Bath Salts or Designer Drugs

The principal active ingredient in bath salts MDPV (methylenedioxypryrovalerone) is a highly potent synthetic cathinone derivative

Designer drugs

laboratory-made drugs that closely

resemble illegal drugs in chemical,

structure, but that are different enough

to be legal until ruled illegal

DESIGNER DRUGS

New Drug Differing Slightly Yet

Mimicking An Illegal Drug, Often with

Improved Effects

Psychoactive bath salts

PABS

Bath Salts / Plant Food Products

E.A.Ross et al.Nn Engl J Med 365;10, 2011

Sea$le  Weekly  14  Jun  11  !   “On  the  a3ernoon  of  April  22,  Army  medic  and  two-­‐tour  Iraq  veteran  David  

"Doc"  Stewart  gunned  down  his  girlfriend  Kristy  Sampels  and  fatally  shot  

himself  on  I-­‐5  just  south  of  Tumwater  a3er  a  state  trooper  pulled  him  over  

for  speeding  a3er  a  lengthy  chase.    

!   Hours  earlier,  Stewart's  5-­‐year-­‐old  son  Jordan  was  asphyxiated  with  a  plasPc  bag  over  his  head  at  the  family's  home  in  Spanaway.    

!   InvesPgators  discovered  a  jar  of  Lady  Bubbles  "bath  salts,"  a  powerful  

sPmulant  chemically  similar  to  methamphetamine  and  snorted  like  cocaine,  

in  Stewart's  pocket.    

!   Yesterday,  toxicology  results  from  the  Thurston  County  Coroner  confirmed  

that  both  Stewart  and  Sampels  were  high  on  the  drug  at  the  Pme  of  their  

deaths.”  

Ø  mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone

(MDPV), or its metabolite, pyrovalerone had

been previously unregulated because they

aren’t marketed or intended for human

consumption

Ø  sold as incense, and herbal smoking blends

Khat (Catha edulis)

Ethiopia’s fourth biggest export (after coffee,

leather & oil seeds) and is growing every year

cathinone

in leaves of the “khat” bush

Ø African salad

Ø bushman's tea

Ø miraa

Ø qat

Ø chat

Ø tohai

Ø tschat

The Primary Ingredients Are Derived From Cathinone

Ø  traditional narcotic and is exported mainly to

Somalia and Djibouti and then to the U.S. and Europe

Ø  Causes stimulation, then euphoria and depression

Bath Salts & Cocaine

Ø  Bath salts are primarily

snorted and has comparable abuse potential

as cocaine

Ø  by mixing them Mephedrone gives a better

quality high

The Internet

n  most alarming feature of designer drugs is the role the Web

Appearance n  The substance appears as a pure white

to light-brown hygroscopic, clumpy powder with a slight odor.

n  It appears to darken slightly in color and take on a potato-tuber-like odor if exposed to air for any significant length of time.

n  It has also been observed to rapidly degrade and change properties when in exposed to air as a free base.

Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV)

n  A psychoactive drug with stimulant properties which acts as a Norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI)

n  sold since around 2004 as a designer drug known as MDPK, MTV, Magic, Maddie, Black Rob, Super Coke and PV.

n  Since 2010 it has been sold as a legal drug alternative and marketed in the United States as "bath salts"

MDPV

"dangerous but legal drug", "copy-cat cocaine", "the

devil", "poison", and "synthetic speed"

MDPV acts as a stimulant and has been reported to produce effects similar to those of cocaine, methylphenidate, and amphetamines

Ø  Bath salts” are also often sold in dance clubs

and at “raves”

Ø  approx. $40 to $100 per gram, each packet

contains approx. one quarter to one gram

Ø  One gram ca. 8 to 40 doses

methylenedioxypyrovalerone

JWH-018

main synthetic cannabinoid

found in Spice

Physiological & Psychological effects

Aggression Agitation Breathing difficulty Bruxism (grinding teeth) Confusion Dizziness Extreme anxiety

sometimes progressing to violent behavior

Fits and delusions Hallucinations Headache

Nausea, stomach cramps, and digestive problems

Nosebleeds Psychotic delusions Pupil dilation Renal failure Rhabdomyolysis Severe paranoia Suicidal thoughts Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat) Tinnitus Vasoconstriction (narrowing of

the blood vessels)

Hypertension (high blood

pressure)

Increased alertness/

awareness

Increased body

temperature, chills,

sweating

Insomnia

Kidney pain

Lack of appetite

Liver failure

Loss of bowel control

Muscle spasms

Muscle tenseness

MDPV (methylenedioxypyrovalerone)

Ø  Pure white to light brown clumpy powder

Ø  Chemically related to amphetamine – very strong stimulant

Ø  Effects similar to cocaine and amphetamines

MDPV Case Reports

Ø  Few published case reports Ø  Incoherent self-employed chemist arrested in March 2008 for DWI1

Ø  Acute liver failure in 28 year-old male2

Ø  Numerous anecdotal reports from Emergency Departments for adolescents with acute psychotic events who admitted to taking MDPV, aka Bath Salts

Ø  35 patients, in MI, presented to ED from Nov 10-Mar 11 Ø  Toxicity symptoms; agitation, tachycardia, delusions/hallucinations.

