Mephedrone: Difference between revisions

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Almost nothing is known about the long-term effects of mephedrone due to its short history of its use.<ref>Clubbers are 'turning to new legal high mephedrone' | http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/10004366</ref> Along side of this, the median lethal dosage remains unknown and unstudied.<ref>Mephedrone, new kid for the chop? | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20735367</ref>
Almost nothing is known about the long-term effects of mephedrone due to its short history of its use.<ref>Clubbers are 'turning to new legal high mephedrone' | http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/10004366</ref> Along side of this, the median lethal dosage remains unknown and unstudied.<ref>Mephedrone, new kid for the chop? | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20735367</ref>


In 2010, unconfirmed reports speculated about the role mephedrone has played in the deaths of several young people in the UK. By July 2010, mephedrone had been alleged to be involved in 52 fatalities in the UK, but detected in only 38 of these cases. Of the nine that coroners had finished investigating, two were caused directly by mephedrone.<ref> Ghodse, H.; Corkery, J.; Ahmed, K.; Naidoo, V.; Oyefeso and, A.; Schifano, F. (July 2010). "Drug-related deaths in the UK: Annual Report 2010". International Centre for Drug Policy, St George's University of London. p. 77. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-02. Retrieved 2010-01-02.</ref> The first death reported to be caused by mephedrone use was that of 46-year-old [29] who had underlying health problems and repeatedly injected the drug.[30] A report in Forensic Science International in stated mephedrone intoxication has been recorded as the cause of death in two cases in Scotland.[31]
In 2010, unconfirmed reports speculated about the role mephedrone has played in the deaths of several young people in the UK. By July 2010, mephedrone had been alleged to be involved in 52 fatalities in the UK, but detected in only 38 of these cases. Of the nine that coroners had finished investigating, two were caused directly by mephedrone.<ref> Ghodse, H.; Corkery, J.; Ahmed, K.; Naidoo, V.; Oyefeso and, A.; Schifano, F. (July 2010). "Drug-related deaths in the UK: Annual Report 2010". International Centre for Drug Policy, St George's University of London. p. 77. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-02. Retrieved 2010-01-02.</ref> The first death reported to be caused by mephedrone use was that of 46-year-old <ref> "Man from Hove died after injecting mephedrone", BBC News website, 27 May 2010; retrieved on 9 June 2012</ref> who had underlying health problems and repeatedly injected the drug.<ref> "Teenagers' deaths 'not caused by mephedrone'". BBC News. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-20.</ref> A report in Forensic Science International in stated mephedrone intoxication has been recorded as the cause of death in two cases in Scotland.<ref> Torrance, H.; Cooper, G. (2010). "The detection of mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone) in 4 fatalities in Scotland". Forensic Science International 202 (1): e62–e63. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2010.07.014. PMID 20685050.</ref>


Despite similarities to known neurotoxins such as [[methamphetamine]] and other [[cathinone]] derivatives, mephedrone does not appear to produce neurotoxic effects in the dopamine system of mice.<ref>Mephedrone, an abused psychoactive component of 'bath salts' and methamphetamine congener, does not cause neurotoxicity to dopamine nerve endings of the striatum | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22191803</ref>  
Despite similarities to known neurotoxins such as [[methamphetamine]] and other [[cathinone]] derivatives, mephedrone does not appear to produce neurotoxic effects in the dopamine system of mice.<ref>Mephedrone, an abused psychoactive component of 'bath salts' and methamphetamine congener, does not cause neurotoxicity to dopamine nerve endings of the striatum | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22191803</ref>