Miaow

Having written a LexisNexis National Constitutional Law Moot question based on bad puns and the legality of mephedrone possession I was interested to see the brief report by Bruno Raimondo & Allison Matthews of the National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre on Mephedrone use among regular ecstasy consumers in Australia [PDF].

The authors find that use of mephedrone (aka Meow Meow, M-Cat, plant food and 4-MMC) has increased, particularly in Australia and Europe. 'Miaow' is a synthetic stimulant that is chemically similar to the cathinone found in khat (Catha edulis). It purportedly has stimulant and hallucinogenic/euphoriant properties, being likened to cocaine, MDMA and amphetamines.

A driver of increased mephedrone use has been its legal status -

In the recent past, mephedrone (and other synthetic cathinones) have not been controlled substances in many countries and have been freely available for purchase as 'research chemicals' or 'plant food' either online or in shops which sell 'legal highs'. However, given the recent increase in the use of mephedrone, many countries have recently classified the drug and its analogues as illegal. For example, mephedrone was classified as a controlled drug in the UK in April, 2010. In Australia it is a border controlled drug, due to its chemical similarity to methcathinone which is scheduled in the Criminal Code Act 1995, but possession laws may differ in some Australian jurisdictions

Key findings are that -

• One-fifth (21%) of the 2010 national regular ecstasy user sample [693 people] reported lifetime use of mephedrone and 17% reported use of mephedrone in the six months preceding the interview.

• Mephedrone was typically swallowed or snorted on a median frequency of 3 days or approximately once every two months.

• Use of mephedrone was most common in particular jurisdictions such as Tasmania (47%) and Victoria (28%) followed by Western Australia (16%) and Queensland (13%).

• There were no differences between those who had or had not used mephedrone on a range of variables. However, regular ecstasy users who reported recent use of mephedrone were typically younger and were more likely to report recent use of hallucinogens, ketamine and amyl nitrate/nitrous oxide than those who had not used mephedrone. They were also more likely to report frequent and extended use of stimulants in the last six months. In terms of risk behaviours they were more likely to report recent unprotected sex with a casual partner and were more likely to report committing a crime in the last month.

• Given the recent increase in the use and availability of mephedrone in Australia, it is important that health workers in this area to be familiar with this drug and its effects and that users of the drug receive credible and timely harm reduction messages.

That advice would reflect the authors' findings that -

It is also important that users of the drug receive credible and timely harm reduction messages. In a recent review it was suggested that people with underlying cardiac, neurological, and psychiatric conditions, especially those on medication, are likely to be at greatest risk of serious adverse events. In addition use of mephedrone in combination with other stimulant drugs or alcohol may also contribute to an increased risk of adverse effects. Other harm reduction messages include advice to avoid regular use to reduce the risk of dependence and avoiding dehydration and overheating and intravenous use. In addition, intra-nasal use may result in greater physical harms and risk of dependence and the present research suggests an increased incidence of unsafe sex among users of the drug.

Unsurprisingly, given the tendency of Australian government to adopt easy solutions by cutting funding, the authors note that -

The present research highlights the utility of the EDRS [Ecstasy & Related Drugs Reporting System] in identifying and monitoring emerging trends in illicit drug markets and its role as an early warning system.