Police are taking up the fight to educate youngsters about the dangers of mephedrone – a substance that is often not what dealers say it is. DAVID DEANS investigates.

USERS of mephedrone have been told that they are playing Russian roulette with their lives.

Two police experts on the rise of mephedrone in Gwent say users of the drug do not know what they are taking, with both foreign producers and dealers adulterating the drug.

While it may be simple to find mephedrone on websites, officers are working to shut them down and stop it entering the country.

Detective Superintendent Rhiannon Kirk, of South Wales regional organised crime unit’s Operation Tarian, says youngsters see Mephedrone as a party drug, with dealers offering samples for as little as a pound.

But evidence has emerged of people becoming addicted to the drug, which has been indirectly linked to suicides and overdoses.

Pioneering police research shows a prevalence of the drug in Blaenau Gwent.

Some 50 people have been arrested for supplying mephedrone since the drug was made illegal in 2010, according to Gwent Police.

Operation Tarian was originally set up to protect Wales from class A drugs coming in from England.

But, Det Supt Kirk says, last year Tarian officers became aware that mephedrone was an increasing problem.

This led to forces in Southern Wales taking action against those bringing the substance into the region. One operation led to police charging several people with conspiracy to supply and import mephedrone.

The case is currently going through the court process. Meanwhile police are working with schools and head teachers to identify children at risk and make sure preventative measures are taken.

That work has also targeted dealers.

Dept Supt Kirk says that the availability of the drug on the internet gave youngsters a feeling that it was somehow less harmful than other drugs.

“One of the biggest problems is the perception of it as a party drug,” says Det Supt Kirk.

“We call it novel psychoactive substances – people don’t know what they are taking when they take it. It’s just white powder.

“The biggest danger is that people have no idea what they are taking. It was very cheap and available and somehow, perversely, felt safer.”

But, she says: “Mephedrone is dangerous, but you might not even get mephedrone.

That goes for any of the new chemical formulas.”

Different chemicals, including cocaine, amphetamine and bleach, have been found in mephedrone, and Det Supt Kirk says it is being adulterated by producing countries such as Indian and China, as well as by UK dealers.

“You are taking a gamble,” she says.

Although the long-term health impacts are not known, users have exhibited depression, paranoia, increased levels of violence and highs with extreme lows.

Some users have experienced extreme paranoia and then become violent, according to Det Supt Kirk, while there have been reports of psychotic episodes.

Workers have also discovered users injecting the substance using boiling water.

Lyn Webber, regional manager for the drug interventions programme in Gwent said the long-term effects of taking mephedrone are not known.

“You are playing Russian roulette,” he said. “I’ve seen occasions when an individual has taken it for months and it is having the desired effects, and they take another pill another week and end up in hospital.”

Organised crime groups have sprung up to deal in the drug, Det Supt Kirk says, while older “more traditional” groups have also seen opportunities.

Det Supt Kirk says the distribution of mephedrone doesn’t follow the traditional supply routes of other drugs.

“That’s to do with the way its distributed over the internet.

It’s potentially easier to obtain,” she says.

She issues a caution to people ordering mephedrone: “Anybody doing that shouldn’t think we won’t find out.

We are actively seeking to close the websites down.”

Police also work with customs and border agencies to stop it coming into the UK.

Dept Sup Kirk says the key is education.

She feels “you won’t arrest your way out of this problem.”

“The biggest task is to try and stop people putting themselves at risk and taking it in the first place.”

Mystery surrounding young dad’s death

A YOUNG Pontnewydd father died just days after taking the party drug ‘meow meow’.

Jason Shephard, 24, was born with a congenital heart defect but had not been taking his medication.

His mother Bridget found her son in bed at their Pontnewydd home in February. Mr Shephard was described by his parents as outgoing and happy-golucky.

Although Mr and Mrs Shephard knew their son took meow meow and had drunk vodka in recent days, they said they do not think this killed him. “A lot of young people are taking it,” said Mrs Shephard. “I just want them to know how it can affect them. I told Jason not to go mad on it because of his heart but he would say ‘I’ll be all right’. A lot of his friends didn’t know he had a heart problem.”

Cause of death remains unknown and there will be an inquest in due course.

New tests revealed the extent of drug abuse

GWENT’s police custody suites are the scene of a pioneering test to discover the prevalence of mephedrone.

Test results show most meow meow users coming into contact with the police who admit their use are from Blaenau Gwent.

People arrested for a variety of so-called trigger offences are being asked if they will take a voluntary drug test for methamphetamine among other substances.

If they test positive for metamphetamine they are then asked if they have take mephedrone. Since September 260 people who have come into custody suites say they have taken the drug.

Of those who say they take mephedrone, 34 per cent of positive test rates are 18-21, 20 per cent are 26-29 and 18 per cent are 22-25.

People from Blaenau Gwent towns including Ebbw Vale, Brynmawr and Abertillery account for 58 per cent of mephedrone users found by the scheme.

Lyn Webber, the regional manager for the Gwent drug interventions programme, who spearheaded the testing programme, said meow meow was the “drug of choice for people within the Valleys”.

He said that for a number of years individuals arrested for a trigger offence have been tested for class A drugs.

However, at the end of last year he noticed that positive test rates for people coming through custody were falling.

“All the indications nationally were suggesting there shouldn’t be a fall. That raised concerns about why we were having lower numbers than the rest of the country. It just didn’t ring true,” he said.

Mr Webber decided to introduce a new test within the custody suites to identify whether or not there was a fault with heroin and cocaine testing, or if there was any other reason behind the fall.

“Alarmingly the test rate shot up for nouvelle psychoactive substances,” he said.

He said that has shown the value of the pilot being carried out in Newport and Ystrad Mynach, and extended in Gwent until March next year.