Methcathinone, commonly known as ‘cat’ and sometimes ‘bathtub speed’ is concocted from a ‘witches brew’ of ingredients, including battery acid and over-the-counter asthma medication, and can be manufactured in home kitchens.

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This is the drug that is thought to have claimed the life of Quintin Breedt (20) of Port Edward.

Quintin’s sudden death has sent shock waves around the seaside town and left his friends and family devastated.

Speaking to the Herald, Quintin’s mother, Elize Walter (46), urged parents to be more involved in what’s going on in their children’s lives.

“Tell them how much you care for them and love them. The family, especially his sister Chantelle Alberts (28) and half-sister Mia Breedt (4), are deeply saddened by his death,” she said.
She described her son as a ‘happy, soft and loving’ young man with a laid-back attitude, who didn’t like violence and aggression.

“He was always smiling and, although he didn’t have much, he shared whatever he had. He was very outgoing and had plenty of friends.” 

Quintin had attended Port Edward Primary and Suid-Natal High and had finished matric with excellent results through Boston College just a few months ago.

It was family member, Marzel Heyn (28), who found Quintin’s lifeless body on his bed last Friday morning, and she is still in shock.

Quintin and a friend rented two outside buildings from Marzel, and he worked for her at the Liquor Cellar bottle store in Port Edward.

The day before his death he had brought a TV and had confided to Marzel how excited he was about how his life was coming together. He had many plans for the future.

It was no secret that Quintin smoked cannabis to help him sleep as he suffered from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

On Thursday night, he and his friends threw a ‘freedom p***-up party’ to celebrate one of their friends recently breaking up with his girlfriend.

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The friends had apparently gone out drinking before returning to Quintin’s home.

It appears that during the course of that night they had taken harder drugs, believed to have been bought from a local dealer.

A packet later found in Quintin’s pocket reportedly contained a yellow and brown powder.

It is believed this was the first time the young man had experimented with this drug.

On the morning of Friday, September 28, alarm bells rang when one of Quintin’s friends couldn’t wake him.

When Marzel arrived at Quintin’s room at about 8.30am, she could see he was dead.

“One of the boys was still fast asleep and I struggled for ages to wake him up. I could see both the boys were still very high and one was coughing up blood,” she said.

They were taken to a local medical centre for treatment.

“When, what and how the events of the evening unfolded are very unclear at this stage, and we still have many unanswered questions. A lot of it doesn’t make sense,” added Marzel. 

“An inquest docket was opened for investigation at Port Edward police station,” said police spokesman, Colonel Thembeka Mbele.

Walter Petersen, a director with the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA), Durban, said drugs such as cat or cocaine were classified as ‘uppers’ or stimulants which are known to cause higher alertness and anxiety, along with many other side-effects such as high blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat.

Mr Petersen pointed out that cannabis is seen as the ‘gateway’ drug, making the user more vulnerable and willing to to experiment with other drugs.

He explained that, for the dealers, it’s all about money, and like cocaine, ‘serious upper’ drugs are often cut with other drugs, and users often stretch it with other ingredients to heighten the effects.

“Drug abuse has the ability to explode as users become boisterous, leading to shouting and fighting. It elicits a definite change in emotional behaviour and body functions.”

With regards to the Constitutional Court ruling legalising the private use of marijuana, Mr Petersen said SANCA is concerned that the Con Court hasn’t specifically defined the private area in which it could be used.

He explained that what is private for some, may not be considered private for others.

“The law has always been a deterrent for those who smoke cannabis but now users no longer have to look over their shoulders and more people can break the law.

“The legalisation of dagga has certainly opened a ‘Pandora’s box’ and it’s one we will find it very difficult to close.

“Be it ‘soft’ or ‘hard’, everyone urged to avoid all drugs.”

Quintin’s funeral takes place at the Port Edward Methodist Church this Saturday, October 6 at 9am.

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