DRUG APOCALYPSE
‘Zombies’ scale rooftops in monkey dust capital of UK where drugs are posted through your letterbox for £2 per hit
Users and dealers tell how they become 'possessed' by the 'devil's dust'
"ZOMBIE" addicts are scaling rooftops in the monkey dust capital of the UK - where drugs are posted through your letterbox for £2 per hit.
A new documentary has revealed how "dustheads" in Stoke-on-Trent have lost everything after getting hooked on the drug.
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Monkey dust can cause paranoia, hallucinations, aggression and psychosis for up to 12 hours.
The ultra-addictive drug has even made users eat glass, climb three-storey blocks of flats and jump off buildings.
In a new episode of BBC Three's Drugs Map of Britain series, dad-of-seven Paul told how monkey dust cost him his home and family.
Paul said: "It can happen off just one pipe. You can have one pipe and that's it - you're f***ed for the rest of your life.
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"It made me lose everything. I could see it going but, I dunno, there was nothing I could do about it.
"I'm here now in this tent because I started smoking dust."
Homeless user and dealer Steve lived in a camp in woods just off the A50 - until it burned down.
Steve said: "I've got no formal income. It's day to day living.
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"Stoke is f***ed because of dust. I hate this drug man. I hate it. It's ruining my life."
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Another user, Bambi, described monkey dust as the "devil's drug" - saying it is worse than heroin.
He told how he first started dealing cocaine aged five before a "friend" introduced him to monkey dust when he was 14.
Bambi said: "Off that one pipe I was awake for four days. Having a mint one.
"I wish I never took that first pipe because it has ruined my life. I have to have the bong just to get out of bed.
"There's family people on it. I know solicitors on it."
The BBC said it changed some personal details to protect interviewees' identities.
Monkey dust arrived in Stoke in the mid-2000s, costing just £2 per hit.
The drug soon became popular with homeless people unable to afford cocaine or hard spirits.
But even experts are baffled about how Stoke became the monkey dust capital of the UK.
The yellow-grey powder is a class B drug - and possession could land you a five-year prison sentence.
Two-third of monkey dust users in Stoke also use heroin, which is a class A drug.
Users told the documentary how monkey dust arrives in the post after they order it on Facebook and LinkedIn.
There is currently no medical substitute to treat monkey dust addiction.
UK Addiction Treatment Centres said: "Monkey dust addiction can be extremely damaging both physically and mentally.
"It carries a high risk of lethal overdose - effects can occur with as little as 3mg-5mg.
"It can lead to heart problems and kidney damage, cause extreme paranoia and agitation.
"In some cases it has been known to induce hallucinations and psychosis.
"The effects of monkey dust addiction are not limited to physical health either.
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"Users may find their relationships, finances, education or career suffer as a result of their dependency.
"Legal issues are also a huge concern both due to monkey dust's drug classification as a Class B substance and the high incident rate of crime linked to monkey dust abuse."
What is monkey dust?
Officially known as a cathinone, monkey dust also goes by the name of MDPV or Methylone.
It comes in a yellowish-white powder, which can be snorted, eaten or injected.
The drug was first synthesised by a team at German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim in the 1960s.
"Dust" was originally sold over the internet as a "legal" alternative to cocaine, speed and ecstasy.
The drug was readily available at US petrol stations, bookshops and convenience stores before it was outlawed in 2012 by Barack Obama.
Monkey dust is made of chemicals that are similar to naturally occurring cathinone.
Cathinone was discovered in the 1970s in the leaves of the khat bush, which grows in East Africa.
In contrast, monkey dust is developed in a lab and is usually cut with a variety of nasty substances on the street.
Monkey dust is a Class B drug, making it illegal to sell, buy, or possess without a license.
However, growing fears around its use has led ministers to consider reclassifying it as Class A.
This would increase jail terms for dealers.
The drug can be picked up for as little as £2 per hit, which makes those with existing dependency issues particularly vulnerable.
Its growing use in Stoke-on-Trent has caused a surge in crime, including arson.
Monkey dust is a hallucinogenic drug that is incredibly addictive.
Police officers have described users on it as having Incredible Hulk-like strength.
Its potent effects last for three days - with some users left unable to feel pain for up to a week.
Addicts commonly believe they are being chased, and often try to climb building and lampposts to escape beasts from their vivid hallucinations.
Excessive use can lead to users sweat smelling strongly of prawns and vinegar.
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