[Mephedrone: a designer drug of recent use in France].
Danièle Debruyne, Marie-Anne Courné, Reynald Le Boisselier, Samira Djezzar, Marie Gerardin, Alexandra Boucher, Laurent Karila, Antoine Coquerel, Michel Mallaret
Therapie 2010 DOI: 10.2515/therapie/2010077 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key findings | Mephedrone is a designer drug with euphoric and entactogenic effects but also adverse effects across multiple systems, increased dependence, and heightened cravings for tobacco and alcohol; fatalities have occurred, often with polysubstance use, leading to narcotic classification in several countries including France. |
Abstract
Designer drugs are currently marketed as substitutes for stimulant drugs as cocaine, amphetamine, MDMA...Unlike compounds listed as narcotics, these new substances are deliberately synthesized to avoid anti-drug laws. Among them, mephedrone (4-methylmethcatinone) that belongs to cathinone family, has been recently introduced in France. Users report positive euphoric and entactogenic effects. They also describe negative effects such as increased dependence towards the drug itself and larger craving for tobacco and alcohol. The numerous and various described adverse effects include psychoactive, digestive, cardiovascular... effects. Some fatality cases have been reported in scientific literature or in press and attributed to mephedrone often in association with other substances. Mephedrone has been listed as narcotic in several European countries and more recently in France.