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MDMA in resurgence as ‘creative marketing’ and stronger pills attract young users

Around 2.1 million young European adults report using MDMA in the last year - 300,000 higher than in 2015

Tuesday 31 May 2016 17:42 BST

A report found MDMA is now being used by a wider range of young people in more mainstream settings (Getty)

Ecstasy is making a resurgence since its glory days during the rave and techno scenes of the 1990s, becoming the drug of choice for young people in stronger forms than before, warns the EU’s drug agency.

The 2016 European Drug Report found clear indications that ecstasy – commonly known as MDMA – is making a comeback with established users and a new generation of young users. Powders, crystals and tablets containing high doses of the drug are also more widely available than ever before.

Until recently MDMA use had been in decline after peaking in the early to mid-2000s. However, recent survey data shows an increased use of the drug in Europe.

Tablets with logos, a variety of shapes and bright, fluorescent colours are being developed to attract consumers (Getty Images ) (Getty Images)

Around 2.1 million young adults aged between 15 and 34 years have reported using MDMA in the last year – 300,000 higher than the estimate in 2015, while nine out of 12 European countries reported higher use among adults in new surveys than in previous reports.

The Netherlands recorded the highest usage, with 5.5 per cent of young adults saying they had taken MDMA in the last 12 months. The UK reported the second highest use with 3.5 per cent of young adults saying they had taken the drug in the last year.

No longer a niche, sub-cultural drug confined to dance clubs, the report found MDMA is now being used by a wider range of young people in more mainstream settings, such as bars and parties.

World's 10 deadliest street drugs

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1/10World's 10 deadliest street drugs

World's 10 deadliest street drugs

Whoonga

Whoonga is a combination of antiretroviral drugs, used to treat HIV, and various cutting agents such as detergents and poisons. The drug is widely available in South Africa due to South Africa’s high rate of HIV sufferers, and is believed to be popular due to how cheap it is when compared to prescribed antiretrovirals. The drug is highly addictive and can cause major health issues such as internal bleeding, stomach ulcers and ultimately death

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Scopolamine

Scopolamine is a derivative from the nightshade plant found in the Northern Indian region of South America (Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela). It is generally found in a refined powder form, but can also be found as a tea. The drug is more often used by criminals due its high toxicity level (one gram is believed to be able to kill up to 20 people) making it a strong poison. However, it is also believed that the drug is blown into the faces of unexpecting victims, later causing them to lose all sense of self-control and becoming incapable of forming memories during the time they are under the influence of the drug. This tactic has reportedly been used by gangs in Colombia where there have been reports of people using scopolamine as way to convince victims to rob their own homes

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Heroin

Founded in 1874 by C. R. Alder Wright, heroin is one of the world’s oldest drugs. Originally it was prescribed as a strong painkiller used to treat chronic pain and physical trauma. However in 1971 it was made illegal under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Since then it has become one of the most destructive substances in the world, tearing apart communities and destroying families. The side effects of heroin include inflammation of the gums, cold sweats, a weak immune system, muscular weakness and insomnia. It can also damage blood vessels which can later cause gangrene if left untreated

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Crack cocaine

Crack cocaine first came about in the 1980’s when cocaine became a widespread commodity within the drug trafficking world. Originally cocaine would have attracted a high price tag due to its rarity and difficulty to produce, but once it became more widespread the price dropped significantly. This resulted in drug dealers forming their cocaine into rock like shapes by using baking soda as a way of distilling the powder down into rock form. People were doing this because it allowed for them to sell cocaine at a lower quantity and to a higher number of people. The side effects of crack cocaine include liver, kidney and lung damage, as well as permanent damage to blood vessels, which can often lead to heart attacks, strokes, and ultimately death

