poledriver
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2005
- Messages
- 11,543
Ecstasy strength quadruples as drug barons fight off legal high competitors
The strength of drugs such as ecstasy are being quadrupled to take on competition from cheap legal highs peddled on the web, experts are warning.
Drug testing agency Wedinos has warned that users are putting themselves at risk because they are still taking the same amounts as ever – unaware of how powerful their pills are.
“Ecstasy tablets, way back when rave culture was happening in the late ‘80s, were 70 to 80 milligrams per tablet of MDMA,” said Wedinos programme leader Josie Smith.
Strength has gone up
“What we have now is the strength has gone up to 120mg and more. Recently a tablet contained 270mg of MDMA.”
That is 3.8 times more potent than when the dance drug hit the market.
“You’re having to take considerably less to achieve the same effect and individuals are less aware of that than they should be,” Ms Smith said.
Users should take a quarter of a pill at a time.
Warning to users
“Don’t take any more until you have assessed it,” Ms Smith said.
“And don’t take other drugs as well.”
On March 21, friends Dean Boswell, 36, and Stephen John, 40, died in Pembrokeshire. Tests have yet confirm what they took but it is thought they had could have ingested legal highs
Ms Smith said the drugs market has changed “dramatically” in just a “few years”.
Drugs like M-Cat were produced cheaply and were legal until recently.
Many new drugs
She said: “The big five – heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamine and cannabis – were the drugs we were all familiar with working with over the last 20- odd years.
“But now there are many different drugs. Even with cannabis you have a lot of synthetic cannabinoids and they are made more potent than cannabis which is leading to significant problems with users who are over consuming and developing serious adverse side effects.”
Mephedrone and other new drugs “are cheaper and more widely accessible than our historic drug markets.”
Thanks to the internet users don’t have to arrange shady street corner deals. Now the postman delivers their highs direct.
“The traditional market has responded with an increase in potency,” Ms Smith said.
Be aware
Between October 2013 and December 2014 Wedinos tested almost 2,000 drug samples sent from clubs, bars, cops and other institutions.
“We need to make sure that individuals who are determined to use drugs like ecstasy are fully aware that you need to take much less.”
Drugs help group Kaleidoscope warned there was “huge variety” in the strength of drugs.
“There is no quality assurance in the manufacturing process,” the organisation’s James Varty said.
“This is one of the key reasons we believe the agenda needs to change in terms of how drugs are managed and the legalising agenda.”
Proper medical controls
Legalisation would lead to “proper medical controls regarding the purity of the substance”.
“Former government advisor Professor David Nutt said ecstasy was no more dangerous than horse riding,” Mr Varty said.
“That is the case if you have a tablet of known strength and quality.
“There are going to be risks but they are known risks that can be managed.”
Cont
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/ecstasy-strength-quadruples-drug-barons-8981216
The strength of drugs such as ecstasy are being quadrupled to take on competition from cheap legal highs peddled on the web, experts are warning.
Drug testing agency Wedinos has warned that users are putting themselves at risk because they are still taking the same amounts as ever – unaware of how powerful their pills are.
“Ecstasy tablets, way back when rave culture was happening in the late ‘80s, were 70 to 80 milligrams per tablet of MDMA,” said Wedinos programme leader Josie Smith.
Strength has gone up
“What we have now is the strength has gone up to 120mg and more. Recently a tablet contained 270mg of MDMA.”
That is 3.8 times more potent than when the dance drug hit the market.
“You’re having to take considerably less to achieve the same effect and individuals are less aware of that than they should be,” Ms Smith said.
Users should take a quarter of a pill at a time.
Warning to users
“Don’t take any more until you have assessed it,” Ms Smith said.
“And don’t take other drugs as well.”
On March 21, friends Dean Boswell, 36, and Stephen John, 40, died in Pembrokeshire. Tests have yet confirm what they took but it is thought they had could have ingested legal highs
Ms Smith said the drugs market has changed “dramatically” in just a “few years”.
Drugs like M-Cat were produced cheaply and were legal until recently.
Many new drugs
She said: “The big five – heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamine and cannabis – were the drugs we were all familiar with working with over the last 20- odd years.
“But now there are many different drugs. Even with cannabis you have a lot of synthetic cannabinoids and they are made more potent than cannabis which is leading to significant problems with users who are over consuming and developing serious adverse side effects.”
Mephedrone and other new drugs “are cheaper and more widely accessible than our historic drug markets.”
Thanks to the internet users don’t have to arrange shady street corner deals. Now the postman delivers their highs direct.
“The traditional market has responded with an increase in potency,” Ms Smith said.
Be aware
Between October 2013 and December 2014 Wedinos tested almost 2,000 drug samples sent from clubs, bars, cops and other institutions.
“We need to make sure that individuals who are determined to use drugs like ecstasy are fully aware that you need to take much less.”
Drugs help group Kaleidoscope warned there was “huge variety” in the strength of drugs.
“There is no quality assurance in the manufacturing process,” the organisation’s James Varty said.
“This is one of the key reasons we believe the agenda needs to change in terms of how drugs are managed and the legalising agenda.”
Proper medical controls
Legalisation would lead to “proper medical controls regarding the purity of the substance”.
“Former government advisor Professor David Nutt said ecstasy was no more dangerous than horse riding,” Mr Varty said.
“That is the case if you have a tablet of known strength and quality.
“There are going to be risks but they are known risks that can be managed.”
Cont
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/ecstasy-strength-quadruples-drug-barons-8981216
Last edited:
