5-IT / 6-it
A relatively new type of stimulant sold as light brown or brown powder, tablets and in capsules of various colours
This drug appears to be no longer widely used
What does it look like?
5-IT has been sold as a light brown or brown powder and tablets and capsules in various colours.
Some 5-IT tablets are made to look like ecstasy tablets and sold as ecstasy even though they are 5-IT.
As with any drug, you can never really be sure it contains what it says it does.
5-IT comes in different forms. It can be swallowed or snorted in lines. The powder can also be rolled up in a cigarette paper and swallowed (sometimes referred to as bombing). There is some evidence that suggests that some people have injected 5-IT, although this does not seem to be a common way of taking 5-IT.
Injecting any drug or sharing injecting equipment can be very risky, as it runs the risk of the injector catching or spreading a virus, such as HIV or hepatitis C. There is also the risk that veins may be damaged and that an abscess or blood clot may develop.
How does it make you feel?
5-IT seems to be a stimulant, like ecstasy and amphetamines (like speed, and so you might experience:
- feeling very up, alert, chatty and energised
- being in tune with your surroundings
- music and colours feel more intense
- temporary feelings of love and affection for the people you’re with even you don’t know them
You might also feel physical effects such as:
- dilated pupils
- tingling feelings
- tightening of the jaw muscles
- raised body temperature
- increased blood pressure and heart rate
- insomnia
See the ecstasy and speed pages for more details.
5-IT can also cause:
- increased/high body temperature
- increased heart rate and blood pressure
- a reduction in your appetite, so you might feel less hungry
- an increase in urine production, so you go to the toilet more often
How long the effects last and the drug stays in your system depends on how much you’ve taken, your size and what other drugs you may have also taken.
Physical health risks
It can cause:
- Increased/high body temperature
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure
- Sweating and restlessness
- Dilated pupils, tingling feelings, tightening of the jaw muscles, raised body temperature, increased blood pressure and heart rate, and insomnia
- Several deaths in the UK and Europe have been linked with 5-IT
- Reports show that 5-IT can react with certain drugs and foods, causing high blood pressure which can become fatal
Mental health risks
5-IT appears to be a stimulant, like ecstasy and amphetamines (like speed, so it has similar risks to those drugs:
- Anxiety, panic attacks, confused states, agitation or aggression, paranoid feelings and even psychosis (losing contact with reality)
- A ‘comedown’ that may last a number of days – with feelings of lethargy and depressed mood
- Feelings of agitation and disorientation, so you might feel upset and not know where you are
What is 5-IT / 6-it cut with?
There is no evidence to suggest that 5-IT, or 6-IT, have impurities or have been ‘cut’, but you can never really be sure that what you're buying contains what it says it does.
Is it dangerous to mix with other drugs?
Mixing drugs is always risky but some mixtures are more dangerous than others.
What happens if I mix 5-IT / 6-it and
Class: B
This is a Class B drug, which means it’s illegal to have for yourself, give away or sell.
Possession can get you up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
Supplying someone else, even your friends, can get you up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
Like drink-driving, driving when high is dangerous and illegal. If you’re caught driving under the influence, you may receive a heavy fine, driving ban, or prison sentence.
If the police catch people supplying illegal drugs in a home, club, bar or hostel, they can potentially prosecute the landlord, club owner or any other person concerned in the management of the premises.
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