Three new recreational drugs that have never been reported in Australia have been identified by chemists after they were submitted for testing at the nation’s only fixed-site drug checking service, CanTEST.
According to scientists and clinicians from the Australian National University, the drugs could have effects like other stimulant-like substances such as MDMA and ketamine.
According to ANU’s Professor Malcolm McLeod, it is not yet known how dangerous these substances are or what short- and long-term health impacts they have on the user.
Professor McLeod, who is also Chemistry Lead at CanTEST and Pill Testing Australia, explained that one substance submitted for testing, which the client believed to be a derivative of Ritalin, a stimulant used to treat ADHD, was actually a new variant of cathinone – originally a plant derived stimulant used in the Middle East.
“Although there are a range of cathinone variants circulating in the community, finding a new one is obviously of concern because we don’t know how it will affect people or what the health consequences are,” he said.
“The second substance we analysed, which the client believed to be a ketamine-like substance, was in fact a new type of benzylpiperazine stimulant, often used as a substitute for MDMA. While derivatives of these stimulants first emerged in New Zealand in the early 2000s, we actually don’t know a lot about them.
“As for the third one, the client reported some uncertainty about the identity of the substance. They thought it was a cathinone drug, a stimulant that can have similar effects to amphetamines, but wanted to have it tested to avoid any nasty surprises.”
The team later identified the drug to be a new phenethylamine drug known as propylphenidine.
“After making the discoveries, CanTEST workers were able to immediately notify the community to let people know about these new substances and their potential risks,” Dr David Caldicott, a clinical lead for CanTEST and Pill Testing Australia, said.
“These findings demonstrate an understated ability of services like CanTEST to inform and advise individuals about their choices.
“It turns out that drug checking services can not only change the behaviours of consumers, but when done rigorously, can also identify totally novel drugs as they emerge, and possibly even before they get a hold on local markets.
“This is potentially of huge public health importance, not just to Australia, but to the rest of the world, and has probably not been fully appreciated to date.”