The Characterization of 'Legal Highs' Available from Head Shops in Dublin

Since benzylpiperazine (BZP) was outlawed in March 2009 there has been a significant increase in the number of drugs with similar stimulant effects being legally sold as „bath salts‟ or „plant food‟ in head shops around Dublin in an attempt to fill the vacuum created by the BZP ban. New brands regularly appear and anecdotal reports suggest that the constituents of a given product may vary. These „legal highs‟ are mainly cathinone derivatives (methylone, methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), butylone, flephedrone and mephedrone) which possess a similar chemical structure to amphetamines, and are usually sold either as capsules or in loose powder 3 .