Psychopharmacology
April 2012
Tibor M Brunt, Maarten W Koeter, Raymond J.m. Niesink et al.
Most studies on the subjective effects of ecstasy are based on the assumption that the substance that was taken is 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). However, many tablets sold as ecstasy contain other substances and MDMA in varying doses. So far, few attempts have been made to take this into account while assessing subjective effects. This study aims to link the pharmacological content...
International Journal of Drug Policy
March 2012
Tibor M Brunt, Raymond J.m. Niesink, Wim van den Brink
A recent decline in MDMA-like substances in ecstasy tablets has been reported by a number of countries in the European Union. This study describes the instability of the ecstasy market in The Netherlands during 2008 and 2009, and investigates whether this had any impact on drug testing or patterns of drug use. The health concerns of drug users handing in drug samples at drug testing facilities...
Drug Testing and Analysis
September 2011
Tibor M Brunt, Raymond J.m. Niesink
The Ministry of Health in the Netherlands has made illicit drug testing for drug users possible since the 1990s, in order to prevent serious health hazards associated with unexpected dangerous substances. This system of illicit drug testing is called the Drug Information and Monitoring System (DIMS). In nearly two decades, more than 100 000 drug samples have been handed in at DIMS testing...
Progress in Neurobiology
November 2010
Matthijs G. Bossong, Raymond J.m. Niesink
Cannabis use during adolescence increases the risk of developing psychotic disorders later in life. However, the neurobiological processes underlying this relationship are unknown. This review reports the results of a literature search comprising various neurobiological disciplines, ultimately converging into a model that might explain the neurobiology of cannabis-induced schizophrenia. The...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
September 8, 2010
Tibor M Brunt, Anneke Poortman, Raymond J.m. Niesink et al.
217 citations
Recently, several reports have indicated instability of the ecstasy market in the Netherlands and other EU countries. In the current study, we demonstrate this instability in the Netherlands, showing a decrease of ecstasy tablets containing 3,4-methylenedioxymetamphetamine (MDMA) by more than 50% in 2009. In addition, we describe a partial replacement of MDMA in tablets sold as ecstasy by a...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
September 2010
Matthijs G. Bossong, Tibor M Brunt, J P Van Dijk et al.
A new ecstasy-like substance, meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP), has been detected in street drugs in the Netherlands. Theoretically, mCPP possesses the potential to become a non-neurotoxic alternative for methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), the regular psychoactive substance of ecstasy. Since its introduction on the Dutch market of synthetic drugs, the percentage of mCPP-containing tablets...
Addiction
December 2009
Neeltje Vogels, Tibor M Brunt, Sander Rigter et al.
The present paper outlines the results of analyses carried out on the content of tablets sold as ecstasy, collected in the Netherlands by the Drugs Information Monitoring System (DIMS) from January 1993 to December 2008. During a period of 16 years, the DIMS analysed the content of 33 006 tablets sold as ecstasy that were handed in by numerous individual (potential) substance users. The DIMS...
Drug and Alcohol Review
July 1, 2005
Joachim D. Uys, Raymond J.m. Niesink
35 citations
Epidemiological studies show that the use of club drugs is on the rise. Furthermore, the last few decades have seen a rise in patterns of polydrug use. One of the combinations frequently used is ecstasy (MDMA) with gammahydroxybutyrate (GHB). For effective prevention it is important to be aware of this phenomenon and of the pharmacology of these drugs. The effects of the combination extend to...