A web-based survey on mephedrone

BackgroundThis study sought to collect information on the former legal-high ‘mephedrone’ using a web-based survey targeted at mephedrone users.MethodsThe survey was advertised on websites frequented by drug users. Individuals were invited to complete the survey if they had taken mephedrone on at least one occasion in the past.ResultsOne thousand and six completed forms were received from declared users, making this the largest survey on mephedrone to date.ConclusionResults showed that mephedrone users consider its effects to compare best with those of MDMA, and while MDMA was considered marginally safer and its effects more pleasurable, mephedrone's appeal lay in its availability, low price and reliable purity.