XTC Auswertung 2020
In 2020, 115 ecstasy tablets were submitted for analysis. During a mobile drug-checking [1] conducted in the city of Zurich in 2020, six ecstasy tablets were submitted and analyzed.
Risk assessment
In addition to the side effects typical of MDMA, the consumption of ecstasy tablets carries the risk of ingesting unexpected substances, pharmacologically active cutting agents, synthesis byproducts, and high-dose tablets. Even ecstasy tablets with the same logo or appearance can differ significantly in their composition. Since 2015, an increasing number of high-dose tablets (>120 mg MDMA*HCl[2]) have been analyzed. From a pharmacological perspective, doses above 1.5 mg MDMA per kg of body weight for men and 1.3 mg per kg of body weight for women are considered excessive, as side effects such as jaw clenching, eye and muscle twitching, and even seizures can occur more frequently, and MDMA has a more pronounced negative effect on nerve cells at these doses. High doses of MDMA also increase the risk of overheating, lead to dehydration, place a significant strain on the cardiovascular system, and result in a more severe and prolonged hangover.[3] With intensive and regular use, long-term damage to the central serotonergic system is considered likely according to current knowledge. Information and recommendations for the lowest possible risk of use can be found at safer-party.ch under Ecstasy/MDMA Safer Use.
MDMA content
On average, the ecstasy tablets analyzed by the DIZ in 2020 contained 186.9 mg of MDMA*HCl. This is an average of 10.1 mg more MDMA*HCl than in the previous year [4]. The range was from 38.2 mg to 293.7 mg MDMA*HCl per tablet. The proportion of ecstasy tablets (90.8% of all tablets) with more than 120 mg MDMA*HCl increased again in 2020 (+8.9%). 41.7% (+13.6%) of the dispensed tablets were even classified as extremely high-dose (>200 mg).
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Warnings were issued for 90.8% (+8.9%) of the analyzed ecstasy tablets due to a high MDMA content (>120 mg MDMA). In addition, a warning was issued for 5% (-4.1%) of the analyzed ecstasy tablets due to unexpected pharmacologically active substances.
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[1] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only mobile drug checking could be carried out in 2020.
[2] MDMA exists exclusively in salt form (classically as hydrochloride).
[3] The dosage guideline is: a maximum of 1.5 mg MDMA*HCl per kilogram of body weight for men (e.g., 1.5 x 80 kg = max. 120 mg MDMA) and a maximum of 1.3 mg MDMA*HCl per kilogram of body weight for women (e.g., 1.3 x 60 kg = max. 80 mg MDMA).
[4] The differences compared to the previous year are shown in parentheses below.
Pharmacologically active adulterants 2020
In 2020, 5% (-11%) of the analyzed ecstasy tablets contained at least one other unexpected pharmacologically active substance in addition to MDMA. These were pharmacologically active adulterants and/or synthesis impurities. Besides the pharmacologically active substances, ecstasy tablets always contain pharmacologically inactive additives (e.g., lactose, sorbitol, etc.) and tableting agents (e.g., starch) that do not have any additional psychological and/or physical effects when consumed.
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2C-B
Caffeine
Synthesis byproducts
Other analyzed psychoactive adulterants