More and more young people are taking synthetic drugs when going out, as these substances are becoming more easily available and diverse. This is spurring concerns about increased health risks as these drugs commonly lead to overdoses.
While the skyrocketing use of cocaine in Belgium has caught the attention of authorities – in part due to the large drug seizures and surging drug violence among gangs – another worrying, less prolific trend has been appearing in recent years.
Synthetic drugs are becoming increasingly popular among partygoers seeking an energetic high, the European Drugs Agency (EUDA) confirmed in a recent report.
The so-called New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) 3-MMC, dubbed 'kitty' or '3M' by its users – a crystalline white powder which is usually snorted – and 4-MMC or 'meow meow', have particularly gained ground in recent years in nightlife scenes across Western Europe. Both are illegal in Belgium.
The two designer drugs belong to the cathinones group, which includes ecstasy as well as other amphetamines. They are replacing these traditional substances as "go-to party drugs", as they are cheaper, last longer, and provide the same "energetic feeling".
Lack of Belgian data
In 2022, large quantities of these NPS were seized in Europe, including in Belgium. They were mostly trafficked from India. "This is a cause for concern, compounded by information suggesting that cathinones are also now increasingly being produced in Europe," the EUDA warned.
There is a lack of recent data on the use of these drugs in Belgium: health institute Sciensano carries out an annual survey of designer drugs, but the results have not yet been analysed.
However, a survey by Trimbos, a Dutch additional knowledge institute, showed that a third of respondents use 3-MMC while going out, up from 9% in 2020.
Easily hooked
These cathinones sometimes contain other substances, which can cause unexpected and undesirable effects, while some are also sold alongside or as other drugs, potentially increasing the risk of harm. However, as with other NPS, little is known about the risks of using these emerging drugs.
"It is a fairly new drug on which hardly any research has been done on the short-term risks, and certainly nothing on the long-term ones," commented De Druglijn, the Flemish Expertise Centre which helps people with addictions. "Those who use 3-MMC are actually the guinea pigs themselves."
The risks at the time of use are clearer and largely the same as those linked to uplifting drugs in general: headaches, nausea and agitation to palpitations and anxiety, followed by an empty and exhausted feeling after the drug wears off.
An increasing number of 3-MMC users also report feeling a very strong urge to use again, highlighting that the risk of mental addiction or dependence is high. "Even people who can control the use of other drugs will find that much more difficult with 3-MMC," De Druglijn explained.
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Trimbos warned that the number of incidents involving 3-MMC has also risen sharply. The National Poisoning Information Centre also stated that the number of 3-MMC intoxications has doubled in one year. This was echoed by Sciensano, which underlined that these drugs are increasingly being detected in suspected deaths and overdoses.
However, in Belgium, as in many other countries, "information tools are generally not sufficiently well-developed to track trends in use or related problems associated with changing patterns of synthetic stimulant use," the EUDA warned. "We can therefore be slow to detect changes in this area."
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