This Week’s Focus: NDEWS Early Warning in Action — Insights from the NDEWS Early Warning Network including Sentinel Sites Report, K-12 Education Affiliates – Network Quarterly Report, and NDEWS Web Monitoring Report

The NDEWS Weekly Briefing focuses on our Sentinel Site Director (SSD) report and our latest report from the K-12 Education Affiliates - Network, along with an NDEWS Web Monitoring Report on MXE-PCP.

In this briefing, we are sharing the responses from our SSDs what they know about concerning trends about dissociatives or "club drugs". This question was prompted by the NDEWS Web Monitoring Report from August 8, 2025, which highlighted the first individual experience reports for MXE-PCP (MXPCP, 3-MeO-2'-Oxo-PCP). 

We also follow up on this report as there has been an increasing trend in the discussion of MXE-PCP on Reddit. Over the past two weeks there has been significant engagement through posts made about the substance in monitored substance use subreddits.

Additionally, we linked the most recent Our Community, Our Health - NDEWS Town Hall webinar featuring members of the Kindbridge Research Institute team. The panel give an in-depth look at Florida's Playwise program, a statewide initiative providing gambling helpline services, responsible gambling education, and tailored community outreach. 

As always, we welcome your input.

Our Sentinel Site Directors were recently asked about local trends concerning dissociatives, also known as "club drugs."

This question was prompted by the NDEWS Web Monitoring Report from August 8, 2025, which highlighted the first individual experience reports for MXE-PCP (MXPCP, 3-MeO-2'-Oxo-PCP), a novel arylcyclohexylamine dissociative that combines structural elements from methoxetamine (MXE) and phencyclidine (PCP). Currently there is minimal information available on this drug outside of online communities. This remains true at the time we are publishing this, there were no reports or detections of MXPCP reported by our site directors across multiple data types including wastewater surveillance, seized drugs, autopsy reports, and drug checking, due to its novelty.

14 of our 16 sites reported recent signal related to common dissociatives. Notably, ketamine was mentioned in 11 responses, PCP in 5, and ecstasy/MDMA in 4. Click here to read the full report.

Click here to read more about NDEWS Sentinel Site Reports.

In this quarterly survey, we surveyed respondents on the kind of substances that are being used by students on school grounds or at school-sponsored events, and outside of school, responses are anonymous and aggregated by reporting location. For the Fall 2025 report, we received 20 responses from 13 states, see their responses below.

Why are we reporting on this? Three months ago the web monitoring team reported that the first individual experience reports for MXE-PCP (MXPCP) had emerged in online communities within the past month. Since last report, users are now sharing much more detailed experience reports including subjective effects, duration, and experiences with various routes of administration. The discussion dynamics have also changed from a few early reports to a a consistent trend.

What is MXE-PCP? MXPCP is a novel arylcyclohexylamine dissociative that combines structural elements from MXE (methoxetamine) and PCP (phencyclidine). Reddit discussants theorize that this compound acts as an NMDA receptor antagonist, producing dissociative anesthetic effects.

Public Health Impacts: Commenters report uncertainty about dosing, with people who self-identify as being experienced dissociative users recommending extreme caution. Some commenters mention that the high binding affinity suggests potential for intense and prolonged dissociative states. Limited harm reduction information is available, with commenters relying on extrapolation from ketamine and MXE experiences.

Since last report, discussants describe patterns of binge use, with some Reddit commenters reporting repeated administration over extended periods. Multiple commenters note rapid tolerance development. Some Reddit commenters report combining MXPCP with other dissociatives or central nervous system depressants including benzodiazepines, which some discussants note contributed to memory impairment and blackout episodes.

How is it Being Discussed? The compound is primarily discussed in the context of commenters seeking novel dissociatives following the disappearance of MXE from the market. Since last report, Reddit users extensively discuss various routes of administration including intranasal insufflation, oral ingestion, intramuscular injection, and rectal administration. Discussants report highly variable duration of effects depending on route of administration, with some users describing effects lasting 3-4 hours while others report much shorter durations of approximately one hour. Discussants compare MXPCP favorably to ketamine in terms of potency and effects, with some noting similarities to other dissociatives including FXE and DCK.

Commenters frequently discuss combining MXPCP with other substances, including prescription stimulants for concurrent daily use, benzodiazepines, and other novel dissociatives like O-PCP. Multiple discussants note that MXPCP is often ordered and used alongside O-PCP.

