Drug and Alcohol ReviewSeptember 29, 2026Janette L. Smith, Christine A. Harvey, NSW Police Force et al.
INTRODUCTION: The Combined Surveillance and Monitoring of Seized Samples (CoSMoSS) program is a joint harm reduction initiative between NSW Health and NSW Police Force. Here, we examine the contents and purity of a sample of seized suspected target drugs (cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine 'MDMA'). METHODS: Between January 2021 and March 2025, 3378 street...
INTRODUCTION: Psychedelics induce a wide range of sensory distortions and hallucinations (henceforth 'distortions'). Yet, little is known about factors that influence the occurrence of certain distortions. Extra-pharmacological variables including personality traits have been found to correlate with the occurrence of different subjective features during the acute psychedelic state. The current...
Drug alerts are sometimes issued when samples are found to exceed a pre-determined dose threshold. In Australia, it is common for alerts to be issued when MDMA pills contain ≥ 150 mg of MDMA free-base or 179 mg hydrochloride. Nineteen such alerts were issued in Australia in 2024, raising concerns that repeat alerts may lose impact over time. This study examined experts' viewpoints on the...
INTRODUCTION: This paper aimed to determine the prevalence, demographic correlates and co-occurring substance use patterns of hallucinogen microdosing among young adults in the United States. METHODS: Design: Cross-sectional analysis of data from a nationally-representative cohort study collected in 2022-2023. SETTING: United States. PARTICIPANTS: Sample of 3094 young adults aged 19-30 years in...
Increasing harms associated with nitrous oxide use have raised concerns, but limited evidence exists to inform harm reduction. This study aimed to identify how nitrous oxide is sourced, the products/forms used, awareness of health risks, engagement in harm reduction and experience of neurological symptoms. Data were collected via annual interviews (2021-2023) with cross-sectional convenience...
Drug and Alcohol ReviewNovember 1, 2025Adams L Sibley, Madigan L Bedard, Samuel Tobias et al.
The unregulated drug supply in the United States is rapidly evolving, and veterinary tranquillisers have emerged as adulterants of concern, especially in illicitly-manufactured fentanyl. Following the proliferation of xylazine, medetomidine, a more potent sedative, has recently appeared in multiple US states. This study describes the characteristics of medetomidine samples from a national...
Despite high-dose 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) drug alerts being distributed, no research has been conducted as to changes in use in response. This study aimed to determine if: (i) high-dose MDMA drug alerts, and (ii) varied descriptions of dose, effects and actions to reduce harm were associated with intentions to reduce the initial MDMA dose in a hypothetical scenario. Australians...
Drug and Alcohol ReviewFebruary 3, 2025Tanguy Taillefer de Laportalière, Maximilien Redon, A. Roussin et al.
Abstract Introduction Nitrous oxide is widely used for recreational purposes, leading to constantly increasing cases of severe use disorder. Although the scope of the deleterious consequences of nitrous oxide use is relatively well described for neurological and thromboembolic‐related complications, this is not the case in the psychiatric field. Case Presentation We report the case of a...
γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a GABA-B agonist that rapidly produces effects that are likened to both alcohol and MDMA/ecstasy. GHB use can lead to neuroadaptation with a characteristic withdrawal syndrome. There is currently a paucity of data on the progression of GHB withdrawal, however, due to the drug's short half-life it is generally considered to be typically 5-7 days, although some cases...
Abstract Introduction This study explores the attitudes of psychologists towards psychedelics and psychedelic‐assisted therapy (PAT) following the world‐first regulatory changes in 2023 in Australia which permitted psilocybin and 3,4‐methylenedioxy‐methamphetamine (MDMA) to be used in clinical services. Methods A purposive sample of 20 Australian psychologists was recruited using snowball...
Drug and Alcohol ReviewNovember 1, 2024Rebekka Syrjanen, Martin Dutch, Shaun L. Greene et al.3 citations
Harm reduction strategies at music festivals seek to create a safer environment for patrons. The Emerging Drugs Network of Australia-Victoria (EDNAV) project is a state-wide toxicosurveillance network that derives drug intelligence from a sample of patients presenting to hospital with illicit drug-related toxicity. This publication describes the preliminary outcomes of conducting...
