Almost half of the ecstasy pills sold at some of last year’s festivals did not actually contain MDMA, a study has revealed.
For the past three decades, MDMA has been one of the UK’s most popular recreational drugs – along with cocaine and ketamine.
But there is now a much higher chance that users who think they have taken the Class A drug but have actually taken something completely different.
According to analysis at three festivals between 2019 and 2021, the presence of MDMA in ecstasy pills or its powder form decreased from 92.8% to 54.6%.
This means just under 45% of pills did not have any MDMA in them.
These figures come from drug-checking charity The Loop, whose scientists tested 846 pills in 2019 and 802 pills in 2021.
Instead of MDMA, many pills contained caffeine and cathinones – a new psychoactive stimulant, seen as a ‘cousin’ to amphetamines.
It is believed this is partly because the UK lifted coronavirus restrictions before the rest of Europe.
The UK’s illegal drug market supplies a lot of MDMA from the Netherlands, which would have seen a decrease in production during lockdown when there was less demand for ‘party drugs’.
But when Brits returned in their masses to clubs, festivals and other parties, cathinones were used to fill the gaps in the MDMA supplies.
The study also found Brexit would have contributed to ’unprecedented turbulence’ to UK drug gangs – with lorry driver shortages and disruption to supply chains.
Cathinones started showing up in Britain in the late-2000s and have previously been used as an MDMA substitute.
Cardiff University’s Dr Michael Pascoe, the author of the study, told Metro.co.uk it is difficult to say whether cathinones are more dangerous than MDMA.
Different forms of cathinones tend to show up on the market every few years so there is very little research on their effects.
Although Dr Pascoe has not yet come across a toxic cathinone, an increase in their use and production could soon lead to one being developed.
Insomnia has so far been the most reported side effect of cathinones, as the drugs produce a ‘powerful stimulant effect’ rather than the feeling of euphoria most associated with MDMA.
This can result in users taking ‘too much’ in the pursuit of that euphoric feeling – and often end up struggling to sleep.
‘Last year we saw festival-goers showing up at medical tents in the morning, complaining that they hadn’t been able to sleep all night,’ Dr Pascoe said.
The Loop is still in the middle of completing this year’s study so Dr Pascoe could not say for sure whether the decrease in MDMA levels is still an issue.
But they predict the presence of MDMA will increase as Europe’s drug market catches up with the post-Covid demand.
The Loop's advice for drug users:
It goes without saying but the safest way to take drugs is not to take them at all.
But here are some tips to help reduce harm:
- Start low, go slow; if you’re taking pills then start with a half or even a quarter if you’re smaller or less experienced, pill strength varies from batch to batch so something you’ve taken in the past may not be the same strength.
- Always wait at least an hour before you even thinking of taking any more so you can feel the full effects of the drug before making a decision to increase the effects.
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