Mephedrone powder is one of hundreds of designer drugs . or legal highs that have been reported in recent years, including artificial chemicals such as synthetic cannabis and semisynthetic substances such as methylhexanamine. These drugs are primarily developed to avoid being controlled by laws against illegal drugs, thus giving them the label of designer drugs.
Mephedrone Powder is a relatively new drug. To date, there is limited evidence of how widely it is used in Australia. Due to the lack of formal research about its use and effects, much of the information used in this fact sheet has been taken from people who have used the drug, rather than from scientific sources
What is mephedrone?
Mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone) is a stimulant drug, which means it speeds up the messages travelling between the brain and body.1 Mephedrone is classed among New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), a range of drugs that have been designed to produce effects similar to those of established illicit drugs.
It was originally marketed online as a plant fertiliser or ‘research chemical’.1
Mephedrone comes in different forms, including:
White powder with a yellowish tinge
Crystals
Capsules
Pills
Other names
Meph, meow, meow-meow, m-cat, plant food, drone, bubbles, kitty cat.1
How is mephedrone used?
Mephedrone powder is usually sniffed/snorted or swallowed.2
Swallowing is the most common way of taking the drug. It is usually mixed with liquid to drink or wrapped in a cigarette paper (known as ‘bombing’).2
There are also reports of people injecting the drug.3
Effects of mephedrone
There is no safe level of drug use. Use of any drug always carries some risk. It’s important to be careful when taking any type of drug.6
Mephedrone affects everyone differently, based on:
The amount taken
A person’s size, weight and health
Whether the person is used to taking it
Whether other drugs are taken around the same time
The strength of the drug (which varies from batch to batch)
The following effects may be experienced and may last for two-to-four hours:
Rush of intense pleasure
Feeling happy, energetic and wanting to talk more
Intense connection with music
Anxiety
Paranoia
Restless sleep
Muscle tension (face and jaw)
Blurred vision
Light-headedness, dizziness
Distorted sense of time
Memory loss
Nose bleeds from sniffing/snorting the drug
Enlarged (dilated) pupils, blurred vision
Dry mouth, thirst
Sweating
Reduced appetite
Stomach pains, nausea, vomiting
Skin rashes
Fast or irregular heartbeat
High blood pressure and hot flushes
Strong urge to re-dose
Chest pain
Tremors, convulsions1,2
Mephedrone has been linked to some deaths in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe
