Suspected and Confirmed Fatalities Associated With Mephedrone (4-Methylmethcathinone, “Meow Meow”) in the United Kingdom
Fabrizio Schifano, John Corkery, A. Hamid Ghodse
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology August 25, 2012 DOI: 10.1097/jcp.0b013e318266c70c (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Descriptive analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 62 |
| Population | Individuals in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man whose deaths were alleged to be mephedrone-related and whose inquests were concluded |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Mephedrone Recreational drug Stimulant Harm Accidental Substance abuse Demography |
| Citations | 113 |
| Key points | Mephedrone-related deaths in the UK predominantly involve young males with a history of drug misuse, and a substantial proportion involve self-harm. |
Abstract
Background: International media have been reporting about fatalities allegedly related to mephedrone, a popular recreational stimulant, but now a proportion of them have been confirmed. We aimed here at analyzing information relating to the circumstances of mephedrone-related deaths in the United Kingdom.
Methods: Descriptive analysis of information was mainly extracted from the UK National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths database. With an average annual response rate of 95%, UK National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths receives information from coroners on drug-related deaths among both addicts and nonaddicts in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man.
Results: So far, 128 alleged mephedrone-associated fatalities have been reported; mephedrone was identified at postmortem in 90 cases; inquests have been concluded in 69 cases, 62 of which are analyzed here. Typical mephedrone victims were young (mean age, 28.8 years), male, and with a previous history of drug misuse. There was a notable number (18 cases [29%], 11 being from hanging) of deaths involving self-harm. Mephedrone alone was identified at postmortem on 8 occasions (13% of the inquests' sample).
Conclusions: Present mortality data may suggest a significant level of caution when ingesting mephedrone. Limitations include an inability to determine the exact extent of risks associated with mephedrone consumption.