Drug testing in Europe: monitoring results of the Trans European Drug Information (TEDI) project.
Tibor M Brunt, Constanze Nagy, Alexander Bücheli, Daniel Martins, Miren Ugarte, Cécile Beduwe, Mireia Ventura Vilamala
Drug Testing and Analysis February 2017 DOI: 10.1002/dta.1954 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study of drug testing system data Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 45,859 |
| Population | Illicit drug samples submitted voluntarily to drug testing services in Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, and the Netherlands |
| Duration | 2008 to 2013 |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Adulterants Amphetamine Cocaine Drug testing New psychoactive substances Purity |
| Key findings | Across 45,859 samples analyzed by TEDI between 2008 and 2013, cocaine and amphetamine powder purity was generally low in Austria but high in Spain and the Netherlands; ecstasy markets differed, with tablets predominant in the Netherlands and Switzerland and MDMA crystals more prevalent in Portugal and Spain. NPS prevalence clearly increased over the period, and some NPS in ecstasy appeared specific to particular countries. |
Abstract
Drug testing is a harm reduction strategy that has been adopted by certain countries in Europe. Drug users are able to hand in their drugs voluntarily for chemical analysis of composition and dose. Drug users will be alerted about dangerous test results by the drug testing systems directly and through warning campaigns. An international collaborative effort was launched to combine data of drug testing systems, called the Trans European Drug Information (TEDI) project. Drug testing systems of Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, and the Netherlands participated in this project. This study presents results of some of the main illicit drugs encountered: cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamine and also comments on new psychoactive substances (NPS) detected between 2008 and 2013. A total of 45 859 different drug samples were analyzed by TEDI. The drug markets of the distinct European areas showed similarities, but also some interesting differences. For instance, purity of cocaine and amphetamine powders was generally low in Austria, whilst high in Spain and the Netherlands. And the market for ecstasy showed a contrast: whereas in the Netherlands and Switzerland there was predominantly a market for ecstasy tablets, in Portugal and Spain MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) crystals were much more prevalent. Also, some NPS appearing in ecstasy seemed more specific for one country than another. In general, prevalence of NPS clearly increased between 2008 and 2013. Drug testing can be used to generate a global picture of drug markets and provides information about the pharmacological contents of drugs for the population at risk. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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 |
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- Are ecstasy induced serotonergic alterations overestimated for the majority of users? Journal of Psychopharmacology May 7, 2018
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Cites 11
- Instability of the ecstasy market and a new kid on the block: mephedrone Journal of Psychopharmacology September 8, 2010
- The new drug phenomenon Drug Testing and Analysis July 1, 2014
- New psychoactive substances as adulterants of controlled drugs. A worrying phenomenon? Drug Testing and Analysis 2014
- Monitoring new psychoactive substances (NPS) in The Netherlands: data from the drug market and the Poisons Information Centre. Drug and Alcohol Dependence February 1, 2015
- 4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B): presence in the recreational drug market in Spain, pattern of use and subjective effects. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2012
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