Restricted New and Emerging Drugs (NEDs) Chief Inspector Martin Tavener Tarian Inspector Alex Chadd Welsh Assembly Government

Restricted NEDS Cannabis NRG1 MSJs Steroids Mephedrone Melanotan Cathinones

Restricted Mephedrone MM-CAT, ‘Meow Meow’, ‘bubble’, ‘fert’, etc is seeing a second wave of popularity. The April 2010 ban hasn’t reduced use or ease of availability. Mephedrone is the most common, controlled drug found in drug tests, that continue to be sold as ‘legal highs’ The reason Mephedrone remains popular is down to its low price and quality It lacks stigma- it’s a party drug Not addictive physically – described as ‘more-ish’ Unfortunately severe depression and anxiety problems associated with mm-cat use are common The long term physical effects of mm-cat are still unknown but the anecdotal impact on mental health is emerging with links to suicide The reason Mephedrone is so corrosive to noses, throats, stomach and veins is because it cuts off the oxygen supply to tissue causing it to die and rot mm-cat transmission of blood borne viruses (mainly Hep C) is becoming increasingly common due to sharing / snorting equipment. BOLO for bullets and pens!

Restricted Local Trends Younger age… 13 plus Injection … more bang for your buck A move away from Heroin as enforcement and profiteering has seen a quality drop and price rise Intelligence suggests school activity Does not show up in drug tests.

Restricted Whats New? The Internet Availability – on line buying Powerful search engines making previously obscure material any information, being available to anyone, at any time For example Doctors Alexander and Ann Shulgin in the 1970’s penned two experimental drugs manuals the ‘Pihkal’ and ‘Tihkal’. These are now fondly considered as the grandparents of today's drug movement with MDMA or Ecstacy to their credit and a further 200+ tried and tested recipes A revival of the ‘Psychonaut’ movement through online forums; a potent mix of faux ‘consumerism’ and ‘science’ YouTube Drug testing Notifiable occupations.

Restricted Further Support and Advice Drug names constantly evolve and change, they can also be wrong Ask Dan 24/7 YouTube Home Office sites.