The recreational tryptamine 5-MeO-DALT (N,N-diallyl-5-methoxytryptamine): a brief review.
John M Corkery, Emma Durkin, Simon Elliott, Fabrizio Schifano, A Hamid Ghodse
Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry December 3, 2012 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2012.05.022 via PubMed
Summary
5-MeO-DALT is a psychoactive substance with limited scientific literature on its effects. The review highlights its characteristics and reports the first known death linked to its use, involving a man in his mid-20s who died in 2010 after being hit by a lorry while under its influence. Documenting further cases is essential for establishing a scientific evidence base regarding this drug.
Study at a glance
| Design | review |
|---|---|
| Population | individuals using or affected by 5-MeO-DALT |
| Key finding | The first reported death involving 5-MeO-DALT occurred in a man in his mid-20s who was hit by a lorry while under its influence. |
Abstract
5-MeO-DALT (N,N-diallyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a psychoactive substance, sold primarily over the Internet as a 'research chemical' or 'plant food'. Although details for the synthesis of this tryptamine have been available since 2004, its use as a hallucinogenic drug has been reported only occasionally in on-line user fora. It is controlled in only a few countries world-wide. There is little scientifically-based literature on the pharmacological, physiological, psychopharmacological, toxicological and epidemiological characteristics of 5-MeO-DALT. Here we review what is known about these aspects. We also report what we believe to be the first death involving the use of this substance. The case involved a man in his mid-20s who died in mid-2010. The coroner concluded that the deceased "died from injuries sustained after being hit by a lorry whilst under the influence of 5-MeODALT". It is critical that any other cases, including non-fatal instances, are documented so that a scientific evidence-base can be established for this drug.