Joostgate: What is CAT?

Monday, 30 March 2009 17:28

The drug that features so prominently on the Joostgate video is known by its street name in South Africa – CAT. The full name for this central-nervous-system stimulant is methcathinone, and it is usually snorted, although it can also be taken by swallowing, smoking and intravenous injection.

Methcathinone may be "fashionable" at the moment, but it has actually been around for a long time. It was first synthesized in 1928 and used in the Soviet Union during the 1930s and 1940s as an antidepressant. However, it was only in the 1960s that it became used as a recreational drug and it was 1994 before it came to the attention of the US government who recommended to the UN Secretary-General that methcathinone should be added to Schedule I of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances and it was banned.

The effects of methcathinone have been compared to those of cocaine, since it commonly causes hypertension (elevated blood pressure) and tachycardia (elevated heart rate). Reported effects include:

* Feelings of euphoria
* Increased alertness
* Dilated pupils
* Rapid breathing
* Increased heart rate
* Increased empathy and sense of communication
* Decreased OR increased sexual function and desire depending on circumstances
or the individual

The effects of methcathinone usually last from four to six hours. Users may not feel the need to sleep, eat, or drink any liquids. After the user has stopped ingesting the drug they "crash", a period which is usually characterized by long periods of sleep, excess eating and, often, depression.

Sources:

SAPS – Click here

Wikipedia – Click here