Impact of a transient instability of the ecstasy market on health concerns and drug use patterns in The Netherlands.
Tibor M Brunt, Raymond J.m. Niesink, Wim van den Brink
International Journal of Drug Policy March 2012 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2011.05.016 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Ecstasy users handing in drug samples at drug testing facilities in The Netherlands |
| Duration | 2008 and 2009 |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | The unstable ecstasy market increased the number of users handing in ecstasy tablets for testing due to health concern, with no change for cocaine or GHB. Users reported no major changes in drug use, suggesting that reduced quality led to increased harm reduction testing rather than reduced use. |
Abstract
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 was measured using intervention time-series analysis. In addition, these ecstasy users were asked about changes in their drug use. Nationally, the unstable market situation for ecstasy has increased the number of users handing in ecstasy tablets for testing because of health concern. There was no change in the number of users handing in cocaine or gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB). Respondents reported no major changes in their drug use resulting from the shortage of MDMA-like substances. These findings provide further insight in drug policy based on both harm reduction and use reduction. In the event of reduced ecstasy quality, ecstasy users in The Netherlands have increasingly used drug testing as a potential harm reduction tool, rather than changing their patterns of drug use. This might indicate that a transient reduction of drug quality does not serve as a good drug use reduction strategy for ecstasy users.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subjective Reports of the Effects of MDMA in a Clinical Setting Individuals who took MDMA in a clinical setting | 1986 | Observational study | |
| Memory impairment in abstinent MDMA ("Ecstasy") users Abstinent MDMA users | 1998 | Observational cohort | |
| Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Otherwise healthy young people | 2000 | Observational | |
| The Psychological and Physiological Effects of MDMA on Normal Volunteers Older, more educated, drug-experienced individuals | 1986 | Observational cohort | |
| Cognitive performance in recreational users of MDMA or 'ecstasy': evidence for memory deficits Young people who were regular or novice MDMA users, or non-users | 1998 | Observational cohort | n = 30 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Verbal Memory Impairment in Polydrug Ecstasy Users: A Clinical Perspective PLoS One February 23, 2016
- Prevalence of reagent test-kit use and perceptions of purity among ecstasy users in an electronic dance music scene in New York City. Drug and Alcohol Review January 2019
- Escalation of intravenous self-administration of methylone and mephedrone under extended access conditions. Addiction Biology September 2017
- Atypical binding at dopamine and serotonin transporters contribute to the discriminative stimulus effects of mephedrone. Neuropharmacology June 2017
- Predicting the Abuse Liability of Entactogen-Class, New and Emerging Psychoactive Substances via Preclinical Models of Drug Self-administration. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences 2017
and 1 more in the library
Cites 5
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- Is ecstasy MDMA? A review of the proportion of ecstasy tablets containing MDMA, their dosage levels, and the changing perceptions of purity. Psychopharmacology May 2004