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Crystal meth

Not just famous because of a certain Walter H White, but also because it is one of the most destructive drugs in the world. First developed in 1887, it became widely used during the Second World War when both sides would give it to their troops to keep them awake. It is also believed that the Japanese gave it to their Kamikaze pilots before their suicide missions. After the war crystal meth was prescribed as a diet aid and remained legal until the 1970s. Since then it has fallen into the hands of Mexican gangs and has become a worldwide phenomenon, spreading throughout Europe and Asia. The effects of crystal meth are devastating. In the short-term users will become sleep depraved and anxious, and in the long-term it will cause their flesh to sink, as well as brain damage and damage of the blood vessels

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AH-7921

AH-7921 is a synthetic opioid that was previously available to legally purchase online from vendors until it became a Class A in January 2015. The drug is believed to have 80% of the potency of morphine, and became known as the ‘legal heroin’. While there has only been one death related to AH-7921 in the UK, it is believed to be highly dangerous and capable of causing respiratory arrest and gangrene

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Flakka

Flakka is a stimulant with a similar chemical make-up to the amphetamine-like drug found in bath salts. While the drug was originally marketed as a legal high alternative to ecstasy, the effects are significantly different. The user will feel an elevated heart rate, enhanced emotions, and, if enough is digested, strong hallucinations. The drug can cause permanent psychological damage due to it affecting the mood regulating neurons that keep the mind’s serotonin and dopamine in check, as well as possibly causing heart failure

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Bath salts

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Purple Drank

One of the more unusual drugs around at the moment, purple drank was popularised in 90s hip hop culture, with the likes of Jay Z and Big Moe all mentioning it in their songs. It is a concoction of soda water, sweets and cold medicine, and is drunk due to cold medicines high codeine content, which gives the user a woozy feeling. However it can also cause respiratory issues and heart failure

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Krokodil

Krokodil is Russia’s secret addiction. It is believed that over one million Russians are addicted to the drug. Users of krokodil are attracted to the drug due to its low price; it is sold at £20 a gram while heroin is sold for £60. However, krokodil is considered more dangerous than heroin because it is often homemade, with ingredients including painkillers, iodine, lighter fluid and industrial cleaning agents. This chemical make-up makes the drug highly dangerous and likely to cause gangrene, and eventually rotting of the flesh

The report also highlights signs of resurging production, following a decline in the last decade, with large-scale MDMA production facilities previously being dismantled in Belgium in 2013 and in the Netherlands in 2014.

The MDMA revival is associated with “innovation in sourcing MDMA precursors, new production techniques and online supply”, explains the Lisbon-based European monitoring centre for drugs and drug addiction (EMCDDA).

“The creative and sometimes aggressive marketing of products” is highlighted as a key feature of the contemporary MDMA market by European drug experts. This is particularly noticeable in MDMA tablets, they say, which use logos, such as Superman and UPS, a variety of shapes and bright, fluorescent colours to attract consumers.

The Dutch police have reported a sharp increase in the number of new tablet designs, from 50 new designs identified in 2012 to 174 in 2014.

MDMA tablets are also being produced specifically for individual events, typically music festivals such as Tomorrowland or Amsterdam Dance Event.

Police make drug warning after MDMA hospitalises clubber - London Live

Since 2010 and 2011, MDMA has re-emerged on the market in higher levels of purity. Where in the 1990s and 2000s the average MDMA tablet contained around 50–80 mg of the drug, now averages are closer to 125 mg MDMA per tablet and “super pills” found in some countries have a reported range of 270–340 mg, says the report.

Concerns are also raised about online supply of MDMA, which the report labels a “growing dark cloud on the horizon”.

“The potential for expansion of online drug supply appears considerable”, making it a question of critical importance for the future of European policy agenda, the report says.

EMCDDA Director Alexis Goosdeel said: “The revival of MDMA brings with it the need to rethink existing prevention and harm-reduction responses to target and support a new population of users who may be using high-dose products, without fully understanding the risks involved.

“Intoxications and even deaths associated with this drug are highlighted in our new report. This is particularly worrying since MDMA is moving into more mainstream social settings and is increasingly available via online markets.”

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