The availability and depiction of synthetic cathinones (bath salts) on the Internet: Do online suppliers employ features to maximize purchases?

Abstract

Background “Bath salts”, a derivative of cathinone, a naturally occurring beta-ketone amphetamine analogue found in the leaves of the khat (Catha edulis) plant, is a potent class of designer drugs associated with significant medical and psychiatric consequences. They are commonly used among 20 to 29 year olds, a group with easy access to the internet and an inclination to purchase online. Therefore, the internet has the potential to play a significant role in the distribution and associated consequences of these “legal highs”. Methods Google searches were used to determine bath salts availability on retail websites and how different search terms affected the proportion of retail websites obtained. Retail websites were reviewed by two independent raters who examined content with a focus on characteristics that increase the likelihood of online sales. Results Of the 250 websites found, 31 were unique retail websites. Most retail website hits resulted when a product name was used as the search term. The top three countries hosting retail websites were registered in the United States (n=14; 45%), Germany (n=7; 23%), and the United Kingdom (n=3; 10%). These online drug suppliers provided considerable information and purchasing choice about a variety of synthetic cathinones, legitimized their sites by using recognizable images, online chat features, and mainstream payment and shipping methods, and employed characteristics that promote online purchases. Conclusion Online designer drug suppliers use sophisticated methods to market unregulated products to consumers. The international community has taken diverse approaches to address designer drugs: legislative bans, harm reduction approaches, an interim regulated legal market. Multifaceted efforts that target bath salt users, suppliers, and emergency/poison control entities are critical to comprehensively address bath salt ingestion and its consequences.

The Cathinones MDPV and α-PVP Elicit Different Behavioral and Molecular Effects Following Acute Exposure

“…Synthetic cathinones are an emerging class of designer drugs abused for their psychostimulant and empatogenic properties similar to cocaine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine or other amphetamines (German et al 2014;Spiller et al 2011) and commonly commercialized as "bath salts", "research chemicals" or "plant food" via the Internet market or smart shops (Meyers et al 2015;Schneir et al 2014). Among them, the methylenedioxy derivative of pyrovalerone MDPV (3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone) and its closely related derivative α-PVP ((1-Phenyl-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)pentan-1-one) also known as "flakka" or "gravel"), are in the top 5 among the most popular synthetic cathinones on the clandestine market (EMCDDA 2014;EMCDDA 2016;Glennon and Young 2016;WHO 2014;WHO 2015) These two synthetic cathinones potently and selectively block dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) transporters with negligible affinity for the serotonin (5-HT) transporter (Baumann et al 2013;Kolanos et al 2015;Meltzer et al 2006;Rickli et al 2015;Simmler et al 2013).…”

Investigation of drug products received for analysis in the Swedish STRIDA project on new psychoactive substances

“…Also in 2015, the yearly number of NPS reported was close to 100, 3 NPS are typically sold openly through e-trading and a large number of online retailers put novel, poorly investigated substances into the hands of drug users. 4 Although the NPS are obviously intended as recreational drugs and/or as alternatives to the classic, controlled drugs of abuse, their distinct chemical structures mean legislative control by authorities is circumvented or hampered. 5 The continuous legal control of newly introduced drugs may hence partly have driven this development.…”

Buying drugs on a Darknet market: A better deal? Studying the online illicit drug market through the analysis of digital, physical and chemical data

“…For example, new psychoactive substances are already distributed through the Web, due to the different legal status of these substances from one country to another [1]. Prescription drugs are also sold online with consumers redirected toward online pharmacies through massive spam campaigns [2].…”