A mother from Hereford says she fears for the safety of her 15-year-old son, who has become hooked on a legal drug known as ‘meow meow.’
The woman, who does not want to be named, says her son has stolen money, become abusive and regularly truants from school since he started using Mephedrone.
She also says that the drug, which can be snorted or taken orally, is commonly used by teenagers in Herefordshire.
She said: “It’s cheaper than drinking and doing anything else and it seems to be quite popular amongst 14, 15 and 16-year-olds,” she said.
“He has always been such a polite and trustworthy lad – at the moment he’s stealing from me to try and buy it because he can’t say no.”
“I know it’s a problem in Hereford because he has a lot of friends from other schools who use it.”
Mephedrone is available freely over the internet as a plant fertiliser but is more commonly known on the street as: ‘drone’, ‘bubble’, ‘meow meow’ or ‘legal high’.
The drug is thought to have been imported into the UK last year from laboratories in China and can be bought for as little as £7 per gram. Side-effects include convulsions, breathing problems, nose bleeds, depression, psychosis – and, in some cases, even death.
In December, 14-year-old Gabrielle Price from Brighton died after taking a suspected cocktail of drugs including Mephedrone at a house party.
The previous month, a teenager from Durham was hospitalised after harming himself during apparent hallucinations whilst on the drug.
A spokeswoman for Herefordshire Council said: “We aware that the use of Mephedrone is a growing problem in the county and is working with partner agencies such as the police to raise awareness about the risks of taking this substance.
“However, under current legislation its use is not illegal and, as such, there are no legal powers for police to prevent it being used in this way.
Anyone concerned that a youngster may be using Mephedrone is advised to contact Zig Zag, the Young Persons Substance Misuse Service, via Connexions, on 01432 269404.
