It has been revealed that the ACMD were due to provide its advice report to the Government last September in relation to mephedrone, but has now been severely delayed due to the sacking of Prof Nutt.  Due now on March 29, the report is expected to recommend a ban on this substance which has recently claimed the lives of two teenagers.  Current chief drug advisor Prof Iversen has hinted that it will be categorised as a Class B (the same class as amphetamine), carrying with it imprisonment of up to five years for possession and up to 14 years for dealing.  We wait in anticipation of the ACMD’s advice due out next week.          

Former Government Chief Drug Advisor speaks out and has called for a new approach to drugs that have very little scientific information.  Prof Nutt suggests the approach taken by New Zealand where a Class D has been created which includes BZP.  This new classification would act as a holding class for drugs such as mephedrone: restricting sales to over-18s; and quality control of product to educate users and provide health messages.

After the recent deaths of two teenagers who had taken the ‘legal high’ mephedrone, Prof Nutt has backed the Government in treating this as a priority.

Will the UK follow suit and will there be a Class D?

Ex-chief Government advisor on drugs and alcohol, Prof David Nutt, is now developing a drink that he claims will give a ‘kick’ similar to that of spirits minus the harmful effects.  Taking place at the Imperial College London, the development of this synthetic alcohol could be available for clinical trials as soon as 2012.  The product is aimed to provide a safe relaxant for users rather than to intoxicate, in order to help decrease the high number of alcohol-related deaths and medical problems.

The Government has responded to the e-petition to reinstate Professor David Nutt as the Chairman of the ACMD.  Read here for their response issued on Monday this week and now published on the official site of the Prime Minister’s Office.

The government is set to prioritise in finding out more about the dangers of using the substance, mephedrone which has become the fourth most popular substance in an academic survey undertaken by magazine, Mixmag. Its advisory panel has written to the Home Secretary warning that substances like these could have “serious public health implications.”

To get round the Medicines Act, mephedrone is widely sold online as a “plant food” (even though it has no acknowledged use as a fertiliser), and can be snorted, taken in pill form, mixed with a drink or injected (although rare). Users have described the effect as similar to that of cocaine and ecstasy. The results of the survey have revealed:

51% of mephedrone users suffered from headaches; 43% from heart palpitations; 27% from nausea; and 15% from cold or blue fingers.

It will be interesting to see comments from the newly formed body, the Independent Council of Drug Harms (formed by ex-head of the ACMD Professor Nutt).