The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on the 12th that gamma-butyrolactone and norfludiazepam would be designated as Group 1 and Mephedrene as Group 2 interim narcotics. Group 1 is designated if it acts on the central nervous system or has a high similarity to narcotics, and Group 2 is designated if there is a high possibility of physical or mental harm, such as inducing dependence.
Gamma-butyrolactone is rapidly converted into GHB, a psychotropic drug in the body, causing loss of consciousness and respiratory depression.
There are reports that norfludiazepam has a sedative effect even at a lower concentration than the psychotropic drug diazepam.
Mephedrene is a substance that is expected to have a stimulating effect because it has a structure similar to that of the psychotropic drug methiopropamine. Like amphetamine, it acts as a stimulant on the central nervous system.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety designates substances that are abused as substitutes for narcotics and may cause harm to public health among non-narcotic substances as temporary narcotics within three years. Substances designated as temporary narcotics are treated and managed in the same way as narcotics from the date of notice of designation. Anyone who imports, exports, manufactures, trades, brokers, or accepts temporary narcotics in the first group following it was announced as a temporary drug shall be punished by imprisonment for life or at least five years. Those who export, import, or manufacture group 2 temporary narcotics are punished by imprisonment for not more than 10 years or a fine of not more than 100 million won.
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