Awash in a sea of ‘bath salts’: implications for biomedical research and public health
Addiction July 1, 2014 DOI: 10.1111/add.12601 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA Mescaline |
| Keywords | Mephedrone Cathinone Stimulant Designer drug Pharmacology Recreational drug Drugs of abuse Khat Toxicology Amphetamine Hallucinogen |
| Citations | 49 |
| Key findings | The authors contend that synthetic cathinones sold as 'bath salts' pose a global public health threat, have significant abuse potential, and can be life-threatening at high doses. They report a dramatic rise in abuse of these products, used as alternatives to cocaine and MDMA, and argue that more preclinical and human research is needed on their pharmacology and toxicology. |
Abstract
The emergence of ‘bath salts’ products containing synthetic cathinones represents a global public health threat. Synthetic cathinones have significant abuse potential, and the effects of high-dose administration can be life-threatening. More preclinical and human research is needed to understand the complex pharmacology and toxicology of these substances. During the past several years, there has been a dramatic rise in the abuse of so-called ‘bath salts’ products that are purchased as alternatives to illicit drugs such as cocaine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine 1.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on mescaline, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study of a New Schizophrenomimetic Drug—Sernyl | 1959 | Review | |
| Hallucinogens and Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor-Mediated Signaling Pathways | 2017 | Review | |
| Hallucinogens in Mental Health: Preclinical and Clinical Studies on LSD, Psilocybin, MDMA, and Ketamine | 2020 | Review | |
| Legal highs: staying on top of the flood of novel psychoactive substances | 2015 | Review | |
| Psychedelic Drugs in Biomedicine | 2017 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Eutylone and Its Structural Isomers Interact with Monoamine Transporters and Induce Locomotor Stimulation ACS Chemical Neuroscience March 9, 2021
- Behavioural, Pharmacokinetic, Metabolic, and Hyperthermic Profile of 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) in the Wistar Rat Frontiers in Psychiatry April 24, 2018
- High ambient temperature increases the toxicity and lethality of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and methcathinone. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior May 2020
Cites 2
- Bath salts, mephedrone, and methylenedioxypyrovalerone as emerging illicit drugs that will need targeted therapeutic intervention. Advances in pharmacology (San Diego, Calif.) 2014
- The designer methcathinone analogs, mephedrone and methylone, are substrates for monoamine transporters in brain tissue. Neuropsychopharmacology December 14, 2011