A desperate mother has described how her schoolboy son became addicted to Meow Meow – by saving up his dinner money.
The 34-year-old mum says her son, 14, got hooked on mephedrone and has suffered sleepless nights, ill health and mood swings.
She says her son started using the drug after it was given to him by an older boy who bought it on the internet.
But she claims he quickly became addicted and started skipping meals at school so he could use the cash to buy more meow meow.
The mother, of Plymouth, Devon, says she noticed her son became distant, had black circles under his eyes and would talk ”non stop”.
He finally confessed that he had been taking the drug – used as a plant food – but insisted it was okay to use ”because it’s legal”.
She has grounded the boy in a bid to wean him off the substance but says he has gone ”cold turkey” and has ”begged” to be allowed out so he can get more.
She said: ”I started noticing something was wrong because he wouldn’t look me in the eye when he came home.
”He became very distant and when he’d get in he’d go straight upstairs and sit in his room and stare at the walls.
”Then he’d suddenly start talking non stop and these dark circles appeared under his eyes. He’d obviously not been sleeping.
”He wouldn’t eat or drink and when I finally made him tell me what was wrong he said he’d been taking meow meow.
”But he said it was okay because its legal – he said it was like ‘having a pint’. He had no idea how dangerous it is.
”Loads of his friends are doing it. This stuff has to be made illegal or thousands of children are going to end up hooked.”
The mum-of-six says he first tried meow meow around a month ago when a local 18-year-old gave him some to try.
She said: ”He’s got loads of friends around his age and a couple of older boys. One of them buys it on the internet and gives it out.
”He started talking more and more – sometimes he buys it or sometimes he’s just given it for free. They do it after school and by the time he got home he was high as a kite.
”I’ve kept it at home when I can but he has begged me to let him out.
He’s having cold turkey. He says he wants to see his friends so he can take meow meow.
”He’s at home with me as much as possible but he’s still got to go to school. I have told them about the situation and they are being very supportive.
”They have offered us drug counselling but we are pulling together as a family to help him.”
”He says there are children there as young as 13 taking meow meow. Until it’s made illegal they’ll keep taking it.”
