By tweaking the molecular structure of banned chemicals, new drugs have been developed to circumvent the law. Despite little information about their toxicity, these new and emerging drugs have been sold online and in Australian adult stores. They are typically professionally packaged and labeled as ‘not for human consumption’. This presentation aims to provide participants with a brief overview of the context within which this phenomenon has developed and the types of products that have been available in Australia. This is a rapidly shifting market – each time one of these new drugs is banned, it seems like two more drugs emerge to replace it. As such, the limitations of legislative responses will be explored and alternative policy options considered. The presentation will also explore the need for better monitoring systems that are able to help us remain abreast of the rapid changes in the market.

2. Not For Human Consumption
Plant food, bath salts, research
chemicals and incense
Stephen Bright

3. Introduction
Rapid increase in the availability of new
drugs
– ECMDAA: from 24 in 2009 to 49 in 2011

5. Outline
• Brief History of Designer Drugs
• New and Emerging Drugs in Australia?
oVarious powders/pills:

Plant Food, Bath Salts, Research Chemicals …
o Synthetic Cannabis (incense)
• Reasons For Use
• Harm, Prevalence and Monitoring Systems
• Policy Options

6. Borrowing ideas...
Cialis
Crestor
Zocor/Lipex
Levitra

8. First Designer Drugs
1925: 2nd International Opium
Convention (revised)
- controlled the manufacture & sale of heroin
- new drugs (e.g., benzoylmorphine)
1930: First „analogues act‟ introduced

9. Opening Pandora’s Box

10. Not For Human Consuption

11. The Legal Highs Industry
Legal High’s “Party Pills” containing BZP

12. 2008/2009: Plant Food
Plant food (e.g.,
“Dove feeder”)

13. Cathinone

14. 2008/2009: Plant Food
Phthalimidopropiophenone

15. 2008/2009: Plant Food
4-methylmethcathinone
“Miaow Miaow”

17. Video slide deleted for
online publication.

18. Bath Salts
Flephedrone: 4-fluromethcathinone
MDPV: Methylenedioxypyrovalerone
Bath Salts

19. Bath Salts

21. Synthetic Cocaine

22. 2nd Generation Synthetic Cocaine
•
•
•
•
May 2012: MDPV Banned in Australia by TGA
No published analysis of “synthetic cocaine”
Shaman’s dust  “white bull”, etc.
After US banned MDPV, new bathsalts
contained:
• α-Pyrrolidinovalerophenone (α-PVP)
• Methyl-α-pyrrolidinopropiophenone
(Shanks et al., 2012)

23. Research Chemicals
Methoxetamine (MXE)
“Overdose pair had
luck and an expert on
their side”
(Canberra Times, April 13 2013)
25I-NBOMe
“NSW teen dies after
taking LSD”
(National Nine News, December 6 2012)

24. How harmful are these new drugs?
• >1 alleged death
• Little data
Is this a public
health crisis
waiting to
happen?

25. Synthetic Cannabis

26. What is synthetic cannabis?
2004: “Spice” (Deluca et al., 2010)

27. Kronic
2011: Kronic emerged as a new drug in Australia
Produced in New Zealand

28. Kronic
April: First indication of media interest, which
quickly grew
June: WA government bans 7 synthetic
cannabinoids
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
JWH-018
JWH-073
JWH-122
JWH-200
JWH-250
CP 47,497
The C8 Homologue of CP 47,497

29. Google trends: Searches for Kronic
Bright et al. (in press)

30. Social Media

31. Smoke ‘em up Party

33. Federal responses
May 2012: 8 broad groups of synthetic
cannabinoid agonists
Benzoylindoles, Cyclohexylphenols, Dibenzopyra
ns, Naphthoylindoles, Naphthylmethylindoles, N
aphthoylpyrroles, Naphthylmethylindenes &
Phenylacetylindoles
Synthetic cannabinomimetics

36. How harmful are these new drugs?
• At least 1 Death reported in the media
• Little data: new blends more harmful?
– Barratt, Cakic & Lenton (2013)
– 2012 Global Drug Survey
• No Cannabidiol (CBD)  psychosis/seizures
• Shorter duration of effect  dependence

37. Why do people use this stuff?
•
•
•
•
They work!
Media and online user forum
It’s apparently legal & safe
Avoid drug tests

38. Scoring Online

39. Why do people use this stuff?
•
•
•
•
•
•
They work!
Media and online user forum
It’s apparently legal & safe
Avoid drug tests
Availability of new drugs vs. Ecstasy
Unwittingly

40. The Merry-Go-Round Policy
• Banning individual chemicals as they emerge:
- No “real” decrease in availability
- New and more harmful drugs enter market

42. Alternative Policy Approaches
• Analogues Laws
- Problematic to enforce
- Impede medical research
- Unintended consequences

43. Alternative Policy Approaches
• Consumer/Medicine Law
• Regulation

44. Early Warning System
• Current Monitoring Systems
- EDRS
- Wastewater analysis
- Acute presentations
• An Ideal Monitoring System:
-
Monitoring the web
Monitoring stores
Verification via current systems
Strategic Communication

45. Conclusion
“Drug taking is here to stay and one way
or another, we must all learn to live with
drugs”
(Gossop, 2007, p. 207)
Stephen Bright – PenDAP & Youth
sbright@phcn.vic.gov.au
03 9784 7108