Drug making people jump off buildings just £2 a bag
POLICE have warned that an increasingly popular drug called ‘‘Monkey dust’’ is causing people to jump off buildings.
The substance, which can cost as little as £2 for a small bag, is a class B drug and its effects have led people to jump off the roofs of houses and run into busy traffic.
The drug, also known as MDPV, is synthetic and comes in powder form. It can be snorted, injected or smoked and its side effects can include paranoia and hallucinations.
Another effect of monkey dust is that it can make users feel incredibly strong and lowers their pain perception. One ambulance worker in Staffordshire, where the problem is most acute, said that trying to restrain users can be like trying to restrain the Incredible Hulk.
Staffordshire Police say that they are receiving an average of 10 or more calls a day related to monkey dust, with 950 incidents responded to in the last three months.
Ch Supt Jeff Moore said: “The drug is highly addictive and highly unpredictable, meaning emergency services can often struggle to provide the appropriate treatment to those under the influence.
“Every user acts differently, displaying behaviour that is volatile and dangerous to both themselves and emergency services personnel responding. The level of resource required is often far greater than we have experienced before with some suffering the effects of use for several days.”
Users of the drug have been seen risking their lives and lashing out in drug-induced violent outbursts. They warned that some users have died while under its influence.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “People who take these substances have absolutely no way of knowing what is contained within them.
“The effect on the patient can vary considerably; our staff often treat legal-high users who have suffered seizures, heart attacks and strokes.
“The effects can lead to the patient suffering extreme highs and lows which sometimes results in patients appearing to be suffering mental health issues at one end of the scale to extreme violence at the other.”