Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System: 16 Findings EMCDDA Lisbon Sept 19 th - th Courtney Breen and Amanda Roxburgh on behalf of the Drug Trends Team
Drug Trends aims: Document the price, purity, and availability of illicit drugs To detect changing patterns of use and harm over time Point to specialised/detailed research Provide an evidence base for policy Outputs include: reports, bulletins, briefings, presentations www.drugtrends.org 2
What is Drug Trends? Drug Trends IDRS (1999) Illicit Drug Reporting System NIDIP (2) National Illicit Drugs Indicator Project EDRS (3) Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System DNeT (12) Drugs and New Technologies 1. Interviews with people who inject drugs Analysis data from other sources eg. * Overdose * Seizures * Treatment 1. Interview with regular psychostimulant users Investigates: * Drug marketplaces online; and * New technologies 2. Interviews with Key experts 2. Interviews with key experts 3. Indicator data 3. Indicator data 3
Ecstasy use in the general population 1998-13 Ever used Used last 12 months 15 1 5 4.8 1.3 8.9 7.5 6.1 2.4 2.9 3.4 3.5 3 1.9 2.5 1998 1 4 7 1 13 4
Ecstasy and related Drugs Reporting System: EDRS Annual face-to-face survey in every capital city People who regularly use psychostimulants Not representative of illicit drug use in the general population EDRS Participant eligibility Use ecstasy or other stimulants in the last 6 months In the market for the past year Recruited from street press advertisements, word of mouth, social media (predominantly Facebook) Around 1 participants from each state and territory 5
Demographics of EDRS participants Participant demographics have been consistent over time Mean age 23 years (75% aged 24 years and under) 61% male 44% Tertiary educated 11% Unemployed $588 average weekly income 2% Currently in drug treatment 6
%RPU reported Drug of choice 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 1 52 51 51 45 42 39 37 37 35 36 32 32 3 27 25 23 29 21 17 15 16 19 12 13 14 12 13 18 15 15 15 15 13 11 12 11 12 9 3 5 5 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 11 12 13 14 15 16 Ecstasy Cannabis Alcohol 7
% reported EDRS use Ecstasy forms used 1 9 Ecstasy forms, 7-16 1 1 1 98 97 95 96 92 8 7 85 82 6 5 49 52 57 4 39 3 1 7 8 9 1 11 12 13 14 15 16 pills capsules powder MDMA crystals 8
% of respondents % of respondents Ecstasy pills, powder, capsules MDMA crystal/rock Price: $25 per pill Price: $3 per point, $ per gram Purity: 29 25 14 33 Low Medium High Fluctuates Purity: 14 54 3 29 Low Medium High Fluctuates Availability: Availability: 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 96 95 96 94 92 94 easy-very easy 88 69 72 89 86 89 93 93 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 1 68 66 83 easy-very easy 1 Darknet marketplace analysis shows that listings for MDMA in crystal/rock form is prevalent. 9
Ecstasy patterns of use last six months 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 1 weekly ecstasy use * median days used pills median days used MDMA crystal 27 29 26 27 28 26 27 23 24 25 12 12 12 12 12 12 11 1 1 1 3 5 5 6 7 8 9 1 11 12 13 14 15 16 * Includes pills, powder, capsules and MDMA crystals 1
% RPU reporting Proportions reporting binge * stimulant use 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 1 44 41 39 4 36 32 34 36 37 32 7 8 9 1 11 12 13 14 15 16 *Binge use is defined as using for more than 48 hours without sleep 11
% RPU reporting Other recent drug use 16 1 97 9 86 8 7 6 5 47 45 4 38 34 3 25 26 1 19 14 12 12 8 12
% reported methamphatime use Methamphetamine market 3-16 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 1 84 83 84 82 73 74 71 68 64 59 6 61 57 56 54 52 49 49 5 46 47 48 47 45 45 38 37 38 38 36 33 39 38 29 36 26 34 24 25 25 23 26 17 15 18 19 19 15 16 15 13 3 4 6 8 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 11 12 13 14 15 16 Any meth Speed Base Ice/crystal 13
Cannabis use 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 median days use daily cannabis use cannabis past 6 mths 83 85 86 87 86 81 82 8 82 83 76 6 48 48 48 5 49 4 32 29 24 24 1 16 15 17 14 18 24 16 16 19 21 6 7 8 9 1 11 12 13 14 15 16 14
Other recent drug use 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 1 41 27 23 26 32 28 23 26 21 11 1 9 8 7 7 48 46 4 37 39 4 36 46 38 34 34 29 28 3 14 16 16 12 1 12 14 4 47 44 42 36 43 45 41 4 26 19 18 15 12 6 7 7 6 5 5 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 11 12 13 14 15 16 Cocaine LSD Ketamine GHB 15
% of RPU sample Recent use of any NPS, 1-16 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 1 33 42 52 47 41 4 34 1 11 12 13 14 15 16 Sutherland, R., Peacock, A., Whittaker, E., Roxburgh, A., Lenton, S., Matthews, A., Butler, K., Nelson, M., Burns, L. & Bruno, R. 16. New psychoactive substance use among regular psychostimulant users in Australia, 1-15. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 16(1), 11-118, doi:1.116/j.drugalcdep.16.1.24. 16
