More MDMA with added psychoactives is expected to be circulating in New Zealand this summer, according to drug-checking agency Know Your Stuff NZ.
Know Your Stuff, NZ Drug Foundation, and the NZ Needle Exchange Programme (NEST) pooled together their data look at what substances have been found August to November, to get an idea of people can expect to see this summer.
The data showed 22% of drugs tested were partially or completely different to what people thought they had.
It also found that of those, 12% were another substance entirely, and 10% were a mix of the presumed substance and other substances.
Know your Stuff said a concerning trend found was more cathinones in people’s MDMA.
"We are still seeing synthetic cathinones popping up across the country. We’re still seeing eutylone mixed into or sold as MDMA.
"We’ve also seen 4CMC and 3CMC, methylone, dimethylpentylone and 4-MEC amongst others. These cathinones are often dosed differently to MDMA and can have unpleasant and unpredictable effects if taken at MDMA doses."
Know Your Stuff also said, according to High Alert’s assessment, it's likely people will see more MDMA being substituted for something.
"High Alert have found MDMA to be less available and cathinones seem to be more available than they were last year.
"High Alert liaises with customs, police, and drug checking organisations to monitor what’s available on the drug market."
Along with MDMA, Know Your Stuff said the other drugs tested this year which showed to be adulterated or swapped out completely were amphetamine (speed), cocaine, methampethamine, and ketamine.
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