This is a presentation about the "bath salts" synthetic cathinone drugs of abuse given as part of an upper-level undergraduate psychology course at Temple University titled "Investigation of Addiction Disorders". I was invited to give this presentation by the course director, Dr. Rani Vasudeva. This class involved both an introductory and final discussion with questions listed in the second and final slide, which was both lively and enjoyable to be a part of. Special thanks for Dr. Vasudeva for the opportunity to teach in her course.
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Synthetic Cathinone Drugs of Abuse Undergraduate Lecture
1. ââBath SaltsâBath Saltsâ
The synthetic cathinoneThe synthetic cathinone
Drugs of abuseDrugs of abuse
Ryan Gregg
Doctoral Candidate, CSAR, TUSM
tud51613@temple.edu
Thursday, April 24th
2014
2. Give me your thoughts:Give me your thoughts:
For the first 5 minutes of class, give me your thoughts on
the following question:
What do you typically think of when you hear the term
âdesigner drugsâ? What about the term âresearch
chemicalâ? Are they more or less dangerous? What type
of people abuse them? Can you become addicted to
designer drugs?
3. OutlineOutline
⢠Chemical classification
⢠History of synthetic cathinones
⢠Neurological and pharmacological effects of âBig 3â
⢠Prevalence/Legality
⢠Clinical observations
⢠Trends in new and emerging cathinones
⢠Discussion
5. Synthetic Cathinones: Novel PsychostimulantsSynthetic Cathinones: Novel Psychostimulants
⢠New class of designer
psychostimulants known
on the streets as âplant
foodâ or âbath saltsâ
⢠Beta-ketone
amphetamines
⢠Popularized as âlegal
highâ alternatives in
head shops and Internet
sites
Mephedrone
MDPV
Methylone
Cathinone
Methcathinone
Amphetamine
6. History: CathinoneHistory: Cathinone
⢠Cathinone is the primary
psychoactive component of
the plant Catha edulis aka
khat
⢠Native to North Africa and
the Arabian peninsula
⢠Leaves are chewed for their
stimulant properties
Catha edulis
Yemenese man chewing khat leaves
7. History: Cathinone and MethcathinoneHistory: Cathinone and Methcathinone
⢠Cathinone produces
stimulant-like profile similar
to ephedrine
⢠Methcathinone, the alpha
methylated version of
cathinone, was synthesized
in the US in 1928 and
patented in the US in 1957 80 million yuan ($12.6 million US)
seized in China in 2011 from organized
crime selling methcathinone
8. Revival: Mephedrone, MDPV, MethyloneRevival: Mephedrone, MDPV, Methylone
⢠Mephedrone, MDPV, and
methylone were synthesized in the
1960s, but re-emerged in 2003
⢠Online designer drug communities
linked to rapid rise in use worldwide
⢠Commonly substituted for older
abused drugs by dealers
⢠Online drug markets offered
mephedrone, MDPV, and
methylone alone or in brand-name
formulations for cheap prices
10. MephedroneMephedrone
⢠Classified as a substrate-
type releaser
⢠Produces release of
dopamine (DA), serotonin
(5-HT) and norepinephrine
(NE)
⢠Order of potency:
â DA>NE>>5-HT
12. MethyloneMethylone
⢠Classified as a
monoamine substrate-
type releaser
⢠Order of potency
â 5-HT>>>DA>NE
⢠More potent 5-HT release
than MDMA
14. Synthetic Cathinones: Legality and PrevalenceSynthetic Cathinones: Legality and Prevalence
⢠Gradually made illegal in UK and
Europe from 2009-2010
⢠Mephedrone, MDPV and
methylone given emergency
Schedule I distinction in September
2011
â Permanent Schedule I status in
July 2012
⢠Federal Analog Act, an amendment
to the CSA, allows for any
compound âsubstantially similarâ to
a Schedule I compound to be
labeled Schedule I
President Richard Nixon with AG John Mitchell
and first DEA president Jack Ingersoll signing
the Controlled Substance Act into law
15. Synthetic Cathinones: Legality and PrevalenceSynthetic Cathinones: Legality and Prevalence
⢠Mephedrone was reported as
the 6th
most commonly abused
drug in the UK in 2012
⢠Mephedrone is more popular
in UK, MDPV and methylone
more popular in the US
⢠Poison control centers report
over 9,800 exposures from
