Monkey dust turns UK city into a nightmare. Users roam naked, hallucinate, and commit dangerous acts. Deaths are increasing.
Naked people ran through streets. They screamed in terror, believing the devil chased them. This happened after taking monkey dust.
Stoke-on-Trent faces a big problem with monkey dust. The city has had this issue for years. The drug causes scary hallucinations, making users see snakes or demons.
Deaths from monkey dust are chilling, including one baby’s death. Some users want to jump off buildings, and some even eat glass.
Monkey dust was once very cheap at £2. Now, increased demand has raised the price. Three hits now cost £10 in Stoke.
One man helps the homeless and called it “the devil’s work.” He said it is worse than heroin because the drug messes with people’s minds.
He spoke of seeing the devil and described a paranoid man. The man tried to break into a police station, thinking terrorists were after him.
Another witness saw a woman who stayed curled up for 14 hours. The man concluded that monkey dust needs to be removed because it’s extremely dangerous.
Users beg on the street and dealers sell openly, making people look like zombies. A taxi driver sees it often.
He saw people on a bridge, possibly wanting to jump and thinks monkey dust is bad for Stoke. He refuses to take users in his taxi because they smell bad.
Some say the drug makes sweat smell like prawns. One user feels sexy, described seeing an angel fall, and reported chasing thunderbolts.
A homeless worker called it “evil stuff,” saying users scratch their bodies, thinking they have snakes or spiders.
“Monkey dust” is a UK term meaning synthetic cathinones, with MDPHP as a specific example. These are stimulants similar to khat.
It comes in powder or crystal form, and people snort, swallow, or inject it. Monkey dust can contain MDPHP, mimicking natural stimulants.
Specific UK user numbers are unavailable, but Stoke-on-Trent has reported problems. This indicates it is a problem there.
These drugs are Class B in the UK. Possessing, selling, and making the drugs is illegal. Health effects can be severe, and addiction is a possible risk.
The drug’s chemical name is MDPV. It can be snorted, injected, or smoked. It linked to face-eating in the US.
Monkey dust came to Stoke in the 2000s and became popular with homeless people who could not afford other drugs. It is a class B drug, and possession carries a prison sentence.
It really took off in Stoke in 2018. One paramedic described seeing a “Night of the Living Dead” scene, and another resident described an “apocalypse horror film.”
The drug seems to come from labs in China and has devastated Stoke and nearby towns. People see users scream while hallucinating.
It takes many paramedics to restrain users. One user flailed on a roof before falling. One woman saw a naked man who broke into a house.
A student thinks users look like zombies. Police photos show the drug’s effects. One addict was jailed for arson after setting fire to her flat in panic.
Another man threw roof tiles, thinking police harassed him. Ashley Ford broke into a home naked and smashed through glass to escape.
The drug has deadly outcomes. A baby died after being exposed to it, and his parents failed to get help. They were found guilty of neglect.
A 19-year-old died acting erratically. Stoke used to be famous for pottery. Now, it is known for monkey dust, and one man said it is “monkey dust and zombies.”
Staffordshire Police have a task force whose goal is to stop monkey dust and they work with community partners to help users.
Their operation tries to prevent access to it and helps addicts get support. Police claim their actions hit dealers.
Incidents went down, and reports almost halved between July and December. The numbers decrease monthly, with a small rise in November.