Children found taking mephedrone as usage soars, say drug workers

Theresa Allen, the girl’s key worker, said: “It shows just how accessible this drug is becoming to young people. While 12 is still relatively rare, we are seeing a lot of 14- and 15-year-olds. We’re seeing children using it inside schools and we’re working with schools so they can recognise it. Children will be very chatty, very euphoric and there can be a blue tinge around the fingers and mouth, because something about it appears to affect the blood supply.

“That’s not to say that older adults aren’t also using it, but when we don’t know anything about the long-term effects of this drug we should be especially concerned about young people who have young, still growing bodies. “It’s chemically made, so you don’t know what’s in it. It’s promoted as plant fertiliser or ‘bath salts’ or whatever but it’s a bunch of chemicals chucked together, it’s a short-lived high and it’s proving to be very addictive indeed and at only £10 a bag it’s obviously appealing to young people.”