Size matters: comparing the MDMA content and weight of ecstasy tablets submitted to European drug checking services in 2012–2021

Abstract

Purpose The 3,4-methylenedioxymetamphetamine (MDMA) content in ecstasy tablets has increased enormously throughout Europe across the past decade. This study aims to determine whether this is caused by the production of “stronger” tablets (more mg MDMA per mg of tablet), or if tablets have simply been getting larger and heavier (more mg of tablet in total). Design/methodology/approach A data set of 31,716 ecstasy tablets obtained in 2012–2021 by 10 members of the Trans European Drug Information (TEDI) network was analysed. Findings The MDMA mass fraction in ecstasy tablets has remained virtually unchanged over the past 10 years, with increased MDMA contents being attributed almost exclusively to increased tablet weight. These trends seem to be uniform across Europe, despite varying sampling and analytical techniques being used by the TEDI participants. The study also shows that while tablet weight correlates perfectly with MDMA content on a yearly basis, wide variations in the MDMA mass fraction make such relations irrelevant for determining the MDMA content of individual tablets. Research limitations/implications These results provide new opportunities for harm reduction, given that size is a tangible and apparently accurate characteristic to emphasise that one tablet does not simply equate to one dose. This is particularly useful for harm reduction services without the resources for in-house quantification of large numbers of ecstasy tablets, although the results of this study also show that chemical analysis remains crucial for accurate personalised harm reduction. Originality/value The findings are both new and pertinent, providing a novel insight into the market dynamics of ecstasy tablet production at a transnational level.

Counting and accounting for drug-related deaths at UK music festivals 2017–2023: A commentary

“…Outside of the festival context, the total number of DRDs in England and Wales involving MDMA has increased dramatically in recent years from a low point of 8 in 2010 to a peak of 92 in 2018, falling back to 67 in 2021 (Office for National Statistics, 2022). It has been suggested that fluctuations in MDMA DRDs may be the result of corresponding changes in the average MDMA content of ecstasy tablets over the same period, with European tablets containing two or even three adult doses in recent years (Vrolijk et al, 2022).…”

Voltammetric MDMA Analysis of Seized Ecstasy Samples

“…Togni and co-workers found that samples seized as ecstasy in São Paulo (Brazil) contained 12-125 mg of MDMA/tablet [19]. From 2012 to 2021 in European drug checking services, Vrolijk and co-workers found that ecstasy tablets had a widely varied mass of MDMA [29]. Ecstasy can present a varied amount of MDMA across countries, and adulterants can also vary.…”

Challenges, policy and politics in drug checking: reflections of the TEDItorial team

“…The goal is not to eliminate risk completely, a prospect that is both impossible and not necessarily desirable, but rather to reduce harm through empowering service users to make informed decisions about their (drug taking) behaviour and thus their health. The article by Vrolijk et al (2022) further shows the importance of chemical analysis of substances of concern to provide personalised harm reduction advice. In their study, the weight of an MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymetamphetamine) tablet correlated (almost) perfectly with MDMA content on a yearly basis.…”

“…Secondly, DCS are sometimes criticised for not providing reliable results and for not being able to determine the concentration, strength or purity of individual substances of concern. The article by Vrolijk et al (2022) shows on the contrary that, with the appropriate equipment and chemistry staff, DCS can provide quantitative analysis and they often offer a number of different technologies to facilitate triangulation to increase the reliability of the results (see also Barratt et al , 2020). However, what this article also highlights is the value of standardisation in analytical procedures and technologies between services, where resources allow.…”