Cocaine is Bad Enough But How Bad is Fake Cocaine?
What is Fake Cocaine?
Fake cocaine is a synthetic designer drug which contains Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV). This drug is used in the market as a new psychoactive drug of abuse. It has recently gained popularity with the emergence of “bath salts”.
Fake Cocaine Drug Classification
Fake cocaine is classified as a stimulant, and these products are marketed as “bath salts.” They’ve also been labelled as “jewel or glass cleaner,” plant food,” and “research chemicals.”
How to Recognize Fake Cocaine?
Fake cocaine contains MDPV or synthetic cathinone which usually appears as a white or light tan coloured powder. You can find it to be sold under 500-milligram small bottles or plastic bags often labelled as”bath salts.” The packages may also include labels like “for novelty use only” or “not for human consumption.”
Common Side Effects of Fake cocaine
National Institute of Drug Abuse, have reported bath salts consumption to cause the following side effects
Increased heart rate
Hypertension
Pain in chest
Loss of fluids
Breakdown of muscle tissue
Kidney failure
How Bad is Fake Cocaine?
Fake cocaine or MDPV is considered a cocaine-like drug as its primary effects are attributed to be the same as that of cocaine.
It results in similar physiological and locomotor effects via an interaction with the same monoamine transporters as cocaine.
MDPV has 10 times higher potency than cocaine. This makes it highly addictive.
It has been reported that people who snort fake cocaine produce distinct behavioural, physiological, and psycho-emotional fatalities. Some of which include:
Hallucinations
Delirium
Increased sociability
Increased sex drive
Panic attacks
Studies have also suggested that MDPV has got a high probability for significant health complications due to drug overdose, low cost, easy availability, and much higher potency.
Similar to other psychomotor stimulants, fake cocaine has the potential to induce serious health complications, including abnormally high body temperature and lethality.
The high potency of this synthetic drug may result in overdose or unexpectedly strong psychoactive and autonomic effects.
It may cause hazardous effects on the brain due to uncompensated cerebral vasoconstriction.
Fake cocaine can also develop feelings of anxiety, agitation, and develop suicidal tendencies.
Cerebral vasoconstriction for prolonged periods and relative hypoxia due to fake cocaine consumption may contribute to acute health complications and following a drug overdose.
In addition, there are reports of death due to the abuse of this class of drugs.
Fake Cocaine is Isolated from?
Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is found to be structurally similar to cathinone, an active alkaloid obtained from the khat plant. It is a central nervous system stimulant. Synthetic variants of cathinone can be much more potent than the natural khat product, and sometimes, very dangerous.
How is it Taken?
Addicts take it by snorting the white powder through the nose, but it can also be smoked or taken orally. Studies have reported synthetic cathinone to lose its potency when mixed with a solution.