17 patients hospitalized and 1 death3 Ø  Multiple substances may have been used; plus manufacturing

practices could have hazardous contaminants along with MDPV

1Microgram  Journal,  Vol  7,  No  1  (March  2010);  accessed  at  h=p://usdoj.gov  2Ir  J  Med  Sci,  Vol  180  (Nov  2010),  No  1,  263-­‐264  3Morbidity  and  Mortality  Weekly  Report,  Vol.  60,  No.  19,    (May  20,  2011),    624-­‐627.  

What is a bath salts user looking for?

Euphoria Increased alertness and

awareness Increased wakefulness and

arousal Increased energy and

motivation Mental stimulation/increased

concentration

Increased sociability Sexual stimulation/

aphrodisiac effects Mild empathogenic effects Diminished perception of the

requirement for food and sleep

How is it used?

Ø  oral consumption; "bombing"-wrapping MPDV

powder in cigarette paper and swallowing

Ø  insufflation (snorting), smoking, rectal and

intravenous use

Ø  active at 3–5 mg, with typical doses ranging

between 5–20 mg

Bath salts

Ø  produced as a legal substitute for ecstasy, cocaine

and amphetamines

Ø  designed to avoid legal prosecution

Ø  popular amongst ages 14 to 25

Ø  initial effects diminish quickly, compelling them to

immediately use the drug again

Duration of effects

Note: Duration of effects is highly dose-dependent

Legality

Ø  in US illegal in Alabama,Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana,

Maine, Mississippi, New Jersey, N. Dakota, Virginia,

Washington DC

Ø  illegal to sell, buy, or possess without a license in the

European Union, Australia, Canada and Israel

Ø  companies in India and China responsible for manufacturing

and exporting  the synthetic stimulants

Ø  Shippers mislabel the products to evade detection by law

enforcement and sell them via the internet to distributors

around the world 

Ø  Small retailers  sell the drugs online, through traditional

distribution methods, or by retail distribution at

convenience stores, gas stations, etc.

Ø  In 2010, poison control centers in the U.S.

received 235 calls regarding bath salts

Ø  By January 2011, US poison control centers

had already received 214 calls regarding bath

salts

Types of Bath Salts: ArcPc  Blast   Crush   MysPc   White    

Bayou  Ivory  Flower   Dynamite   Ocean  Snow   White  Dove  

Bliss   Dynamite  Plus   Pure  Ivory   White  Girls  

Bloom   Energizing  Aromatherapy  Powder  

Pure  White   White  Horse  

Blue  Magic   Euphoria   Purple  Rain   White  Lightening  

Blue  Silk   Gold  Rush   Red  Dove   White  Lightening  

Bolivian     Hurricane     Route  69   White    

Bonsai  Winter  Boost   Ivory  Fresh   Scarface   Wicked  X  

C  Original   Ivory  Wave   Snow  Day   Wicked  XX  

Charge  Plus   Ivory  Wave  Ultra   Snow  Leopard   Zoom  

Cloud  9   Lady  Bubbles   Tranquility  

Cloud  10   Lunar  Wave   Vanilla  Sky  

Co$on  Cloud   Mr.  Nice     Whack  

More interesting stuff

Spice & K2 http://www.slideshare.net/Guedde/spicek2-synthetic-cannabinoids-6988186

Bath Salts http://www.slideshare.net/Guedde/mdpv-bath-salts-emerging-drug-trends

legal highs

what can be produced from an over-the-counter pill?

Synthesis

KMnO4

psEphedrine

Mw=163.2 Da

Methcathinone Mw=165.2 Da

1. HI/Pred

2. HCl

psEphedrine Methamphetamine hydrochloride

x HCl

Mephedrone Adverse Effects

n  Intense alertness, euphoria n  Empathy, talkativeness n  Intense sensory input n  Sexual arousal n  Perceptual distortions n  Hallucinations n  Severe paranoia n  Aggression n  Panic attacks

•  Headache, tremors, blurred vision, seizures

•  Anxiety, agitation, aggression, depression, psychosis

•  Tachycardia, elevated BP, chest pain

•  Body temperature lability •  Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea •  Renal dysfunction, urinary

retention

Psychopharmacology,  DOI:  10.2007/s00213-­‐010-­‐2070-­‐x.    Published  online  12  Nov  2010.  U.S.  DOJ  DEA.  Office  of  Diversion  Control.    Accessed  at  h=p://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drugs_concern/mephedrone.htm  

Crocodile desomorphine

1-Codeine + SOCl2 ---> α-Chlorocodide + HCl + SO2 2-α-Chlorocodide + I2 ---> 7,8 diiodo α-Chlorocodide 3-7,8 diiodo α-Chlorocodide + HI ----> desomorphine

Crocodile desomorphine

Crocodile desomorphine

Zhenya, former addict “The effect of “krokodil” lasts from 90 minutes to two hours”, says Zhenya, a former addict. “You don't sleep much when you're on krokodil, as you need to wake up every couple of hours for another hit. The cooking process takes at least half an hour, so being a krokodil addict is basically a full-time job. At the time we were cooking it at our place, and loads of people came round and pitched in. For three days we just kept on making it. By the end, we all staggered out yellow, exhausted and stinking of iodine.” –says Zhenya http://zumaworld.blogspot.com/2011/10/krokodil-most-dangerous-new-drug.html

Methamphetamine lab