| Author/s | Thomas SHL, James DA, Spears R, Cooper G, Wood K, Dyas J, Adams RD, Lupton DJ, Good AM |
| Year | 2011 |
| Type of publication | Conference proceeding |
| Link | https://doi.org/10.3109/15563650.2011.568269 |
| Abstract | Objective: Since 2009 the UK National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) has received increasing numbers of enquiries relating to recreational cathinone use, especially involving mephedrone.1 The UK government controlled mephedrone and most other cathinones as class B drugs under misuse of drugs legislation in April 2010, with naphyrone controlled in July 2010. This research was performed to assess the impact on these legislative changes on the frequency of toxicity as reflected by Internet and telephone enquiries to NPIS. Methods: National study of telephone enquiries and TOXBASE® accesses between March 2009 and October 2010 relating to recreational cathinone use. Data for cocaine and methylenedioxymethamfetamine (MDMA) was also obtained for comparison. Results: There were few telephone enquiries relating to cathinones between March and June 2009. Subsequently cathinone enquiry numbers, expressed as cathinone totals, with those specifically relating to mephedrone in brackets, increased month on month from 5 [5] in June 2009 to 128 [119] in March 2010. Enquiry numbers then fell to 72 [59], 46 [26], 39 [19], 26 [11], 31 [18], 14 [11] and 17 [14] for the months April to October 2010. Similar patterns were seen for TOXBASE® accesses to cathinone entries, which peaked at 2648 [1679] in March 2010, falling to 698 [347] in October 2010. There was a small increase in monthly enquiry numbers relating to naphyrone after April 2010, peaking at 17 (telephones) and 346 (TOXBASE®) in May 2010. Monthly telephone and TOXBASE® enquiry numbers for cocaine and MDMA did not change significantly over the period of study, averaging 15 (telephone) and 476 (TOXBASE®) for cocaine and 11 (telephone) and 636 (TOXBASE®) for ecstasy. Conclusion: Legal control of recreational cathinones has resulted in reductions in telephone and TOXBASE® enquiries to NPIS. This is likely to reflect a reduction in episodes of toxicity and attendances to hospital. Enquiry data collected by poisons units are valuable for following trends in toxicity of recreational drugs and the impact of control measures. Acknowledgement: Submitted on behalf of the UK National Poisons Information Service. References: 1. James D, Adams R, Spears R, et al. Clinical characteristics of mephedrone toxicity reported to the UK National Poisons Information Service. Emerg Med J 2010 Aug 25. [Epub ahead of print] |