Classification: Psychoactive stimulant
Commercial Names: Aura, Vanilla Sky, Pixie Dust, and other names of “bath salts” (designer drugs)
Common Names/Nicknames: MDPV, MDPK, MTV, magic, super coke
Active Compound: Methylenedixoypyrovalerone (MDPV)
Found in: MPDV hydrochloride salt, bath salts (designer drug)
Mode of Consumption: Insufflation, injection, inhalation (smoking), ingestion
DEA Scheduling/Legal Status (in US): Unscheduled, legality varies by state (legal in Massachusetts not for human consumption)
Effects: Euphoria, increased energy, increased alertness, pupil dilation, slurred speech, changes in sexual desire and function, decreased cognitive ability, increased empathy
Risks: Acute: Increased heart rate, hypertension, hyperthermia, dehydration, accidental injury, seizures, cardiac arrest, stroke, coma, fatal overdose. Chronic: addiction, tolerance, withdrawal, depression, infertility, heart damage. Insufflation: nasal septum damage. Inhalation (smoking): lung damage.
Dangerous Drug Combinations: Potentially fatal combination with other stimulants, depressants/sedatives, and seizure medications. Potentially dangerous mix with acetaminophen/paracetamol (Brand names: Tylenol, Triaminic, Panadol) and medications with risk of seizure.
Special Considerations: Many states are considering legislature to ban the sale and production of MDPV.
And remember, if somebody may need help, play it safe and call for medical assistance.
“Students may bring an intoxicated or drug-impaired friend to University Health Services or to a hospital, or seek assistance from College residential life staff or HUPD, and by doing this, neither they nor the friend will face disciplinary action from the College for having used or provided alcohol or drugs.”
The Amnesty Policy
Harvard College Student Handbook
Sources:
Buzzed: The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy (Third Edition), by Cynthia Kuhn, Scott Swartzwelder, and Wilkie Wilson. Published 2008 by W. W. Norton & Company.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institute of Health (NIH) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
http://www.nida.nih.gov/DrugPages/
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), part of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Erowid Organization