Mephedrone

Mephedrone is consumed by swallowing (pill/bomb), snorting, dissolving in water and inserting anally (booty bumping), and injecting (slamming).

The effects of taking mephedrone include a feeling of increased energy, delayed ejaculation, prolonged intensified orgasm, and a generally enhanced feeling of physical sensations and strength.

Taking mephedrone can also give rise to a feeling of connection, openness, well-being, empathy, affection, talkativeness, faster thinking, disinhibition, euphoria, excitement, horniness, time distortion and self-confidence.

Remember that many drugs appear the same when crushed to a whitish powder. Always take care and ensure the drug you are taking is what you expect it to be.

There are several deaths a year in the UK from people taking mephedrone. There is risk of being hospitalised due to its short-term effects. Overheating has been a significant cause of deaths when other amphetamine-type drugs, such as ecstasy, have been used along with mephedrone.

Depending on dosage and length of use, mephedrone can carry several risks

• Snorting it, can result in soreness of your nose and severe nosebleeds.
• Overstimulating and damaging your heart and circulation including heart palpitations and an irregular heartbeat.
• Some users have reported blue or cold fingers, probably because mephedrone affects the heart and the circulation.
• Grinding of the teeth and excessive chewing, which can damage your teeth and gums, your tongue or the lining of your mouth.
• Overstimulating your nervous system, which may cause hallucinations, feelings of agitation and even fits.
• Regular users report low mood, sleep problems and fatigue.
• When injected, it can cause severe injection injuries. It can coagulate when being injected which can add to complications.

Because the effects of mephedrone wear off after a couple of hours, it’s easy to want to keep using more. You may find it hard to stop once you’ve started. Use of mephedrone can result in a high risk of psychological dependency.

Mephedrone is a relatively new drug, but what is known is that it brings on a strong psychological dependence, increases the risk of brain damage, can lead to depression, psychosis and severe weight loss. It can also lead to insomnia and loss of short-term memory.

The following tips will help minimise potential harm and risks:

Dosage

Cutting back on the amount and frequency you consume can help reduce unpleasant side-effects and other risks.

Hydration

Mephedrone can seriously dehydrate you. Make sure you keep your fluids topped up.

Injecting

Similar to crystal meth, mephedrone can be injected (slammed). Injecting is the most dangerous way of consuming drugs. Read what you can do to reduce the risks of injecting here.

Be aware that when injecting mephedrone, it has a lower strength to crystal meth which may encourage you to inject more frequently. This increases your chances of injection injuries.

In the UK, mephedrone is a Class B controlled substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971). This means it is illegal to possess (maximum penalty five years in jail) or supply (maximum penalty 14 years in jail).

Any Class B Drug prepared for injection immediately becomes a Class A drug in terms of UK law and prosecution.