Patterns of use and harm reduction practices of ecstasy users in Australia.
Kelly Allott, Jennifer Redman
Drug and Alcohol Dependence April 28, 2006 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2005.09.009 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 116 |
| Population | Australian residents aged 18 years and over who had used ecstasy at least once in their lifetime |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | Ecstasy users reported using a range of harm-reduction strategies, most commonly drinking water, limiting or reducing ecstasy use, taking breaks, and taking vitamins or natural substances. Forty percent had tested their pills for MDMA, 41% had preloaded, and 47% had postloaded, most often with multivitamins, 5-HTP, magnesium, and fruit or fruit juice. Preloading was associated with younger mean age and more total ecstasy-use occasions; postloading with more total and more frequent use. |
Abstract
Harm reduction refers to the use of strategies to prevent or reduce harmful consequences associated with illicit drug use. There is a paucity of research concerning the harm reduction practices employed by ecstasy users. This study aimed to explore the prevalence, nature and factors associated with harm reduction practices employed by ecstasy users in Australia, with a specific focus on the practice of preloading and postloading--the use of pharmaceuticals and natural products prior and subsequent to ecstasy use. One hundred and sixteen Australian residents aged 18 years and over who had used ecstasy at least once in their lifetime were recruited via convenience sampling, 'snowballing' and via web-based advertisements and completed an anonymous questionnaire. Participants reported using a wide range of strategies for minimising ecstasy-associated harm. The most common strategies used for reducing negative side effects, 'comedown' or neurotoxicity were drinking water, limiting or reducing ecstasy use, taking breaks and taking vitamins or other natural substances. Forty percent of the sample had tested their ecstasy pills for the presence of MDMA. Forty-one percent and 47% of participants had engaged in pre- and postloading, respectively, with the most common pre- and postloading substances being multivitamins, 5-HTP, magnesium and fruit or fruit juice. Younger mean age and 'high' total occasions of ecstasy use was significantly associated with preloading, and 'high' total use and frequency of use was associated with postloading. The results indicate that ecstasy users are aware of the potential for harm associated with ecstasy use and attempt to minimise harm by actively employing strategies. By exploring the pattern of harm reduction practices among ecstasy users, this study has highlighted the need for further research into the efficacy and potential clinical drug interactions associated with such practices, as well as the need for investigation of how such practices may affect patterns of ecstasy use.
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 13
- Microdosing psychedelics: Motivations, subjective effects and harm reduction International Journal of Drug Policy November 25, 2019
- A direct comparison of the behavioral and physiological effects of methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in humans Psychopharmacology June 30, 2011
- Qualitative Review of Serotonin Syndrome, Ecstasy (MDMA) and the use of Other Serotonergic Substances: Hierarchy of Risk Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry July 25, 2007
- Specific harm reduction strategies employed by 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetmine/ ecstasy users in the United States and the United Kingdom Drug Science, Policy and Law 2017
- Careers in ecstasy use: do ecstasy users cease of their own accord? Implications for intervention development BMC Public Health November 15, 2008
and 8 more in the library
Cites 18
- Positron emission tomographic evidence of toxic effect of MDMA (“Ecstasy”) on brain serotonin neurons in human beings The Lancet October 1, 1998
- Recreational MDMA use in Sydney: a profile of ‘Ecstasy’ users and their experiences with the drug British Journal of Addiction August 1, 1992
- Human psychopharmacology of Ecstasy (MDMA): a review of 15 years of empirical research Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental December 1, 2001
- (±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (‘Ecstasy’)-Induced Serotonin Neurotoxicity: Studies in Animals Neuropsychobiology 2000
- Long-Term Neuropsychiatric Consequences of "Ecstasy" (MDMA): A Review Harvard Review of Psychiatry 2002
and 13 more in the library