There 3-MMC is “the” new fashionable drug: it appeared about 10 years ago in certain LGBT+ communities, it is now wreaking havoc among 25-45 year olds, especially in large cities. Taken in a festive and sexualized context, it is sometimes associated with the practice of chemsex. VSThis drug would have been consumed by the comedian Pierre Palmade before driving and causing an accident.
What is 3-MMC?
3-MMC. The full name of 3-MMC is “3-methylmethcathinone”. This synthetic molecule belongs to the cathinone family: very concretely, it comes in the form of a white powder or small crystals, and it smells of liquorice.
What are the effects of 3-MMC?
Considered to be close to cocaine and amphetamines, 3-MMC is said to cause a feeling of well-being (even euphoria) and improve libido until it leads to intense sexual desire – this drug is d moreover often consumed in a context of chemsex. The substance is mainly purchased on the internet; her price per gram varies between 5 cents and 18 euro cents.
3-MMC: what health risks?
Without surprise, 3-MMC is particularly dangerous for health : “the complications are much worse than those of cocaine (…) all organs can be affected in the long term“, explains Pr. Laurent Karila, psychiatrist and addictologist in Paris, questioned by our colleagues from the Parisian. 3-MMC can in particular be responsible for convulsions, cardiovascular damage (infarction, stroke, etc.), ENT disorders, kidney disorders or even hallucinations.
For the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Tendencies (OFDT), 3-MMC constitutes a “remarkable phenomenon“: it would even be the most observed synthetic product since 2010 in seizures, collections and clinical cases.
