Mephedrone

A powerful stimulant that’s often compared to drugs like cocaine and ecstasy

Also called:

4-MMC
Bounce
Bubble
Charge
Drone
M-CAT
M-Smack
MC
Meow Meow
Meph
Miow
White Magic

Quick info

How the drug works varies from person to person

How you might feel: Alert and/or paranoid, confident, affectionate and/or anxious, dizzy.; Read more about how it feels

Effects on your body: Faster heartbeat. May cause hallucinations, nosebleeds and even fits.; Read more about effects on your body

How long it takes to work: Immediate if injected, a few minutes if snorted and longer if swallowed.; Read more about how long it takes to work

How long the effects last: Up to a couple of hours but people often re-dose more frequently to maintain the effects. After a session, some people find it hard to sleep for days and lose their memory for a while.; Read more about how long the effects last

Common risks: Easy to want more and take larger doses. Injecting is dangerous and can lead to overdose or infections. Can increase chances of heart attack or stroke.; Read more about the risks

Mixing drugs: Mixing drugs is always risky but some mixtures are more dangerous than others.; Read more about mixing with other drugs

What does it look like?

A very fine white powder
A very fine off-white or yellowish powder

Mephedrone was first sold over the internet as an alternative to drugs like speed, ecstasy and cocaine. Dealers sold the drug as ‘plant food’ or ‘bath salts’ and labelled it ‘not for human consumption’ to get around the law.

What does it taste/smell like?

People have compared the smell to cat pee and exhaust fumes, and say that it tastes foul and metallic.

By snorting it

Snorting is the most common way of taking mephedrone.

By swallowing it in ‘bombs’

Some people wrap the powder in a cigarette paper and swallow it (known as ‘bombing’).

By taking capsules and pills

It can also be found in capsules and tablets, but this is much less common.

By injecting it

Injecting mephedrone, as with other stimulants, is very risky because of the fast-acting, intensity of the hit. Users often feel the need to redose too, which can result in serious injecting-related injuries as well as overdose.

How does it make you feel?

Mephedrone is often described as being like a mix between speed, ecstasy and cocaine.

Taking mephedrone can make you:

alert
confident
talkative
euphoric
very affectionate towards the people around you
full of energy
very sensitive to touch and sexually aroused

It can also make you:

anxious
on edge
agitated
feel like your heart is racing or not beating properly (heart palpitations)
very hot
urgently need to poo lots
dizzy
grind your teeth (gurn)
sweat

How does it make people behave?

Mephedrone is likely to make people:

talkative
very confident
full of energy
keen to dance
very affectionate towards the people around them (this is sometimes called being ‘loved up’)

People high on mephedrone can also be:

over confident
anxious
on edge
agitated

Physical health risks

Taking mephedrone involves risks – and the dangers and long-term effects are becoming clearer as more reports emerge.

Here’s what we know:

There are several deaths a year in the UK from people taking mephedrone.
Some users have reported blue or cold fingers – probably because mephedrone affects the heart and the circulation.
There have been reports of people being hospitalised due to the short-term effects of mephedrone.
Some users have had severe nosebleeds after snorting mephedrone.
It risks overstimulating and damaging your heart and your circulation.
It risks overstimulating your nervous system, which may cause hallucinations, feelings of agitation and even fits.
Overheating has been a significant cause of deaths when other amphetamine-type drugs, such as ecstasy, have been used along with mephedrone.
Injecting mephedrone is particularly dangerous for several reasons, including the fact that it's easier to overdose from injecting.

Mental health risks

Mephedrone can lead to:

insomnia
loss of short-term memory

What is mephedrone cut with?

Mephedrone is sometimes cut with:

caffeine
monosodium glutamate (normally used as a flavour enhancer)
benzocaine (a local anaesthetic which can produce a ‘numbing’ effect)

Class: B

This is a Class B drug, which means it’s illegal to have for yourself, give away or sell.
Possession can get you up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
Supplying someone else, even your friends, can get you up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Like drink-driving, driving when high is dangerous and illegal. If you’re caught driving under the influence, you may receive a heavy fine, driving ban, or prison sentence.

If the police catch people supplying illegal drugs in a home, club, bar or hostel, they can potentially prosecute the landlord, club owner or any other person concerned in the management of the premises.

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Mephedrone

Quick info

What does it look like?

What does it taste/smell like?

By snorting it

By swallowing it in ‘bombs’

By taking capsules and pills

By injecting it

How does it make you feel?

How does it make people behave?

Physical health risks

Mental health risks

What is mephedrone cut with?

Is it dangerous to mix with other drugs?

What happens if I mix Mephedrone and

Can you get addicted?

Mephedrone

Quick info

How it looks, tastes and smells

How do people take it?

How it feels

Duration

The risks

Mixing

Addiction

The law