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Mephedrone update
Joint report on mephedrone presents case for formal risk assessment
On 25 March, the EMCDDA and Europol submitted a joint report on mephedrone to the Council of the EU, the European Commission and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), presenting a case for a formal risk assessment of the drug (1). Submission of this report concludes the first phase of Europe’s three-step process to monitor new drugs: (i) information exchange/early-warning; (ii) risk assessment; and (iii) decision-making/control (2). On the basis of this report, the Council and the Commission will decide in the coming weeks whether or not to launch a formal risk assessment of the substance.
Mephedrone was first notified to the agencies via the EU early-warning system in March 2008, triggering an EMCDDA–Europol information exchange on the substance. Towards the end of 2009, increased evidence of mephedrone use and availability in some European countries prompted the agencies in January 2010 to embark on a formal data-collection exercise on the drug, resulting in this report. The report features: the chemical and physical description of the drug; first indications of health and social risks; evidence of intoxications and fatalities; data on seizures; and available information on international trafficking and the involvement of organised crime.
Mephedrone is a central nervous system stimulant belonging to the group of synthetic cathinone derivatives, which includes substances such as methylone, methedrone and flephedrone. Over the last two years, mephedrone and mephedrone-containing products have been aggressively marketed by online suppliers as a legal alternative to ecstasy, amphetamines or cocaine.
(1) Europol–EMCDDA joint report on a new psychoactive substance: 4-methylmethcathinone (mephedrone)
(2) See Monitoring new drugs brochure
In this issue...
- Record number of new drugs in 2009
- EMCDDA and Europol Directors review new drugs entering market
- EMCDDA and ECDC assess anthrax outbreak among heroin users
- Global audit of HIV services for IDUs reveals low levels of provision
- Sharing information on drug treatment demand in the Mediterranean
- Drug use and pregnancy: challenges for public health
- Enhancing the quality and effectiveness of services for drug users
- Experts debate drug policy
- Latest analysis of cocaine market highlights 'secondary extraction' laboratories in Europe
- EMCDDA active at annual CND meeting
- New pact against drug trafficking
- Reitox Academy focuses on national treatment guidelines
- Topic overview on threshold quantities for drug offences
- Forging ties with North-African neighbours
- Joint report on mephedrone presents case for formal risk assessment
Drugnet Europe is also available in downloadable PDF format, for printing or offline browsing.
Drugnet Europe is the EMCDDA's newsletter launched in September 1996. The newsletter provides regular and succint information on the Centre's projects and activities to a broad readership.
Page last updated: Thursday, 03 June 2010