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NPS
Published in Ornella Corazza, Andres Roman-Urrestarazu, Handbook of Novel Psychoactive Substances, 2018
Máté Kapitány-Fövény, Aviv M. Weinstein, Zsolt Demetrovics
In comparison to mephedrone and other cathinones, MDPV contains a pyrrolidine ring in its chemical structure, which gives MDPV potent actions, blocking the uptake at dopamine and norepinephrine transporters (Marusich et al., 2014). In some studies (Cameron et al., 2013), MDPV was found to be more potent than cocaine, with longer lasting effects as well. Users often call it ‘MP4’ or ‘music’, street names of this substance. 4-MEC, a ‘second-generation’ mephedrone analogue, also became popular after the legislative ban on mephedrone. 4-MEC produces large increases in extracellular 5-HT (5-hydroxytryptamine: serotonin) (Saha et al., 2015); however, alongside methylone, it was found to be less potent than other cathinones (Araújo et al., 2015). After the zenith of mephedrone’s and MDPV’s popularity, pentedrone became the most frequently used cathinone, cited as ‘crystal’ or ‘penta crystal’ by its users. It acts as a reuptake inhibitor for dopamine and norepinephrine, the same mechanism of action as methylphenidate (Simmler, Rickli, Hoener, & Liechti, 2014), the chemical compound of ADHD-medication: Ritalin and Concerta. However, in the case of synthetic cathinones, potential “off-target” sites of neuropharmacological action are still underexplored (Baumann et al., 2014). Considering further effects of synthetic cathinone-derivatives, human studies are still lacking, as the majority of the published papers are using animal models. Nevertheless, MDPV is considered to create cocaine-like psychoactive effects, lasting for about three to four hours (Baumann et al., 2013), with severe and hardly tolerable comedown effects and adverse symptoms, including suicidality and disturbing hallucinations. Subjective effects of methylone include euphoria, alertness, enhanced empathy, restlessness (Karila, Megarbane, Cottencin, & Lejoyeux, 2015), thought acceleration, reduced fatigue, and increased locomotor activity (Karila, Billieux, Benyamina, Lançon, & Cottencin, 2016).
Underreporting of drug use among electronic dance music party attendees
Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2021
Joseph J. Palamar, Alberto Salomone, Katherine M. Keyes
Specimens were tested via published methods using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry [41–43]. We tested for common drugs including cannabis (THC), amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, ketamine, PCP, heroin (6-MAM), and prescription opioids including morphine, codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphine, and oxymorphone. We also tested for a variety of uncommon drugs and NPS including 19 synthetic cathinones (i.e. mephedrone, 4-MEC, methylone, 3,4-MDPV, pentedrone, 3-MMC, ethylcathinone, alpha-PVP, butylone, buphedrone, mexedrone, amfepramone, pentylone, methedrone, ethylone, naphyrone, 4-F-methylcathinone, 3,4-DMMC, alpha-PHiP) and 7 psychedelic phenethylamines (i.e. 2 C-B, 2 C-P, 25B-NBOMe, 25 C-NBOMe, 25H-NBOMe, 25I-NBOMe, 4-EA-NBOMe). We also tested for 5 other euphoric stimulants (i.e. 4-FA, 5/6-APB, 5-MAPB, PMA, PMMA) and 3 dissociative NPS (i.e. MXE, 4-MeO-PCP, diphenidine). In addition, we tested for fentanyl, 8 fentanyl analogs (i.e. carfentanyl, acetylfentanyl, furanylfentanyl, butyrfentanyl, acryloylfentanil, 4-fluorofentanyl, 3-methylfentanyl, ocfentanyl), and for 5 other opioid NPS (i.e. U-47,700, U-49900, AH-7921, MT-45, U-51,754).
The impacts and service responses to injecting cathinones and novel opioids amongst marginalized drug using populations – a scoping review
Published in Journal of Substance Use, 2020
F. Scheibein, J. S. G. Wells, S. Henriques, M. C. Van Hout
Marginalized drug users (MDUs) such as some people who are homeless, have criminal histories and/or mental health issues are known to inject synthetic cathinones and novel synthetic opioids (EMCDDA, 2017; Giese et al., 2015; Hope et al., 2016; Tarján et al., 2015, 2017). It appears that these populations experience disproportionate injecting-related harms compared to other groups (Van Hout et al., 2018). The injection of synthetic cathinones such as mephedrone, alpha-PVP, and pentedrone are linked with HIV outbreaks amongst MDUs in Ireland, Israel and Hungary (Giese et al., 2015; Katchman et al., 2017; Tarján et al., 2017). Northern American MDUs are experiencing overdoses linked to the adulteration of market supplies with novel synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, U-47770, and AH7921 (Wallace, Kennedy, Kerr, & Pauly, 2019). Knowledge deficits exist around the impacts of this injecting in relation to the efficacy of service responses for MDU populations. This paper reviews the current literature on synthetic cathinones and novel synthetic opioids with the aim to scope what is currently known around impacts in order to identify what may be needed in terms of effective policy development and service responses.
Synthetic cathinones: an evolving class of new psychoactive substances
Published in Critical Reviews in Toxicology, 2019
João L. Gonçalves, Vera L. Alves, Joselin Aguiar, Helena M. Teixeira, José S. Câmara
At the same time, other SCat started appearing, first 3,4-dimethylmethcathinone (3,4-DMMC), and then pentedrone, and alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (α-PVP; Valente et al. 2014). This last one became very popular in the USA and in Europe, between 2011 and 2015, marketed as “flakka” or “gravel” (Crespi 2016; Castellanos et al. 2018). During this period, dozens of deaths and thousands of hospital emergency cases were associated with the use of α-PVP and, in 2016, it was placed under international control (Schedule II of the 1971 Convention; Nóbrega and Dinis-Oliveira 2018).