Mephedrone Deadly but currently legal in the UK

The news headlines in the UK have been full of information this week, regarding the deaths of two young men. Both used what has been termed a "legal high" in the UK, namely Mephedrone.

One young man was aged 18 and the other one 19, and both young men died.

This drug was news to me, but of course such sad deaths brings information to all age groups.

As of yet the cause of death, of each of these young men, has not been ascertained. There could have been other contributory factors. However, currently this news has been responsible for calls to urgently make Mephedrone illegal, in the UK.

What is Mephedrone?

Here is a web definition of Mephedrone:-

"4-Methylmethcathinone (Mephedrone, 4-MMC, mmcat) is a stimulant drug related to cathinone and methcathinone. The effects of 4-methylmethcathinone are reportedly comparable to those of similar drugs such as MDMA and methy"

Mephedrone is a powder which is also known as plant food, meow meow and mcat. It is cheap and has been described as somewhere between ecstasy and cocaine as far as the hit it offers goes. Mephedrone can be bought easily and readily in the UK and online.

Mephedrone

Here is some Drug Awareness information:-

“Mephedrone, also known as ‘plant food’ is a chemical produced outside the UK and whilst it is clearly marked ‘NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION,’ there are those ignoring that and ingesting it like other illegal drugs. We have dealt with a number of parents concerned about their children’s use of it as well as those seeking help having become dependent. It would appear to be an issue across the board from drug & alcohol services, police, youth and mental health services.

“Like other stimulant-type drugs, effects range from feelings of increased energy and alertness, euphoria and aggression to nausea and vomiting, paranoia and bleeding nose for those who snort it. Risks of overdose are high especially if mixed with alcohol or other drugs. It is also impossible to tell the true contents of a substance purchased as we are aware of those re-selling locally having ‘cut’ the powder with other substances – a risk with all drugs of course.”

Mephedrone has been around for a year or so now. The two deaths reported the week of March 15th 2010 have led to increased calls for this drug to be criminalised.

Despite this the press has shown various officials saying that this would be a bad idea. One such official seems to think that making Mephedrone illegal will only increase the chances of users dabbling with more dangerous drugs.

Another has said that the case against Mephedrone has not yet been proven.His stance was that the government should exercise caution until the case against the use of Me[phedrone is proven.

All fine and dandy but it does not help the dead men's families.

My Thoughts

Although I understand what these officials are saying I think it would be prudent to ban first whilst thorough checks are being carried out. Let's face it Mephedrone could always be decriminalised if full tests showed that the drug was safe.

Of course one of the problems is that those selling Mephedrone may be selling any number of lethal combinations and claiming that it is Mepehdrone.

With this in mind users have no idea what Russian roulette cocktail they are playing with.

For now my thoughts go to the the two young men's families that are facing the loss of their loved ones. These two young men were just ordinary lads looking for a bit of a buzz on a night out. Unfortunately as so often happens their demise was the result.

Whether it was the Mephedrone or a mixture of other contributory factors we may never know. However common sense tells me that Mephedrone is not good news.