% of RPU sample NPS Classes: What s increased? 3 25 Phenethylamines (e.g. 2C-x, NBOMe ) Plant based NPS (e.g. Salvia, Mescaline, Datura) Tryptamines (e.g. DMT) 15 16 14 1 8 5 2 1 11 12 13 14 15 16 5 Sutherland, R., Peacock, A., Whittaker, E., Roxburgh, A., Lenton, S., Matthews, A., Butler, K., Nelson, M., Burns, L. & Bruno, R. 16. New psychoactive substance use among regular psychostimulant users in Australia, 1-15. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 16(1), 11-118, doi:1.116/j.drugalcdep.16.1.24. 17
% of RPU sample NPS Classes: What s decreasing? 25 Cathinones (e.g. methylone, mephedrone) Piperazines (e.g. BZP) 19 15 1 5 5 3 1 11 12 13 14 15 16 Sutherland, R., Peacock, A., Whittaker, E., Roxburgh, A., Lenton, S., Matthews, A., Butler, K., Nelson, M., Burns, L. & Bruno, R. 16. New psychoactive substance use among regular psychostimulant users in Australia, 1-15. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 16(1), 11-118, doi:1.116/j.drugalcdep.16.1.24. 18
% of RPU sample NPS Classes: Other patterns Cannabinoids Arylcyclohexylamines (MXE) Aminoindanes (MDAI, 5-IAI) Benzodiazepines (Etizolam) 18 16 14 12 1 16 16 8 6 7 7 6 4 2 4 3 1.9.3 11 12 13 14 15 16 Sutherland, R., Peacock, A., Whittaker, E., Roxburgh, A., Lenton, S., Matthews, A., Butler, K., Nelson, M., Burns, L. & Bruno, R. 16. New psychoactive substance use among regular psychostimulant users in Australia, 1-15. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 16(1), 11-118, doi:1.116/j.drugalcdep.16.1.24. 19
Has there been a resurgence in the ecstasy market?
%RPU reported Indicators ecstasy availability 3-16 Easy to very Easy Difficult to very Difficult 1 96 95 96 94 94 92 88 89 89 86 93 93 8 69 72 6 4 26 22 12 12 14 7 7 7 4 5 4 11 7 8 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 11 12 13 14 15 16 21
Indicators ecstasy purity 3-16 Low High Crystal high 1 8 6 56 58 56 54 48 4 32 27 21 27 21 24 18 19 25 18 11 12 13 17 14 15 19 16 14 9 13 12 6 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 11 12 13 14 15 16 22
Number of seizures Weight (kg) of seizures 45 4 35 3 25 Indicators ecstasy border seizures 2-15 2377.7 Weight (kg) Number 25 15 15 1 5 444.6 556 873 435 812 212 1 5 23
Number of seizures Weight (kg) of seizures 45 4 35 3 25 15 1 5 Indicators ecstasy border seizures 2-15 Weight (kg) Number 3578 2.35 kg 25 15 1 5 24
Illicit tablets seized by major drug type July 12- June 13 July 15 June 16 4% 7% 3% 7% 52% Methorphan Ecstasy (MDMA and MDA) Methylamphetamine No drugs detected other 9% 5% 2% 2% 8% Ecstasy (MDMA and MDA) 5-methoxy-N-methyl-Nisopropyltryptamine (5- MeO-MiPT) Ethylone no drugs detected Methorphan Aminopropylbenzofuran (APB) Other Source: Victorian Police Forensic Services 25
Summary (1) Major findings EDRS 16 o Ecstasy Ecstasy is predominant drug of choice among this group Continued increase in % using crystal MDMA higher in purity and readily available 1 in 4 reporting weekly or more ecstasy use Binge patterns of stimulant use predominant o Other drugs High prevalence of risky alcohol and cannabis Frequency of other drug use (with exception of alcohol and cannabis) is sporadic Continued decline in methamphetamine (crystal and speed) use 26
Summary (2) Has there been a resurgence in the ecstasy market? reports of easy availability (self-report, Customs seizure data small %?) reports of purity (self-report, seizure data) MDMA in top 3 substances for sale on darknet crystal MDMA listing prevalent Similar reports in Europe and UK 27
Discussion Potential risks for this group: 1. Acute harms toxicity/adverse events: Particularly concerning in context of high purity ecstasy (and crystal form) available Mixing drugs 2. Other drug markets operating off the back of the ecstasy market: Methamphetamine New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) content unknown/variable Strategies Messages around risks of: mixing drugs taking high purity ecstasy variable content of tablets (e.g. NPS/adulterants) Continued monitoring of market indicators and other drug use 28
16 Drug Trends Team: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales (National, NSW, ACT, SA and the NT) Dr Courtney Breen, Ms Jennifer Stafford, Ms Amanda Roxburgh, Ms Kerryn Butler, Mr Gavin Entwistle, Ms Antonia Karlsson, Ms Rachel Sutherland, Ms Elizabeth Whittaker, Mr Joe Van Buskirk, Mr Sundresan Naicker and A/Professor Lucinda Burns Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health (VIC) Ms Amy Kirwan, Mr Arthur Truong, Dr Campbell Aitken and Professor Paul Dietze School of Medicine, University of Tasmania (TAS) Ms Bethany Lusk, Dr Amy Peacock, Dr Allison Matthews and A/Professor Raimondo Bruno National Drug Research Institute (WA) Mr James Fetherston, Ms Marina Nelson and Professor Simon Lenton School of Public Health, The University of Queensland (QLD) Dr Caroline Salom and Professor Rosa Alati Northern Territory Department of Health (NT) Mr Chris Moon and Ms Tania Davidson 29
Drug Trends website www.drugtrends.org.au 3
Thank you! 31