INTRODUCTION There isn’t a term to cover them all, most of the drugs aren’t new not that novel they aren’t all used in clubs or at parties and a lot of them aren’t legal anymor ore. e. A lot ot of these se dru rugs are re synth theti tic c and so are re easy y to manipu pulate. e. They aren’t similar and aren’t easy to group together, but they do share charact acteristi istics cs with h ot other er drugs s we know w abou out. t. These se are drugs used by a wide range of people e for differen ent t reason ons s so populari rity ty can go up in one populati tion n while e ot other ers s move e on to ot other er drugs. s. We’re going to concentrate on drugs which are currently popular with people who are homel eless ess – Mephed hedrone one and “Spice”.
HOW BAD ARE THEY? Legal, l, Designer er or Synthet thetic ic MUST mean n the drugs s are safe. W e don’t know … There isn’t much experience of this kind of use and there isn’t much research. We do see e drug ug related ed hospital spital admis issi sion ons s and d death ths. s. We do kno now w a lot ot about t the e conseq nsequen ences ces of taking ing too o many y drugs, ugs, injecti ecting ng and we kno now w a lot ot about t un unsafe sex. x.
MEPHEDRONE
MEPHEDRONE (MKAT. MEOW) (1929) This s is probabl bably y the e most st freq equently ently inject ected ed of all the e new w drug ugs. s. As As well ll as new w us users s some me heroin oin inject ector ors s have e switche tched d to mephedrone, because it’s cheap, relatively pure and easy to get hold ld of (un until til recen centl tly y it was also legal). ). Heroin isn’t as popular any more and mostly it is of disappointing qua uality. . Peop ople le are aware re of what t heroin oin did to thei eir r parents nts and nd peer ers s - it doesn’t appeal so much to new users. Not ot to be confus nfused ed with h MET ETHAD ADONE ONE!
MEPHEDRONE – WHAT IS IT? Mepha hadr drone one is a cathi hinone none – this is a stimulant mulant some mewh where ere betw etwee een n a lot ot of coffee ee and a bit of speed. ed. Khat is also a cathinone hinone – this s is where ere mephed phedrone one come mes s from om Mephe hedr drone one is different erent to Khat because it’s not a straight forward cathi hinon none, , it has s so some me addi diti tion onal bits too, o, which ich is s why y it has s a differe erent nt kind nd of feel eel – in the e same me way that t ecst stasy sy (MDMA) A) is most stly ly amfeta tami mine nes, , but ut not ot qui uite. e.
MEPHEDRONE EXPERIENCE Eup uphori oria, a, stimulat mulation ion and d an increas reased ed sense nse of empat athy. The e effects ects are qui uite shor ort t lasting, ing, but ut can produ duce ce muc uch h longe ger residu idual effects ects. Use also produ oduces ces extrem remely y stron ong g cravings ings to us use more re and d more re – which ich encou coura rage ges s binging. ging. Like e crack k does. es. Chem emica cal l smelling elling sweat eat. There ere is an over erlap lap in effect ect with th Mephe hedr drone, one, ecsta tasy sy and Methamfetamines, which isn’t a surprise because chemically, they y all look ok a bit alike. e.
MEPHEDRONE – PRESENTATION Agita tation, tion, seizures, izures, shaking king and tremor emors (Pa Parkinsoni nsonian). ). Headac daches hes and Anore rexi xia (reduced uced appeti tite). e). Blue ue or cold fing nger ers (peri riphe phera ral va vasocon oconstr strict ictio ion). n). User ers s who snort, t, often en repor ort t noseb ebleed leeds. s. Inj nject ector ors s repor ort more re damage, age, more re track k marks, ks, abscesses esses and collaps apsed ed veins. ns.
MEPHEDRONE - PHARMACOLOGY Mephe hedr drone one is a neur urotr transm nsmitt tter r reup upta take e inhibi ibitor or - reduc duces the e brain’s ability to remove dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline, caus using ng an increa rease se in conc ncen entrati tration on – this s is similar lar to how w crack ck works. ks. Having ng too muc uch h of a neur urotr transmitt ansmitter r is toxic. ic. E. E.g: : Met etha hamf mfeta tamine mine increa rease ses s the e releas ease e of, , and inhibi hibits ts the e reup upta take e of Dopamine mine which ch bur urns ns out ut Dopami amine ne recep ceptor ors s leading ding to a permane manent nt down wn regula ulati tion on – the e brain in is less s recep cepti tive e to dopa pamine. mine.
