UK: DrugScope responds to media reports on use of ‘new’ legal high ‘Ivory Wave’
The last week has seen an increase in media reports of incidents involving an apparently ‘new’ legal high drug sold under the brand name ‘Ivory Wave’ (or in some areas ‘Vanilla Sky’).
Currently the incidence of emergency admissions to hospital is low and restricted to a few geographical locations around the UK.
The drug may be being marketed as ‘bath salts’ due to the mistaken belief on the part of vendors that this will exempt them from prosecution under drug or medicines legislation.
Today, Harry Shapiro, DrugScope’s Director of Communications and Information, responded to the reports with this statement:
“While it has proved difficult to carry out much forensic testing on samples of ‘Ivory Wave’, of those tested, many have contained the active drug MDPV, along with cutting agents such as the common local anaesthetic Lidocaine.
“MDPV, chemical name Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (3,4-methylenedioxy) is a Class B drug.It is a cathinone derivative and was brought under the control of the Misuse of Drugs Act in April 2010 along with mephedrone and other related substances.
Source: DrugScope Press Office, 17/08/2010
