Don't Be in the Dark

As festival forensic testing shows MDMA crystal is very high purity, welfare services offer advice to users: ‘CrushDabWait Saves Lives’

The Loop conducts forensic testing of drugs at UK festivals and nightclubs and provides associated welfare support. Forensic testing suggests that whilst the MDMA content of ecstasy pills has fallen a little in recent months from its peak to just under 100mg MDMA per pill, the MDMA crystal currently in circulation in the UK is very high purity - 83% – and even higher at recent festivals where The Loop has been testing.

The Loop’s and Chill’s welfare teams have cared for hundreds of festival goers at recent music events, many of whom struggled to moderate the amount of MDMA crystal they took. We are very concerned by this, coming after yet more MDMA-implicated deaths, this month at a US festival and in Scotland. Obviously all drugs are potentially dangerous and The Loop and Chill do not encourage or condone any drug use. There is a particular concern relating to the variations in purity, shape, size and density of MDMA crystals, however, meaning that it is difficult for users to guess consistently and accurately how much they are taking. Therefore we are encouraging users not to take whole crystals of MDMA. Instead users should think carefully about how to moderate the amount of MDMA they take with the advice to crush up crystals into a fine powder, lick their finger tip and dab the powder to consume a small amount (approximately 70-100mg of MDMA, the same as contained in an average pill and an average dose for an average sized person) then wait 1-2 hours for the effects before considering taking more.

Fiona Measham, co-Director of The Loop and Director of its drug testing programme said: “My research shows that MDMA crystal remains the most popular party drug amongst festival goers and clubbers but purity and contents can vary considerably in illegal markets. When purity increases it takes a while for behaviours to readjust and we often see more problems. We want to keep people safe and advice as simple as ‘crush-dab-wait’ could save lives”.

Katy MacLeod Director of Chill Welfare said “ We have seen an increase in MDMA crystal use over the last year and we have found that people experiencing negative effects have often used at large doses, re-dosed quickly or mixed with other substances. It’s difficult to judge the dose of MDMA crystal so this can lead to users taking more and experiencing unpleasant and sometimes life threatening side effects. For people that choose to use MDMA crystal, the crush-dab-wait advice is essential to avoid negative experiences. Equally people should be aware that mixing with other drugs including alcohol increases the likelihood of adverse side effects.”

#CrushDabWait 

The Loop is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company providing welfare, forensic drug testing and harm reduction services on drugs, alcohol and sexual health at UK nightclubs and festivals across Europe. The Loop was the first UK organisation to warn about the Superman PMMA pills prior to the death of 4 users. For more information about The Loop contact fiona@wearetheloop.co.uk.

Chill is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company providing welfare, chill out and harm reduction services for drugs, alcohol and sexual health at festivals across the UK, Ireland and beyond. For more information about Chill contact katy@chillwelfare.org.uk.

Note: The UK continues to have the highest rates of MDMA use in Europe, with 3.9% of 16-24 year olds reporting having used ecstasy in the past year in the latest Home Office Crime Survey for England and Wales: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/drug-misuse-findings-from-the-2013-to-2014-csew/drug-misuse-findings-from-the-201314-crimesurvey-for-england-and-wales