Drug and Alcohol Review - The Consciousness Library

Exploring the Utility and Appropriateness of Dose Thresholds for Issuing of Public Drug Alerts on High-Dose MDMA: A Qualitative Study.

Drug and Alcohol Review March 1, 2026 Jack Freestone, Harriet MacDonald, Stassi Kypri et al.

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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.70140 Full text MDMA Ecstasy Drug toxicity Harm reduction +1

Epidemiology of Hallucinogen Microdosing Among Young Adults in the United States: A National Study

Drug and Alcohol Review February 26, 2026 Katherine M Keyes, Yvonne Terry-Mcelrath, Megan E. Patrick

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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.70133 Young adult Context archaeology Epidemiology Drug +3

Nitrous Oxide Sourcing, Use and Harms: Insights From Australians Who Use Ecstasy/MDMA and Other Illicit Stimulants.

Drug and Alcohol Review November 1, 2025 Jodie Grigg, Simon Lenton, Amy Peacock et al.

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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.70032 Full text Vitamin b12 deficiency Drug monitoring Harm reduction Neurologic symptoms +1

Emergence of Medetomidine in the Unregulated Drug Supply and Its Association With Hallucinogenic Effects.

Drug and Alcohol Review November 1, 2025 Adams 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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.70024 Full text Drug adulteration Drug checking Fentanyl Harm reduction +1

Risk communication about high-dose MDMA: Impact of a hypothetical drug alert on future MDMA use.

Drug and Alcohol Review May 1, 2025 Joel Keygan, Breanna Willoughby, Raimondo Bruno et al. 1 citation

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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.14037 Full text Drug safety alerts MDMA/Ecstasy/Molly Public health interventions Behaviour change +3

First episode of catatonia followed by a psychotic episode related to chronic nitrous oxide use: A case report

Drug and Alcohol Review February 3, 2025 Tanguy 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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.14012 Full text

A case of severe and prolonged γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) withdrawal syndrome successfully managed with a slow benzodiazepine and baclofen taper.

Drug and Alcohol Review 2025 Rachit Gupta, Greta Moon, Yvonne Bonomo et al. 2 citations

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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.13911 Full text Baclofen Diazepam Gamma‐hydroxybutyrate Recurring gamma-hydroxybutyrate withdrawal +7

Australian psychologists' attitudes towards psychedelic‐assisted therapy and training following a world‐first drug down‐scheduling

Drug and Alcohol Review November 5, 2024 Jordan J. Negrine, Cheneal Puljević, Jason Ferris et al. 8 citations

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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.13973 Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy Psychedelic‐assisted therapy Psychologists +3

Novel harm reduction measures at music festivals in Australia: Pilot implementation of the Emerging Drugs Network of Australia-Victoria toxicosurveillance methodology.

Drug and Alcohol Review November 1, 2024 Rebekka 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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.13922 Full text Nps Illicit drugs Music festivals Toxicosurveillance +4

Brain and body disconnect: A retrospective case series of subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord from chronic nitrous oxide use in Perth, Western Australia.

Drug and Alcohol Review September 1, 2024 Jessamine Soderstrom, Jodie Grigg, Owen Mcwilliam et al. 5 citations

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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.13858 Full text Harm reduction Inhalant abuse Neurotoxicity Nitrous oxide +1

Increases in the use of drug testing kits among nightclub and festival attendees in New York City who use ecstasy, 2017-2022.

Drug and Alcohol Review May 1, 2024 Nicole D. Fitzgerald, Joseph J Palamar 5 citations

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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.13829 Full text Ecstasy Adulterants Drug checking Harm reduction +4

Buprenorphine microdosing regimen using transdermal buprenorphine patches to transition from methadone to buprenorphine

Drug and Alcohol Review May 1, 2024 Thileepan Naren, Jon Cook, Paul MacCartney et al.

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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.13826

Adulteration and substitution of drugs purchased in Australia from cryptomarkets: An analysis of Test4Pay

Drug and Alcohol Review March 4, 2024 Monica J. Barratt, Matthew Ball, Gabriel T. W. Wong et al. 18 citations

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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.13825

Rolling through TikTok: An analysis of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-related content.

Drug and Alcohol Review 2024 Jai Whelan, Geoffrey E Noller, Ryan D Ward

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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.13640 Full text MDMA Social media

Adverse drug effects as a deterrent against willingness to use in the future among nightclub/festival attendees.

