A new synthetic drug comes to the illicit drug market each week. Most of those drugs die a quick death and most people will never hear from them again. Others hit the market fast and hard and create a lot of damage in their wake, like the synthetic opioid U-47700. With Eutylone and Benzylone, they have been creating havoc in the US.
Synthetic Stimulant Background
According to npsdiscovery.com, synthetic stimulants are chemically manufactured drugs with sub-classifications based on their structural relation to amphetamine or cathinone. Synthetic stimulants, including substituted cathinone analogues (e.g. eutylone and benzylone), can retain both stimulant and hallucinogenic properties, and can cause associated health risks. Synthetic stimulants are often prepared and distributed in powder, capsule, or pressed tablet form, and may be sold as “Ecstasy,” “Molly,” or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (“MDMA”) on illicit drug markets. In the United States, synthetic stimulants have been associated with mortality and linked to cardiac effects resulting in death. Adverse effects can include hyperthermia, dehydration, arrhythmias, hallucinations, and serotonin syndrome.
Eutylone and Benzylone: Background Information
The substituted cathinone N-ethyl pentylone (ephylone) was the most frequently observed new synthetic stimulant to appear in forensic casework between 2017 and 2019. N-ethyl pentylone was federally scheduled by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in August 2019 due to its prevalence and mortality impacts. The scheduling created a shift in the drug industry for Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) as two new synthetic stimulants proliferated: eutylone and benzylone. Eutylone was first found in seized drug casework in the United States in the second quarter of 2019 but its prevalence did not increase until the end of 2019.
Similarly, in the second quarter of 2019, benzylone was first detected in confiscated drug casework in the United States, but its positivity in confiscated drug exhibits remained relatively small and stable throughout 2019. To date, benzylone has been mainly detected in recovered drug cases in the United States, while eutylone has been detected with a greater frequency in forensic toxicology, including post-death investigations and driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) cases.
Recommendations for Law Enforcement, ME’s, Businesses and Clinicians
Eutylone and benzylone have the potential to cause harm throughout our communities. The first step would be to raise awareness in your respective communities about these drugs. For law enforcement, use this information as a briefing topic for your shift including a review of signs and symptoms of use listed below. For clinicians, raising community awareness is paramount. For those in the drug testing industry, it would be key to let your businesses know about eutylone and benzylone.
Know that illicit drugs can contain undeclared and/or adulterated substances that impact the expected clinical effects or findings. People using this would be the same that are seeking MDMA and similar drugs. Medical Examiners should expand their toxicology screening to include eutylone and benzylone. Typical immunoassay screening for stimulants may not detect the most current novel stimulants. Mass spectrometry screening would be best.
User Population, Price, Availability
Eutylone, like other synthetic cathinones, is a recreational drug. Evidence shows that the main users of eutylone, similar to schedule I synthetic cathinones and MDMA, are youths and young adults. Eutylone is selling on the open web (just google eutylone) for $200 USD for 10 grams up to $1,800 USD for 500 grams (just over one pound). To view a picture of eutylone, you can visit this link to an online seller. The substance most commonly comes in an off-white solid similar to crack cocaine, but samples have also been found that are deep red and dark blue.
Signs and Symptoms
Effects reported by users of eutylone include warm tingling sensations, increased focus, changes in vision, euphoria, and an intense high. Synthetic cathinones have been reported to cause several stimulant-like adverse effects including tachycardia, hypertension, hyperthermia, palpitations, hyponatremia, tremor, seizures, vomiting, sweating, headache, and rhabdomyolysis. Recreational effects reported by abusers of synthetic cathinones include euphoria, a sense of well-being, increased sociability, energy, empathy, increased alertness, improved concentration and focus.