Chronic nitrous oxide (N2O) use causes inactivation of vitamin B12, resulting in neurological and psychiatric symptoms. This case series presents all N2O-related presentations to the emergency department at Royal Perth Hospital between June 2019 and June 2021, alongside the costs of these admissions. Twenty-two patients were identified; 68% (n = 15) were male. The median age was 22.4 years...
Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA]) is a drug commonly used by people who attend electronic dance music (EDM) events at nightclubs and dance festivals. Drug checking has gained popularity in recent years to test for adulterants, but epidemiology studies are needed to estimate potential shifts in prevalence of drug checking to further inform harm reduction efforts. Adults entering...
AbstractIntroductionThis case series records a cohort of patients treated with transdermal buprenorphine patches as part of a buprenorphine microdose induction protocol to transition from methadone to buprenorphine in a community setting. This has historically been a difficult process to manage in community settings and this case series explored a method to gradually manage this in an...
INTRODUCTION: Prohibited drugs in unregulated markets may be adulterated, resulting in increased risks for people who use drugs. This study investigated levels of drug adulteration and substitution of drugs purchased in Australia from cryptomarkets. METHODS: Data were collected from a darknet forum called Test4Pay from 1 September 2022 to 23 August 2023. Posts were included if they reported the...
TikTok has quickly gained popularity through its platforming of large amounts of short video content. Given its widespread popularity, unrestricted access and poor content monitoring may allow 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-related content to influence perception of MDMA use. We aimed to investigate how MDMA-related videos are portrayed on TikTok and explore MDMA-related harm...
It is largely unknown whether adverse effects experienced from recreational drug use affect willingness to use again. This study determined whether adverse effects from select party drugs affect reported willingness to use again in the next month among a high-risk population-people who attend electronic dance music parties at nightclubs or dance festivals. Adults (age ≥ 18) entering...
Few studies have examined consumer knowledge and communication of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content among cannabis consumers, including potential differences by cannabis legislation. The study sought to: (i) examine self-reported knowledge of THC content across 10 cannabis products; (ii) examine self-reported intoxication levels; and (iii) examine association between self-reported THC levels...
Ibogaine is one of the alkaloids naturally found in plants such as Tabernanthe iboga, which has been traditionally used by members of the Bwiti culture. Since the discovery of its anti-addictive properties by Howard S. Lotsof in 1962, ibogaine has been used experimentally to treat substance use disorders (SUD), especially those involving opioids. We aim to provide a detailed understanding of...
Serotonergic psychedelics (SP) are psychoactive substances that produce unique sets of subjective effects, such as hallucinatory experiences. This systematic review is the first to summarise which motives for SP use have been assessed in medical, psychological, sociological and ethnological research across different types of SPs and across cultural backgrounds. Findings on use motives can be...
Digital drugs, or binaural beats claimed to elicit specific cognitive or emotional states, are a phenomenon about which little is known. In this brief report, we describe demographic and drug use correlates of binaural beat use, patterns of use, reasons for use and methods of access. The Global Drug Survey 2021 was translated into 11 languages; 30 896 responses were gathered from 22 countries....
Abstract Introduction Emerging evidence suggests that psychedelic compounds, including the Amazonian botanical decoction ayahuasca, may provide clinical benefit in the treatment of alcohol or other drug use disorders. This study investigates associations between ayahuasca consumption in naturalistic settings and current alcohol and other drug use. Methods Online cross‐sectional study of people...
Abstract Introduction and Aims A previous observational study of ayahuasca‐assisted therapy demonstrated statistically significant reductions in self‐reported problematic cocaine use among members of an Indigenous community in Canada. This paper aims to qualitatively explore the impact of ayahuasca‐assisted therapy on addiction and other substance use‐related outcomes and elucidate the lived...
Most Australian Governments have resisted supporting formal pill testing (drug checking) at music festivals. With limited knowledge available regarding post-pill test substance use behaviour, we aimed to understand risk behaviour within three pill test scenarios by determining the individual factors which predict subsequent risky or risk reduction intentions. Music festival attendees (N = 276)...
Ecstasy users in the electronic dance music scene are at high risk for using ecstasy adulterated with new psychoactive substances and/or methamphetamine. We examined self-reported testing of ecstasy among users in this scene. We surveyed individuals (aged 18-40 years) entering electronic dance music parties in New York City in 2017. Past-year ecstasy users (n = 351) were asked if they had...