Designer Drugs on the Internet: A Phenomenon Out-of-Control? The Emergence of Hallucinogenic Drug Bromo-Dragonfly

Abstract

Based on the material available in both the scientific literature and on the web, the present paper provides an updated pharmacological, chemical, toxicological and behavioural overview of Bromo-Dragonfly (1-(8-bromobenzo[1,2-b;4,5-b']difuran-4-yl)-2-aminopropane; 'B-fly'). B-Fly is a powerful, long lasting, LSD-like, hallucinogenic drug, which has been associated with a number of acute intoxications and fatalities in a number of countries. A critical discussion of the potential of misuse of B-fly but also of the methodological limitations, which are intrinsically associated with the analysis of online, non-peer reviewed, material, is presented. It is concluded that the availability of online information on novel psychoactive drugs, such as B-fly, may constitute a public health challenge. Better international collaboration levels may be needed to tackle this novel and fast growing phenomenon.