PMID- 34919770
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20220210
LR  - 20220531
IS  - 1465-3362 (Electronic)
IS  - 0959-5236 (Linking)
VI  - 41
IP  - 2
DP  - 2022 Feb
TI  - A quantitative analysis of MDMA seized at New South Wales music festivals over 
      the 2019/2020 season: Form, purity, dose and adulterants.
PG  - 330-337
LID - 10.1111/dar.13412 [doi]
AB  - INTRODUCTION: 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. METHODS: 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. 
      RESULTS: Five percent of substances contained a drug other than MDMA (n = 13) or 
      no drug (n = 2). The remaining 95.0% (n = 287) contained MDMA. Of this 
      sub-sample, capsule was the commonest form (83.3%), followed by tablet (7.7%), 
      crystal (6.3%) and powder (2.8%). The median MDMA base-purity of non-tablet forms 
      ranged between 73.5% and 75.0%. The median MDMA base-dose per tablet (116 mg) was 
      higher than per capsule (68 mg). The dose range varied substantially for capsules 
      (14-146 mg) and tablets (24-201 mg). A higher dose (130 mg or greater) was found 
      in 3.5% of MDMA tablets or capsules. Adulterants were identified in 14.1% of MDMA 
      substances but only 1.6% contained a psychoactive adulterant and none presented 
      as dangerous due to their nature or low concentration. DISCUSSION AND 
      CONCLUSIONS: Dangerous MDMA adulterants or new psychoactive substances in tablet, 
      capsule, powder or crystal forms (whether misrepresented as MDMA or not) were 
      unlikely to be in circulation during the study period. Harm reduction messaging 
      should inform that a key risk-factor for MDMA-related harm is the high and wide 
      variation of purity and dose across forms. Market changes may have occurred since 
      COVID-19, but continued monitoring will ensure messaging remains current.
CI  - (c) 2021 State of New South Wales. Drug and Alcohol Review (c) 2021 Australasian 
      Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.
FAU - O'Reilly, Matthew J A
AU  - O'Reilly MJA
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-6584-2119
AD  - Drug and Alcohol Coordination, NSW Police Force, Sydney, Australia.
FAU - Harvey, Christine A
AU  - Harvey CA
AD  - Centre for Alcohol and Other Drugs, NSW Ministry of Health, Sydney, Australia.
FAU - Auld, Robin
AU  - Auld R
AD  - Centre for Alcohol and Other Drugs, NSW Ministry of Health, Sydney, Australia.
FAU - Cretikos, Michelle
AU  - Cretikos M
AD  - Centre for Population Health, NSW Ministry of Health, Sydney, Australia.
FAU - Francis, Catherine
AU  - Francis C
AD  - Centre for Alcohol and Other Drugs, NSW Ministry of Health, Sydney, Australia.
FAU - Todd, Stephanie
AU  - Todd S
AD  - Centre for Alcohol and Other Drugs, NSW Ministry of Health, Sydney, Australia.
FAU - Barry, Daniel
AU  - Barry D
AD  - Centre for Population Health, NSW Ministry of Health, Sydney, Australia.
FAU - Cullinan, Una
AU  - Cullinan U
AD  - Forensic & Analytical Science Service, NSW Health Pathology, Sydney, Australia.
FAU - Symonds, Michael
AU  - Symonds M
AD  - Forensic & Analytical Science Service, NSW Health Pathology, Sydney, Australia.
LA  - eng
GR  - NSW Ministry of Health/
GR  - NSW Health Pathology Forensic & Analytical Science Service/
GR  - NSW Police Force/
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
DEP - 20211216
PL  - Australia
TA  - Drug Alcohol Rev
JT  - Drug and alcohol review
JID - 9015440
RN  - 0 (Illicit Drugs)
RN  - KE1SEN21RM (N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
SB  - IM
MH  - Holidays
MH  - Humans
MH  - *Illicit Drugs/analysis
MH  - *Music
MH  - *N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine/analysis
MH  - New South Wales/epidemiology
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - MDMA
OT  - New South Wales
OT  - music festivals
OT  - police
OT  - purity
EDAT- 2021/12/18 06:00
MHDA- 2022/02/11 06:00
CRDT- 2021/12/17 17:26
PHST- 2021/10/21 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2021/04/06 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2021/10/24 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2021/12/18 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2022/02/11 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2021/12/17 17:26 [entrez]
AID - 10.1111/dar.13412 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Drug Alcohol Rev. 2022 Feb;41(2):330-337. doi: 10.1111/dar.13412. Epub 2021 Dec 
      16.