The use of drugs containing synthetic cathinones, commonly known as “bath salts,” is becoming more prevalent in Taiwan and has led to 60 deaths this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday.
In 2000, cases related to abuse of synthetic cathinones such as mephedrone, methylone, ethylone and chloromethcathinone accounted for 0.4 percent of all confirmed drug cases handled by police, the administration said.
However, by last year the figure had increased 35.5 times to 14.2 percent, the administration’s statistics showed.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Synthetic cathinones are central nervous system stimulants that mimic the effects of substances such as amphetamines and cocaine.
The number of deaths caused by synthetic cathinone abuse rose from three in 2012 to 36 in 2015, said Chien Hsi-wen (簡希文), a senior technical specialist at the FDA, citing data from the Ministry of Justice’s Institute of Forensic Medicine.
Illicit drug manufacturers sometimes package the drugs as coffee, candy, cookies or chocolate and there have been instances of accidental consumption, Chien said.
Shaw Kai-ping (蕭開平), a section chief at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, said synthetic cathinones use can lead to agitation, hallucinations and heart problems.
Sixty people in Taiwan have died so far this year after using synthetic cathinones, Hsiao said, adding that 70 percent of the fatalities were men, with an average age of 24.
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