2011-2013 in US
⢠~23,000 emergency room
visits in US in 2011
16. Reported Effects in Human AbusersReported Effects in Human Abusers
Positive effects
â˘Euphoria
â˘Pro-social/Empathogen
â Mephedrone/Methylone
â˘Increased alertness, arousal,
and concentration
â Mephedrone/MDPV
â˘Some reports of
hallucinations and sexual
stimulation
Negative effects
â˘Tachycardia and heart
palpatations
â˘Excited delirium and severe
psychosis
â˘Serotonin syndrome
â˘Severe hyperthermia
â˘Tissue necrosis (intranasal)
â˘Addiction/dependence
â˘Intense craving to redose
â˘Rhabdoymyolysis
17. Reported Effects in Human AbusersReported Effects in Human Abusers
⢠Users commonly go through âbingeâ periods of bath salt use
⢠High potential for overdose with heavy use
â Overdose- cardiac arrest following tachycardia or
overheating
⢠ODâs treated symptomatically with benzodiazepines,
activated charcoal, ice baths
⢠Several clinicians have reported abusers of synthetic
cathinones have met DSM-V criteria for dependence
19. Synthetic Cathinone: At-risk populationsSynthetic Cathinone: At-risk populations
⢠Mephedrone and methylone are especially popular in
rave/nightclub cultures in the UK
â Especially prevalent 18-25 year white old males
⢠The novelty of designer cathinones prevents many
forensic labs and drug testing companies from
screening for it with blood/urinalysis
⢠Higher than normal population of abusers in following
groups:
â Active and retired military members
â Amateur and professional athletes
20. Bath Salts Zombie Theory: ExplainedBath Salts Zombie Theory: Explained
Symptomatology:
â˘Psychosis- Derived from
severe hyperthermia in brain
areas controlling cognition
â˘Tissue necrosis- Often found
with unpure products via
intranasal or intravenous
administration causing cell
death
21. Discussion: Drug Policy in the United StatesDiscussion: Drug Policy in the United States
Taken from NIDA presentation in
2004
Stats taken from Drug Policy
Alliance:
-Number of people arrested in
2012 in US for non-violent drug
charges: 1.55 million
-Number of people who died from
OD in 2010: 38,329
Hinweis der Redaktion
Trade of khat back to the 15th century. Commonly sold in a cultivated tea extract called miraa. Use of khat has been traced all the way back to the early Pharoahs in Egypt, who chewed the plant to give them stimulation and make them more âgod-likeâ
Personal favorite of Charles Dickens
Commonly abused in the Soviet Union in the 1930s and 40s as an anti-depressent and alertness drug in military members
Readily and easily synthesized from ephedrine using methodology similar to methamphetamine
Short revival of use in 1980s in USSR
First reports of abuse in the UK, eventually reports from countries throughout Europe and Australia.
Not detected on common drug screenings
Often sold in gas stations or head shops along side other synthetic drugs used as substitutions for classical drugs of abuse (eg. K2 or Spice for marijuana)
Tor, an onion routing network originally designed for confidential communication by the Navy, is now being used to host online dark-net drug bazaars running similar to web sites like Amazon. This has been used as a tool by illicit drug manufacturers to popularize synthetic cathinones to worldwide user populations.
Cathinone and methcathinone placed on Schedule I in 1994
Synthetic cathinone users are often poly-drug abusers, with substantial previous experience with a variety of narcotics. Discuss the term âpsychonautâ
Questions to pose to students for discussion:
What is your opinion on the United States current drug policy, as determined by the Controlled Substances Act?
Having learned about the wide variety of illicit narcotics abused by Americans and people worldwide, what do you believe the government can do to confront the problem of drug addiction/dependence and drug-related crime?
Aside from scientific evidence, what factors do you believe influence drug policy in the United States? Are these factors justified? If not, can they be combated or negated?