Phenomenon of new drugs on the Internet: the case of ketamine derivative methoxetamine
Ornella Corazza, Fabrizio Schifano, Pierluigi Simonato, Suzanne Fergus, Sulaf Assi, Jacqueline L. Stair, John Corkery, Giuseppina Trincas, Paolo Deluca, Zoe Davey, Ursula Blaszko, Zsolt Demetrovics, Jacek Moskalewicz, Aurora Enea, Giuditta di Melchiorre, Barbara Mervó, Lucia di Furia, Magı́ Farré, Liv Flesland, Manuela Pasinetti, Cinzia Pezzolesi, Agnieszka Pisarska, Harry L. Shapiro, Holger Siemann, Arvid Skutle, Elias Sferrazza, Marta Torrens, Peer van der Kreeft, Daniela Zummo, Norbert Scherbaum
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental March 1, 2012 DOI: 10.1002/hup.1242 via OpenAlex
Summary
Methoxetamine, a dissociative drug related to ketamine, has a much longer duration of action and intensity of effects, and its availability on the web represents a new recreational trend. The analysis of online, non-peer-reviewed material carries methodological limitations. The online availability of information on novel psychoactive drugs like methoxetamine constitutes a pressing public health challenge, requiring better international collaboration and novel forms of intervention to address this fast-growing phenomenon.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Phenomenon The internet Scientific literature Recreation Intervention counseling |
| Citations | 157 |
| Key finding | The online availability of information on novel psychoactive drugs such as methoxetamine constitutes a pressing public health challenge. |
Abstract
On the basis of the material available both in the scientific literature and on the web, this paper aims to provide a pharmacological, chemical and behavioural overview of the novel compound methoxetamine. This is a dissociative drug related to ketamine, with a much longer duration of action and intensity of effects. A critical discussion of the availability of information on the web of methoxetamine as a new recreational trend is here provided. Those methodological limitations, which are intrinsically associated with the analysis of online, non-peer reviewed, material, are here discussed as well. It is concluded that the online availability of information on novel psychoactive drugs, such as methoxethanine, may constitute a pressing public health challenge. Better international collaboration levels and novel forms of intervention are necessary to tackle this fast-growing phenomenon.