Updated February 12, 2014.

Question: What Drug Is in Fake Cocaine?

Answer: The ingredient in the bath salts products, otherwise known as fake cocaine, is is the designer drug methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV). MDPV is the methylenedioxy analogue of pyrovalerone, a stimulantsold under the trade names Centroton and Thymergix. Pyrovalerone is used as an appetite suppressant or for the treatment of chronic fatigue. Chemically, it is structurally related to cathinone, an active alkaloid found in the khat plant.

It is a central nervous system stimulant, not approved for use in the United States.