The authorities in Tainan yesterday cautioned against consumption of an unknown mix of powdered recreational drugs in the aftermath of a young man’s death earlier this week, which was attributed to an overdose of synthetic cathinones, commonly known as “bath salts.”
Police said the synthetic designer drugs are popular in nightclubs and bars in Taiwan and are sold in packages labeled “coffee powder” or “candy.”
Cathinone and its derivatives are stimulants with very strong effects on the heart and central nervous system, rated eight to 10 times more powerful than most narcotic drugs, officials said, adding that they had caused more than 60 deaths in the nation thus far this year.
The latest casualty, a 27-year-old man surnamed Lee (李), worked as a nightclub attendant in Tainan, police said, adding that he was found behaving erratically, shaking uncontrollably, yelling and running around at about 3am on Sunday.
Lee’s friends said he had just finished work and had taken the drug earlier.
After receiving calls, police arrived at the scene to find Lee lying down on the street before suddenly jumping up and running around frantically while shouting before banging his head on a pillar.
Fearing that Lee might injure himself, police officers handcuffed him so that he could be treated by paramedics, they said.
However, while restrained inside the ambulance, Lee allegedly continued to behave in a crazed manner, shaking his head and trying to bite people.
Despite emergency treatment at a local hospital, doctors pronounced Lee dead at around 6am on Sunday.
Test results showed Lee’s blood contained trace chemicals at levels that suggested he had consumed “bath salts” or derivative drugs, which his friends confirmed, although they denied any knowledge of where Lee had obtained the drugs, police said.
Officials said that cathinone is similar in chemical makeup to ecstasy, but has a much more potent effect on people’s bodies and mental state.
It is more lethal, as more people die after ingesting the drug, the officials added.
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