Do You Condone Mephedrone?
Mephedrone is not to be confused with methadone (a substance used to treat heroin addicts).
There has been a game of m-cat and mouse as mephedrone is ‘likely to face a ban’. After speculations that more and more young residents of Britain are dying after the misuse of the drug, Mephedrone (Also known as m-cat, meow, MIAOW), the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs recommended that the legal drug should be a classified as a Class B drug. Class B drugs include cannabis and amphetamines.
Mephedrone is sold as a white powder that is usually snorted, but can also be found is capsules and pills or can be dissolved into a liquid, or even injected. It is becoming more popular in nightclubs, as the legal drug is being used instead of ecstasy and cocaine. Some of the side effects are alarming, to know that the government have allowed mephedrone to be legal up until now. Mephedrone can cause nosebleeds, nose burns, hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, blood circulation problems, rashes, anxiety, paranoia, fits, and delusions.
One consumer of the drug, after 18 months, using it twice a week, was admitted to a psychiatric unit. The recommendation came after the recent deaths of 2 teenagers. Research discovered that there was overall eighteen deaths in England and seven in Scotland where the drug has been implicated. But it has not been scientifically proven yet that any deaths are mephedrone related, although, scientists are still working to find out if the drug is harmful.
The drug condemned as legal is being sold on Internet websites. Many dealers have been approached by the media and are cracking under pressure; as a result their websites are being closed.
A Google search revealed a total of seven websites appearing on the first page of the search. This proving how easy and accessible the drug is to its younger users.
Even dealers have admitted that they wouldn’t or haven’t tried the drug themselves, that dealing it is just ‘running a business’ and is what they do for a ‘living’.
A dealer from Leeds said, ‘You are stupid to take it’.
A dealer from Swansea was interviewed by a Newsbeat reporter, from BBC Radio One, and he defended the mephedrone business by exclaiming that the tobacco and alcohol industry should be the ones feeling guilty as there are more deaths related to them than mephedrone.
What is your take on the legal drug, mephedrone?
Should it become illegal?
If you need help with drug problems then there are links to organisations that can help on the substance misuse pages of CLIC.
