Para-methylthioamphetamine, a new amphetamine designer drug of abuse

;A case study is described of a patient who was intoxicated after the intak e of so-called herbal stimulants. A visit to a physician after the intoxica tion prompted to this investigation and the case was examined for its direc t cause. An interview with the patient revealed that the source of the herb al stimulants was a so-called 'S-5 tablet'. information provided on the pac kings of the tablet only indicated the presence of natural alkaloids and vi tamines. Toxicological analysis however proved that the 'S-5 tablet' contai ned para-methylthioamphetamine (MTA), mainly. MTA is a relative unknown amp hetamine designer drug, which has only been studied as a model compound in some structure-activity relationship studies. The fact that MTA appeared in tablets was therefore completely unexpected. Not only the potential abuse of this new amphetamine designer drug is a serious matter of concern, but a lso the misleading information provided with the tablet.