Meow Meow: The Dangers
Mephedrone (also known as MKat, Meow-Meow, Bubbles) is a drug that has become increasingly popular amongst young people in recent years. The drug was legal up until 2010, and was being marketed as a ‘plant food’ – allowing it to be bought at ease over the internet and, even, in shops. People were therefore finding it easy to get their hands on a drug that was legal, but had the same effects as an illegal drug. Many users have placed the effects of mephedrone between cocaine and ecstasy. However, the drug became classified as a Class B drug - in the same category as amphetamines - after expert drug advisers disclosed that the drug had been implicated in 25 deaths in Scotland and England in 2010. Though, since 2010, there are now many more deaths that have been linked with the drug and there’s still a number of people aged under 25 dying as implications of the drug. However, the scary facts regarding MKat-implicated-deaths doesn’t seem to have put an end to the amount of young people who are experimenting with it and, due to its severe addictive qualities, soon find themselves using the drug more and more.
But many users have reported negative side-effects such as:
• 67% of users experienced excessive sweating
• 51% of users experienced headaches
• 43% of users experienced heart palpitations
• 27% of users experienced nausea
• 15% of users had blue or cold fingers
One FRANK user has this to say about mephedrone:
I’m Lauren, I’m 18 nearly 19 and have always done drugs of some sort. I always refused to take mkat but then my best friend started taking it when we was out and told me she was losing weight on it, I've always been conscious of my weight being a size 10 and so thought id give it a go, I loved it, so carried on taking it. I started just doing half a gram on a night out to then ending up doing 3 grams + a weekend and a couple grams in the week and even going to work on the stuff, everything I thought was okay till 11th of February, a night to remember! Me and my friends got the mkat as usual had a gram before town and then sniffed another whilst in town got back to mine with mates at around 2 had another couple of lines and then suddenly the whole room started flashing moving etc, I had no idea what was going on, I don’t even really remember much apart from being taken outside to wait for an ambulance, I physically couldn't breathe! Eventually got to hospital was placed onto a drip and my heart rate was measuring 165 bpm, I was close to fitting. so just remember be very careful on drugs, I'd never ever had a nose bleed or anything on drugs before and I basically thought I was invincible, so just be careful!
If you, or your mates, would like some guidance and advice about mephedrone, you can find help in these places:
http://www.talktofrank.com/
http://teds.org.uk/ – 01685 880 090
You can also seek help through your local, detached youth workers:
Lead worker for help with mental health and wellbeing:
Judith Sandry
Tel - 07825675845
Aberdare
Alistair Cope
Tel - 07786523910
Blaengwawr
Chris Medlicott (Comm 1st)
Tel - 07769164672
Debbie Sheppard (Services For Young People)
Tel - 07799132140
Mountain Ash
Allyn Jones
Tel – 07799132142
Pontypridd
Hannah Godwin
Tel - 07799132144
Hawthorn
Ryan Strong
Tel - 07825675843
Treorchy
Steve Webb
Tel - 07717432387
Tonypandy
Lynne Jones
(Comm 1st)
Tel - 07769164671
Zoe Jenkins
Tel – 07825675855
Porth
Stacey Oliver
Tel - 07825675844
Ferndale
Lee Taylor
Tel – 07825675859
Y Pant
Leon Bansal
Tel - 07825675852
Bryncelynnog
Rachel Brydon
Tel - 07825675848
Tonyrefail
Rhian Kingsbury (Comm 1st)
Tel - 07769164677
Lucie Williams (Services For Young People)
Tel – 07825675851
RCT Wide
Tracey Webster
Tel – 07825675860
Laura Morgan
Tel - 07786523707
MEIC is the information, advice and support helpline for children and young people in Wales. For more information, check out: http://www.meiccymru.org/
CAMHS is the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) NHS-provided services for children in the mental health arena in the UK. For more information, check out: http://www.camhscares.nhs.uk/
You can also seek advice through your local doctor.
1 Comment – Post a comment
DirtyCrafter15
Commented 7 months ago - 22nd October 2012 - 10:50am
I am one of the many people who hate seeing people use drugs and I have never done them myself, I do however know a few people to whom I a fairly close to that do drugs such as weed, poppers and I believe that they have done mkat once but I am not sure. I have warned them about the risks of drugs and nothing has been done. one of the people that I know has been taken to hospital with liver failure after a wild house party and others have developed illnesses such as bulimia and anorexia. all of these people that I am referring to are only about 15 years of age and I just don't think that it is right and that the government should do alot more to help people like this or to make the drugs and alcohol harder to access as a result of addictions such as these.