MEPHEDRONE INJECTING Typical stimulant pattern and effect but worse… Mephe hedr dron one inject ctor ors us usua ually ly repor ort t that t thei eir r veins ns se seem em to go very y qui uickly ly, they y are more re likely ely to get et track k marks rks and d infecti ections ons. Un Unlike heroin n you u can over erco cook ok mephe phedr drone one and this s causes uses it to thick cken, n, making ing it more re likel ely y to clog g veins. ns. Rot otat ating ing si site is st s still l advisabl able, e, but ut inject ector ors will damag age e them em all far far more re qui uickly ly.
CANNABIS, SKUNK, SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS
CANNABIS In t the e 60s, s, cannabis is never er di did a d anyone an e any harm at all... However er, , these se days... ... 1. 1. We know more e about ut it (links inks to psycho hoti tic illnes lness) 2. Modern ern Canna nnabis bis is a comple letely ely differe erent nt be beast st This is is wh why.... ....
CANNABIS CONTAINS TWO KEY COMPOUNDS* Del elta – 9 9 -Tet etrah rahyd ydroc ocannabin binol ol (THC) All the e go good d ef effec ects ts anda dall the e bad d ef effec ects. ts... .. Cannabid idio iol (CBD) Reduces uces the bad effects cts of THC HC and is generally erally thoug ught ht to be protectiv ective. e. *Ac Actua ually y around und 400 comp mpounds unds
CANNABIS PHARMACOLOGY THC C binds ds to Anandam damide ide recept ptor ors (Sansk nskrit it for bliss) s) There re are two THC HC recept ptor ors CB1 (brain rain – Pa Pain, in, cognit ition ion and rewar ard) d) CB2 (imm mmune ne syst stem em and sple leen en)
SKUNK Skunk nk us usua ually y refer ers s to strains ins with th a high h conc ncen entrati tration on of THC. There ere is a limited ed amount nt of space ce for THC and d CBA, , as the e THC increa reases es the e CBA A is s reduce duced, d, so so sm smok oker ers exper perience ience more re of the e bad ad effects ects Growers/ s/ Impor mporter ers/ s/ dealers lers maximis imise e THC to imp mprove e value ue and sales So modern odern cannabi nabis s is not ot the happy y grass s of the e 60s
THC VS. CBD THC THC CBD CBD
SYNTHETIC “CANNABINOIDS” These hese ar are NO NOT Can anna nabis bis Lega gal l (un until til 01 Ap April 2016) 6) – easy y to buy uy Chemi mical cals s which ch mimic ic THC (cani nibim imim imeti etic) Often en sprayed ed onto o combust mbustible ible leaf and sold and smoked ed like e canna nabis is Cheap ap - £5 a packet t and average erage use is 1-2 packets ts daily Spice e has a much h higher er affini nity ty for CB1/C /CB2 B2 recept ptor ors Full agonists ists (THC C - partia ial agonist). ist). Synthe heti tic c so not ot well managed aged – disassoc associa iati tion on and reupta take
ANECDOTAL EXPERIENCE Really potent “head blown sideways”. Incre rease se in paranoia noia, , aggress ssion n and agitati ation. n. Users comp mplain ain of depress ession on and d incre crease ase in psycho choti tic c sympt mptom oms. s. Inten ense se cravi ving ng and compulsio ulsion n to use. Withd thdra rawals. There re is no CBD protecti ctive effect ct in syntheti nthetic c cannabinoids. noids. Enoug ugh h of an overlap ap in effect ct to allow self f det etox from m opiat ates. s. More like a s stimula ulant nt than n cannabis. s. Incre reased sed use in prisons sons – undet detec ectabl table e in drug g scre reens ns. Nobody seems to actually like it…
WHAT TO DO… If you don’t know, ask Treat t the perso son n not ot the drug Safer r injecti cting ng Be honest st – if you don’t know, say so. Giving people irrelevant advice tends to put them off. More traditi ditiona nal drugs gs are sti till in use Heroin, crack, , ket etamin mine, benzodi diazepin azepines, s, amfetami etamines nes. Sing ngle drug g use is rare, so take a f full hist story y (including uding alcohol, , OTC and GP m meds) s)
REFERENCES http://w tp://www ww.e .emc mcdd dda.e .eur uropa.eu/ pa.eu/attach attacheme ments nts.cfm .cfm/att /att_23656 236560_ 0_EN_U EN_UK10_ 0_NEPT NEPTUNE NE %20NPS% S%20gui 0guida danc nce%20( e%20(20 2015). ).pdf pdf http: tp://www.n .nta ta.n .nhs hs.u .uk/u k/upl pload oads/nps ps-a-toolki olkit-for or-sub substa stance nce-misuse use- commiss ssioner ners.pdf s.pdf
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