Patterns of ecstasy use amongst live music event attendees and their opinions on pill testing: a cross sectional study.
Madeleine Southey, Ashwini Kathirgamalingam, Benjamin Crawford, Rohan Kaul, Jack McNamara, Franklin John-Leader, Jenny Heslop, Sabrina Winona Pit
Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy August 5, 2020 DOI: 10.1186/s13011-020-00295-1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 760 |
| Population | People attending a major Australian live music event in 2017 |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Festivals Harm reduction Pill testing Public health |
| Key findings | A high proportion of live music attendees consume alcohol and ecstasy, and both people who have and have not used illicit drugs support the implementation of pill testing services, with most stating they would not consume a drug if a harmful substance was detected. |
Abstract
Pill testing services could potentially be used to reduce drug-related harm. This study aims to identify patterns of ecstasy use among live music event attendees; explore the opinions and potential usage of illicit pill testing programs and examine factors associated with the likelihood of still taking a pill containing a potential harmful substance. A cross-sectional survey was completed by 760 people attending a major Australian live music event in 2017. The most commonly used drug in the last 12 months was ecstasy (73.9%). About 5% of people who use drugs had sought medical attention due to consumption of ecstasy. People who use drugs agreed "a lot" that pill testing should be provided for free at live music events (82.2%) and that it should be combined with harm reduction advice (62.9%). Additionally, 32% of all participants agreed 'a lot' that they would be more likely to take illicit drugs at a music festival if pill-testing services were present. However, if people perceived that a harmful substance was detected in their drugs after using a pill testing service, 52.3% of people who have used illicit drugs reported that they would 'not at all' be likely to still consume the drug. They also reported that they would still take a pill if testing demonstrated the presence of unintended MDMA-type substances (70.3%), amphetamines (31.2%) or ketamine (27.8%). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that only increased frequency of ecstasy use was significantly associated with taking a pill despite pill testing services detecting a harmful substance. Gender, age, alcohol and previously seeking ecstasy-related medical attention were not associated in the multivariate analyses. A high proportion of live music attendees consume alcohol and ecstasy. Both people who have and who have not used illicit drugs support the implementation of pill testing services. People reported they would change their consumption patterns according to the results given by pill testing services. The findings may be used to stimulate public debate, and assist drug and alcohol policy makers in the implementation of harm minimisation strategies such as combining pill testing services with harm reduction advice.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recreational MDMA use in Sydney: a profile of ‘Ecstasy’ users and their experiences with the drug Recreational Ecstasy users recruited via snowball peer network | 1992 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 100 |
| Reducedin vivobinding to the serotonin transporter in the cerebral cortex of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) users Male regular ecstasy users and well-matched controls | 1999 | Cross-sectional association study | n = 20 |
| Patterns of simultaneous polysubstance use in drug using university students Drug-using university students | 2006 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 149 |
| Patterns of recreational drug use at dance events in Edinburgh, Scotland Drug users at dance events in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, aged 16-47, 80% between 18 and... | 2001 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 122 |
| Acute, sub‐acute and long‐term subjective consequences of ‘ecstasy’ (MDMA) consumption in 430 regular users Regular MDMA users | 2003 | Cross-sectional study | n = 466 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Profile and correlates of colorimetric reagent kit use among people who use ecstasy/MDMA and other illegal stimulants in Australia. International Journal of Drug Policy November 1, 2021
- Substance use, harm reduction attitudes and behaviors among attendees of nature rave parties in Israel. Harm Reduction Journal August 9, 2023
- 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
- Recreational MDMA doses do not elicit hepatotoxicity in HepG2 spheroids under normo- and hyperthermia. Toxicology March 1, 2024
- A rapid scoping review of harm reduction strategies for ecstasy (MDMA) users in recreational settings
Cites 7
- Morbidity associated with MDMA (ecstasy) abuse: A survey of emergency department admissions Human & Experimental Toxicology May 20, 2010
- Pill testing or drug checking in Australia: Acceptability of service design features. Drug and Alcohol Review February 2018
- Music festival attendees' illicit drug use, knowledge and practices regarding drug content and purity: a cross-sectional survey. Harm Reduction Journal January 5, 2018
- Linking the pharmacological content of ecstasy tablets to the subjective experiences of drug users. Psychopharmacology April 2012
- Acute toxic effects of 'Ecstasy' (MDMA) and related compounds: overview of pathophysiology and clinical management. British Journal of Anaesthesia June 2006
and 2 more in the library