Drug Terms: MXE-PCP, MXPCP, 3-MeO-2'-Oxo-PCP, MXP (this term was not part of the search due to it also being a term for another substance)

Previous Reports: August 8, 2025

A recently published viewpoint in the International Journal of Drug Policy, led by NDEWS affiliate and Columbia University T32 Postdoc Nicole Fitzgerald and NDEWS Co-Director Joseph Palamar, explored the rise of "tusi" or "pink cocaine," a polydrug powder popular in nightlife scenes across Latin America, Europe, and the US. Tusi can include substances like ketamine, MDMA, caffeine, methamphetamine, synthetic cathinones, and prescription opioids. The study underscored the importance of systematic drug surveillance and drug checking services to monitor and address the risks associated with these emerging drug trends. Read the study here.

A recently published report by the Houston High Intensity Drug Traffic Area (HIDTA) highlighted the increase in nitazene-related deaths in the Houston area. Nitazenes are a class of synthetic opioids more potent than fentanyl. The report discussed the production, distribution, and use of nitazenes, emphasizing their detection challenges and regulatory gaps. Recommendations include enhanced surveillance, improved regulation, and increased public awareness to mitigate this growing threat. Read the report here.

A recent reader response from Alexandria, VA. - 
"I greatly appreciate the diversity in topics that you cover. I'm very interested in keeping up to date with the latest information on gambling as I think it's going to be Gen Alpha's "drug of choice" with technology addictions."

A recent reader response from Toronto, Canada - 
"If you have not seen the most recent blog from NIDA Director Nora Volkow about gambling then you should see it because it highlights an important topic in an understudied area."

Share your insights and experiences by submitting a reader response to the NDEWS Weekly Briefing.

Are you committed to advancing the science of substance use and public health? The University of Florida’s NIDA-funded T32 Training Program offers predoctoral and postdoctoral scholars an exceptional opportunity to launch impactful research careers focused on NDEWS!

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- Interdisciplinary training at the intersection of addiction science, epidemiology, and surveillance
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- A collaborative, inclusive research community committed to reducing the burden of substance use

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- US citizens or permanent residents
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Thursday, November 20, 2025, the Kindbridge Research Institute team provided an in-depth look during the latest Our Community, Our Health - NDEWS Town Hall at Florida's Playwise program, a statewide initiative providing gambling helpline services, responsible gambling education, and tailored community outreach.

Our expert panel includes Dr. Nathan D. Smith (Director of Research, Kindbridge Research Institute), Dr. Daniel Kaufmann (Director of Gaming Services, Kindbridge Behavioral Health), Kaitlyn McCreless (Playwise Project Manager), and Matthew Langford (Community Outreach Specialist). They'll discuss clinical approaches to gambling harm, prevention strategies across Florida's diverse communities, innovative outreach methods, and how Playwise serves unique populations including veterans.

Whether you're a researcher, clinician, public health professional, or community stakeholder, this session offers practical insights and evidence-based strategies for addressing gambling harm.

The NDEWS Weekly Briefing curates emerging data and findings from across the Early Warning Network, which includes three core components: our Scientific Advisory Group (SAG), comprised of national experts and federal partners; our Sentinel Site Directors (SSDs), who lead local surveillance in key geographic regions; and our Community-Based Health Experts, who provide on-the-ground insights from populations most impacted by drug trends. Together, these contributors generate timely, multidisciplinary and impactful information, ranging from peer-reviewed research findings to local surveillance data. These contributions inform public health and research communities.

You can share the NDEWS Weekly Briefing with friends, colleagues, and others who would benefit from information on recent and relevant news, articles, and data related to novel drug trends in the US and globally by clicking here.

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If you miss or want to learn more about NDEWS Original Content, you can find our archived content on the NDEWS website:

     • NDEWS Hotspot Alerts using substance-related EMS data
     • NDEWS Rapid Street Reporting (RSR) survey data reports
     • NDEWS Web Monitoring Team Reddit Alerts
     • NDEWS Sentinel Site Reports
     • Previous issues of the NDEWS Weekly Briefings

The Weekly Briefing is a newsletter published each week by the National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS) Coordinating Center, which is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (U01DA051126) to the University of Florida (MPI: Cottler (contact), Co-Is: Goldberger, Nixon, Striley), NYU Langone Health (MPI: Palamar), and Florida Atlantic University (Co-I: Barenholtz). Any item may be reproduced provided the source is acknowledged.