A warning has been handed down to those keen to get clammy-handed and wide-eyed at festivals, clubs and the house parties of wonder this summer and far beyond. MDMA is more potent than ever, leading to more hospital admissions and a disproportionate amount of women needing medical attention.
According to the Global Drug Survey [GDS] 2016, which polled 50,000 ecstasy users, stronger powders and pills in circulation can have more extreme affects due to users not quite knowing the potency of what they’re doing.
Dr Adam Winstock from the Global Drug Survey said any more ‘pleasurable’ effects of MDMA ‘outweigh the negative effects that become more common with bigger doses such as nausea, panic, paranoia, agitation and turning.’
However, ‘higher doses tend to leave people feeling too wasted for too long and being less able to enjoy the people around them and their environment.’
‘The current average dose of MDMA used in a session across many countries is over 200mg’.
‘GDS thinks for most people this is too much’
Just FYI, if a gram is 1000mg, then 200mg is a fifth of a gram. The GDS says that higher purity pills and powders result in users taking too much too easily.
Dr Winstock added: ‘2016 might be the worst time to start taking MDMA in a generation. It has never been so plentiful…more and more people are using it.’ He put this down to dance music and the way MDMA is no longer only being taken in clubs: ’The rising popularity of EDM and dispersion of MDMA from the dance floor to mainstream drug culture has coincided with resurgence of MDMA availability’
His advice for anyone who still planned to take MDMA? ‘People should aim to use less MDMA. If you’re going to re-dose, you should do so after you have peaked to reduce the risk of higher dose unwanted effects.
‘Try not to use more often than once a month'
‘Stay cool and hydrated and try to avoid mixing with other drugs and alcohol.’
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.