Trends and characteristics in MDMA deaths in Australia 2000-2018
Jun 26, 2020
Dr Julia Lappin from National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) recently presented a seminar titled “Trends and characteristics in MDMA deaths in Australia 2000-2018”, which is now available to watch on YouTube.
Dr Lappin details the study she co-authored which looks at the deaths of 392 individuals from 2000 to 2018 where MDMA toxicity was either identified as the cause of death, or listed as a contributing factor.
The study found that most deaths were due to multiple drug toxicity, most commonly involving alcohol or methamphetamine. However, there was also a large proportion of deaths that were solely attributed to MDMA toxicity alone. The study found a decline in deaths between 2008-2010, where global MDMA purity was at its lowest due to changes in the supply of precursors. From 2011 onwards, the deaths increased along with global MDMA purity.
Watch “Trends and characteristics in MDMA deaths in Australia 2000 - 2018” (1 hour)