Transcript it is likely that the future drugs of abuse will be synthetics rather than

NPS Novel Psychoactive Substances
Tony D’Agostino
Start
Outline
• Current UK Snapshot
• What are they?
• Service User Consultation
• Recommendations
Current UK Snapshot
• Cocaine
• Ecstasy MDMA crystals
• Cannabis
• Ketamine – Methoxetamine
• Methamphetamine starting to appear?
• BZP
• Mephedrone
Internet trends
• “…it is likely that the future drugs of abuse
will be synthetics rather than plant products.
They will be synthesized from readily
available chemicals, will be very potent, and
often very selective in their action. In
addition, they will be marketed very
cleverly.”
Gary Henderson, Journal of Forensic Science 1988
Changing Markets
• Main manufacturers – China & India
• Sold from sites in those countries and
shipped internationally (customs disrupts
some trade)
• OR
• Imported in bulk to UK vendor
• Then sold to people on UK based websites
Online Vendor
Purities reality
• (SOCA) has shown that around 19% of batches
contain illegal substances
• Some retailers don’t even tell people what chemicals
are in the product
• Words like ‘blend’ are used
• Very high caffeine or all caffeine content
Khat
Salvia divinorum
Nitrous Oxide
Fly agaric (muscimol)
Ketamine (K, Special K)
• Dissociative anesthetic
Methoxetamine
Mephedrone
• Meow
• M-cat
• Bath Salts
• Drone
• Fert
• Etc
Skunk and Haze Original
Concentrates
Spice Gold
Black Mamba
Annihilation
5F-AKB48 and 5F-PB22.
Cherry Bomb
Service user consultation
• Commissioned by Bucks Drug and Alcohol Action
Team (DAAT)
• Conducted between September and December 2014
• 84 (problematic) non-opiate users interviewed from
drug service providers in Aylesbury, High Wycombe,
Buckingham, Chesham and Burnham
Routes of use
57% Snorted
44% Smoked
42% Orally
29% Injected
Injecting mephedrone
• Injected 20 to 50 times a day over a period
of 3 days or more
• 12 to 20 grams in a 24 hour period.
• Re-using needles and admitted to sharing
• Hepatitis C was identified / vein damage
• Un-hygienic environments (tents)
• Picking needles up from pharmacies
• Adulterated mephedrone
Debt & Housing
• Rent arrears, court fines, debt to family
and friends, dealers and debts to other
users
• Clear difference between users in
services (who tended to have some
form of housing) and those who were
outside services
• Off the Concrete & Homelessness
Project
Costs
The total, low estimated cost to the local
authority, NHS and DWP
• 61 individuals is approximately £2.2
million per year.
• This equates to an annual estimated bill
of nearly £37,000 per person.
Recommendations
Key strategic
• Partnership approach
• Coherent non-opiate strategy
• Steering group - non-opiate leads
nominated
Key operational
• Targeted outreach team - could work alongside the
Thames Valley Police, community engagement team,
A&E
• Private Landlord Scheme
• BBV’s, infection control, needle exchange and disposal
- Further screening and medical support is necessary,
among users injecting mephedrone
QUESTIONS