper messed my body/life up.”
P a g e | 32
“I started taking the drug last November, just to try it out with some of my
flatmates. It soon got out of hand and led to what i believe was all of us,
addicted. By the end of December, we would be taking the drug many days in
a row, sometimes staying awake for 5 or 6 days without eating anything at all.
Consequently I lost 2 stone, and others lost a lot of weight in a small space of
time too.One time, after 5 days of it, we weren't feeling the effects as much. So
we thought putting a gram in a very small drink and downing it was a good
idea. I started to get really paranoid, thinking everyone was plotting against me.
I also started seeing things, such as writing and pictures on the wall, my friends
changing colour and I even saw glasses on my friend, who surprisingly, doesn't
wear them.I then started to make things up, I kept saying I had raan over my
friend who was sat next to me and wouldn't speak to him. I didn't know who
another friend was, and thought my halls were a mental hospital and that he
was trying to lock me up. At one point I even asked him if he was my dad. 2 of
my flatmates were leaving to go home for Christmas, and I wouldn't let them
leave, trying to get in the way of the door and collapsing on the floor crying. I
thought someone was going to kill me if they left.After all of this, I fell asleep.
Four hours later, my friends returned and woke me up. We got talking and I
started to talk about a really weird dream I'd had. When they told me my
dream (the story above) was real, I didn't believe them. Now everytime
someone goes funny like that, it's called a 'Sarah dream'. Even after incidents
like that, we still continued to take Mephedrone, after each time saying we
would quit, but never stopping.A few months ago, I was so depressed and
unhappy with myself that I took an overdose of painkillers. Since then I have
never done any drugs, it has made me realise what a ridiculous thing it is to do,
and can only hope that anyone taking it will find a better was of shocking
themselves into realising how bad it is.”
P a g e | 33
Appendix 2: Naphyrone User Experiences
“I am a person who was hooked on meow meow. i now attend councilling and
getting back on my feet however, recently some of my friends have been
mixing in a new drug again not illegal!!!... it is a brown form of powder which
gives near enough the same effects of meow meow but more madder and
more addictive. my friends are gettin hooked of it. im not sure it what it is called
all i know it begins with an N. but something needs to be done about it. is there
anything i can do to make the police or somebody aware of this drug and try a
stop it.”
“About 2 months ago, I started taking Mephedrone, the legal version; wildcat.
When it became banned i switched to dealer meph, cut stuff, which was
alright, but not the best, now I've been offered the chance to by NRG-1 or
naphydrone, just wondering, are the papers making it out worse than it actually
is ? The only thing I'm worried about is a heart attack or not being able to sleep,
apparently it lasts 12 hours on 0.03g , but i'd be taking about 0.1g at least.”