Drug and Alcohol Review September 1, 2023 Joseph J Palamar 5 citations

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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.13673 Full text Ecstasy Cocaine Poisoning Drug safety +7

Underground ibogaine use for the treatment of substance use disorders: A qualitative analysis of subjective experiences.

Drug and Alcohol Review February 1, 2023 Borja J Rodríguez-cano, Maja Kohek, Genís Ona et al. 17 citations

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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.13587 Full text Psychedelic-assisted therapy Hallucinogenic Qualitative analysis Substance use disorders +15

Motives for the use of serotonergic psychedelics: A systematic review.

Drug and Alcohol Review September 1, 2022 Lukas A Basedow, Sören Kuitunen-Paul 42 citations

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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.13480 Full text Drug use Hallucinogens Motivation Reason +1

Who uses digital drugs? An international survey of 'binaural beat' consumers.

Drug and Alcohol Review July 1, 2022 Monica J Barratt, Alexia Maddox, Naomi Smith et al. 19 citations

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....

DOI: 10.1111/dar.13464 Full text Cross-sectional study Hallucinogen Illicit drug Music +1

A quantitative analysis of MDMA seized at New South Wales music festivals over the 2019/2020 season: Form, purity, dose and adulterants.

Drug and Alcohol Review February 1, 2022 Matthew J A O'Reilly, Christine A Harvey, Robin Auld et al.

This research aims to understand the content and nature, and to explore the harm potential, of suspected 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) substances circulating at music festivals in New South Wales. Across 19 music festivals held between October 2019 and March 2020, 302 substances detected and suspected by police to contain MDMA were selected for quantitative analysis. Five percent of...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.13412 Full text MDMA New south wales Music festivals Police +1

Associations between ayahuasca consumption in naturalistic settings and current alcohol and drug use: Results of a large international cross‐sectional survey

Drug and Alcohol Review July 25, 2021 Daniel Perkins, Emérita Sátiro Opaleye, Hana Šimonová et al. 54 citations

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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.13348 Ayahuasca Cross-sectional study Confounding Logistic regression +2

Exploring ayahuasca‐assisted therapy for addiction: A qualitative analysis of preliminary findings among an Indigenous community in Canada

Drug and Alcohol Review September 5, 2019 Elena Argento, Rielle Capler, Gerald Thomas et al. 98 citations

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...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.12985 Ayahuasca Addiction Indigenous Psychotherapist +2

Should addiction researchers be interested in psychedelic science?

Drug and Alcohol Review April 10, 2017 Stephen Bright, M.l. Williams, David Caldicott 5 citations

As recently noted by Strauss, Bright and Williams 1, while much of the Western world has been experiencing a renaissance in research into ‘psychedelic science’ over the past decade 2, there has been no such research conducted in Australia. In Europe and the USA, studies have been conducted into lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) that have improved our understanding of brain function 3 and reduced...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.12544 Addiction

Methoxetamine: An early report on the motivations for use, effect profile and prevalence of use in a UK clubbing sample.

Drug and Alcohol Review March 1, 2016 Adam Winstock, Will Lawn, P. Deluca et al.

AbstractIntroduction and AimsTo assess the prevalence of use and subjective effect profile of methoxetamine among a group of polydrug users.Design and MethodsCross‐sectional, anonymous, online survey of UK‐based polydrug users was conducted. Prevalence of lifetime, last year and last month use, sourcing of the drugs, motivations for use, and subjective effect and risk profile compared with that...

DOI: 10.1111/dar.12259 Full text

Substance use initiation: The role of simultaneous polysubstance use

Drug and Alcohol Review May 21, 2012 Janine V. Olthuis, Christine Darredeau, Sean P. Barrett 79 citations

Abstract Introduction and Aims. Simultaneous polysubstance use (SPU) is a common phenomenon, yet little is known about its role in substance use initiation. Design and Methods. In the present study, 226 cannabis users completed structured interviews about their substance use history. For each substance ever used, participants provided details of their age of first use, their use in the...

DOI: 10.1111/j.1465-3362.2012.00470.x Cannabis Mescaline Ecstasy Psilocybin +8

The relationship between non‐acute adolescent cannabis use and cognition

Drug and Alcohol Review May 1, 2007 Megan A. Harvey, John D. Sellman, Richard Porter et al.

AbstractResearch indicates that cannabis continues to be a popular illegal drug internationally. Furthermore, adolescent rates of use appear to be significant. Whilst the non‐acute effect of cannabis use on adult cognition has been extensively researched, there has been less examination of adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the non‐acute relationship between cannabis and cognitive...

DOI: 10.1080/09595230701247772

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