Mephedrone

MEPHEDRONE

This information has been provided as part of Sex, Drugs & Care 4 All (SDC4ALL) -  a collaborative programme between The Love Tank and Antidote. It brings together everything we do to support safer, more informed, and more compassionate approaches to chems use within queer and trans communities.

You can download a PDF version of this information here

What is mephedrone

• Mephedrone - also known as M-CAT, meow meow or meph - is a stimulant. It’s a synthetic chemical that is similar to a naturally occurring compound found in the leaves of the khat plant. It usually comes in powder or crystal form.
• Mephedrone can make us feel euphoric, energetic, more sociable and even a bit horny.

Risks and side-effects

• As well as all the good feelings, taking mephedrone can make someone sweaty and even overheat (especially if dancing or getting physical).
• If you’re using mephedrone, remember to take regular breaks from the action and stay hydrated.
• Around one pint of water or a soft drink with electrolytes every hour will keep you well without over-hydrating.
• If someone is dangerously overheating, take them to a quieter and cooler place and remove any excess outer clothing.
• You can use damp cloths (or a damp t-shirt) to cool them down.
• Mephedrone also accelerates the heart rate and high doses have been known to cause heart problems, especially in younger and older people.
• If you are pre-disposed to or have a heart condition, be cautious about using mephedrone and keep your doses light.

Dosing

• The most common way to take mephedrone is snorting or swallowing it (by wrapping it in a bit of cigarette paper).
• Some people - mostly at chillouts or sex parties - choose to inject (or ‘slam’) mephedrone because it’s a fast and intense way to get high but snorting or swallowing is much safer and just as effective.
• It can also be taken as a ‘booty bump’ - dissolved in sterile water and injected into the arsehole using a syringe without a needle.
• Taking very high doses of mephedrone or redosing too often increases the risks of experiencing side effects or their intensity.
• Try to space out doses evenly throughout the night and consider sticking to one dose per hour.
• The right dose of mephedrone differs from person to person and depends on things like their weight and tolerance.
• Roughly, though, if snorting it: a light dose of mephedrone is 20-50mg, and a more common dose is 50-75mg.
• If swallowing it: a light dose is 50-100mg, and a more common dose is 100-200mg.
• It’s usually not possible to measure doses of a powder or crystal when out and about. It’s a good idea to invest in some milligram scales to measure doses in advance (like if it’s going to be swallowed) or to visualise how different doses look (for when it’s snorted later).

Safer snorting

• Snorting powders like mephedrone carries some risks.
• It can lead to infections and frequent snorting can damage the nostrils (which can make someone more prone to infections or cause long-term scarring).
• Hepatitis C is especially easily transmitted by snorting - it can survive on surfaces for up to six weeks!
• Someone can reduce long-term damage caused to their nose from snorting by:
  • alternating nostrils every time they snort
  • using a straw to snort higher up the nose to avoid damaging the septum
  • taking a break if the nose is bleeding
  • using a saline rinse to gently clean the nose at the end of the night or session
• Someone can reduce their risks of getting an infection from snorting by:
  • avoiding sharing snorting equipment
  • using a clean straw or clean rolled up piece of paper - rather than used bank notes - to snort lines (Remember: venues usually have clean straws behind the bar!)
  • carrying hand sanitiser to disinfect any equipment (especially keys, cards and surfaces)
  • consider keeping a specific, clean card for crushing or cutting drugs (to avoid using a bank card that comes into contact with ATMs or payment devices)

Other tips

• Because mephedrone is a relatively new recreational drug, we don’t know a lot about their long-term health effects.
• Some studies suggest long-term use could have an impact on memory - especially short-term memory and particularly in adolescents.
• For safety, taking breaks between sessions - a month or a few weeks - could help the brain to recover from the effects of mephedrone.

Drug testing

• Sometimes, people are sold drugs that are over-dosed, or contain substances other than the drug they think they are buying, which have much stronger effects. This can cause fatal overdoses, even in experienced drug users.
• It’s always a good idea to test drugs before using them.
• Links to drug testing services - including options for testing drugs at home - can be found here

You can access a list of our services or contact us via email to discuss your needs: antidote@londonfriend.org.uk.