The question reminded me that, for some people, confusion still exists between these similar sounding, but very different, substances.

It’s important to begin by saying that a person using the slang term ‘meth’ could be talking about any of the substances I’ll describe below.

There’s also an issue with the fact that mephedrone might be pronounced ‘methedrone’ by some people, which can add to the confusion.

Whatever the drug I always advocate digging deeper when you hear a person use a slang term for a drug so you are sure that you’re both talking about the same substance.  This can be done in many ways, for example by finding out more about what the drug looked like, how it was taken, and if appropriate, how the user felt when they took it.

Here’s a basic distinction between the three drugs, and links to more information on each one:

Methamphetamine – aka: Crystal Meth, Meth, Crank, Glass.

A highly addictive member of the amphetamine family of substances, it is a stimulant drug that is often smoked in a pipe.  It stimulates the central nervous system and produces a stronger effect than amphetamine (aka; speed).

More information on methamphetamine can be found on the Drugscope Database

Methadone:

A synthetic opiate, manufactured as a painkiller and substitute for heroin as part of the treatment of heroin addiction.  It is a depressant substance, slowing down the central nervous system and reducing physical and psychological pain.  It is intended to be swallowed.

More information on methadone can be found on the Talk To Frank website

Mephedrone – aka: m-cat, meph, miaow.

A powerful stimulant drug from a family of drugs called ‘cathinones’ which are different (but closely related to) amphetamines.  Mephedrone is considered a stimulant drug and is usually snorted.  It’s popularity increased between 2009 and 2010 due to it being readily available as a legal high.  It was subsequently classified as a Class B drug in April 2010, however mephedrone remains available on the illicit market.

More information on mephedrone can be found on the Drugscope Database

Full details can be found here.

Poor nutrition is linked to a variety of problems and such as gastric complications, dental decay, weight loss and gain, impaired management of HIV and Hep C, and psychological and neurological health problems.

And these are problems that are closely linked with substance misuse itself. For example, heroin, cocaine, and alcohol misuse all impact on appetite, metabolism, and mental and physical health. At its extreme, alcohol misuse can cause enough of a nutrition deficiency to lead to neurological damage such as that seen in Wernicke/Korsakoff syndrome.

Positive eating habits are often not a priority or possibility for many due to circumstances (money for and intake of drugs prioritised over food, lack of cooking facilities, lack of appetite, etc) and eating disorders are relatively common, particularly amongst the female substance misusing population.

Perhaps healthy eating is more important to those brave individuals attempting to enter and maintain recovery than we currently give it credit for?

A recent study published in Addiction has explored the eating habits of heroin users both during active use, detox, and in early recovery and the implications of this for treatment.

The article charts the dysfunctional eating patterns of a sample of individuals who are actively using, alongside the impact of changes in eating habits into recovery.

(quote from Neale et al., 2011)

In particular it highlights the satisfaction, creativity, and sociability recovering participants reported in both the preparation and consumption of food.

(quote from Neale et al., 2011)

However, the potential challenges experienced by both women and men regarding subsequent “comfort eating” and weight gain were also discussed.

(quotes from Neale et al., 2011)

What could we do, therefore, to enable substance misusers to benefit physically, mentally, and socially from improved dietary behaviours?

At a practitioner level, we could explore their current eating habits, improve our own knowledge and be aware of concerns regarding eating disorders and weight management, and refer to specialists where necessary.

At a service level, we could improve provision of relevant nutritional information and advice, provide healthy food within the service, and implement engaging cooking clubs and classes as an adjunct to treatment.

Food matters. It is a fundamental need and I would encourage us to explore new and innovative ways to feed a healthy recovery.

Sources:

Neale, J., Nettleton, S., Pickering, L., & Fischer, J. (2011). Eating patterns amongst heroin users: a qualitative study with implications for nutritional interventions. Addiction, accepted manuscript online. Link

Lieber, C. S., (2003). Relationships between Nutrition, Alcohol Use and Liver Disease. Alcohol Research & Health, Vol. 27. Link

Harrop, E. N. & Marlatt, G. A. (2010) The comorbidity of substance use disorders and eating disorders in women: Prevalence, etiology, and treatment. Addictive Behaviors, Vol. 35 (5). Link

Anyone with an interest in the effect of alcohol advertising on consumer choice will no doubt be watching developments in Russia closely.  A country where more than half of all deaths of people aged 15 to 54 are attributable to alcohol.

Russia’s beer consumption has more than tripled in the past 15 years, boosted by low prices, ready availability and lax regulation.  In an attempt to reverse the trend beer advertising on television has been banned between 7am and 10pm since 2004.

The new ban, in force from July 2012, will now prohibit all beer advertising.

The law signed by President Dmitry Medvedev, himself closely linked to anti-alcohol policies, also extends to include a ban on the sale of beer in Russian airports, bus stops, railway stations and certain other public places from 2013.

Can it work?  Well there is strong evidence that advertising expenditure correlates with consumption in the UK.

However, somewhat counter intuitively, the effect of the 2004 changes show that Russian beer consumption actually spiked shortly after the 2004 advertising restrictions were introduced.

As the law comes into effect advertisers claim the law is misguided and pre-emptively move towards greater digital marketing spends (digital marketing will still be permitted), whilst prevention advocates say that it will prove a vital pillar in overall attempts to curb consumption.

With a population of over 140 million the effect of this law change will have far reaching implications for those involved in public health policy in the UK.

Sources:
AdAge 2/1/2012 – link
American Association of Wine Economists 04/2011 – link
Daily Telegraph 23/2/11 – link
The Lancet, Volume 373, Issue 9682, Pages 2201 – 2214, 27 June 2009 – link

The session will show participants the 5 most common mistakes practitioners make when delivering alcohol brief advice, and what they can do to dramatically improve their success rates when working with people who misuse alcohol.

Full details are now available here.

The package will only be available to newsletter subscribers so if you haven’t already done so you can signup by clicking the button below:

The article, published in the June 2011 issue of Drink and Drugs News is available here (pdf)

Julia’s presentation used during the speech can be viewed below: