Stepaway News Blog

It’s no secret that your local drug dealer cares very little for you or any of their other loyal customers.

This becomes evident when you start looking at the quality of the drugs they sell, where they sourced them from and how much each substance is ‘cut’, in order to make more profit off each.

MDMA a lot like Mephedrone

A party drug, like MDMA, is one of the drugs that needs to be bought from a safe source and taken with care.

The problem with MDMA, is that it has a few ‘look-alikes’ that to someone without any MDMA knowledge could easily pass as the real thing.

One of these ‘look-alike’ drugs is Mephedrone.

Mephedrone is also known as 4-methyl methcathinone, is a synthetic stimulant drug of the cathinone and amphetamine classes. And is one of the key ingredients in bath salts.

Other ‘street’ names for Mephedrone include; White Magic and Meow Meow.

Chemically, it is similar to the cathinone compounds found in the Eastern African Khat plant.

Mephedrone can come in the form of a tablet or powder, which users can snort, inject, or swallow, producing similar effects to MDMA, Cocaine and amphetamines.

The cheap alternative to MDMA

Unlike a gram of MDMA which can be bought for R400,00 or more, a gram of Mephedrone can be purchased for around R150,00.

This makes mephedrone the more cost-effective option for drug dealers.

Mephedrone – A MDMA look-alike

The way Mephedrone works is it increases the normal rate of activity in your central nervous system just like amphetamines, cocaine and other stimulant drugs.

Additionally, it produces hallucinations like those associated with MDMA.

Although, some drug users intentionally substitute MDMA for mephedrone, many users unknowingly purchase mephedrone thinking that it’s MDMA.

Negative side-effects

This becomes a problem, because drugs like mephedrone have several negative side-effects.

• Mephedrone users experience more symptoms of physical drug dependence than users of MDMA.
• The use of mephedrone can also cause overstimulation of the heart - resulting in strokes and heart attacks, and may cause permanent damage to the heart muscle.
• Injecting mephedrone is linked to HIV and hepatitis C.
• It also has relatively strong mind-altering effects inside the brain, such as hallucinations, confusion, anxiety and paranoia.
• Additionally, mephedrone use often results in binges, because the drug’s effects are relatively short.
• Furthermore, the rapid activity of mephedrone inside the brain may make users more susceptible to symptoms of withdrawal.

Step Away Drug Rehabilitation South Africa

You can never be entirely sure that what you’re buying is actually MDMA and not Mephedrone.

It is far safer and wiser in the long run, to stay away from using drugs. However, it’s important to be aware of the negative side-effects attached to each drug, giving you the opportunity to make a more informed decision.

If you feel that you or someone you love is struggling with drug addiction or alcoholism, please contact us.

The staff at our rehabilitation centre are friendly and are ready to help you answer any questions you may have.