Kiwis’ MDMA use revealed

New research delves into New Zealanders’ use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in detail.

Led by the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, the study explores people’s MDMA consumption, including motivation, relation to alcohol and other drug use, and perceptions of long-term benefits and harm.

Lead author Jai Whelan, a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology, says the prevalence of MDMA use in New Zealand is relatively high, but has not previously been investigated in depth.

“Understanding consumption behaviours is important as it allows us to find out what is going on ‘out there’ and guide our decision-making regarding where we might make the greatest impact with targeted harm reduction efforts,” Mr Whelan says.

“Although other research has investigated MDMA, we believe this is the first to look at use in Aotearoa in this level of detail.”

Published in the journal Drug Science, Policy and Law, more than 1100 people completed, or partially completed, an online survey.

To participate they were required to have used MDMA in Aotearoa at least once and had all used it in the past five years.

Results show the median age of respondents when they first used MDMA is 19 years and the average dose per session was 151 to 200mg.

Most respondents (88.9 per cent) had used it in the past year – mostly commonly at house parties – and 96.8 per cent in the past two years.

About 30 per cent of people use it every two to three months, 14.9 per cent once a year or less and 14.9 per cent fortnightly or more. Males are more likely to use it more often than females.

Most males administer MDMA orally (53.4 per cent) while females primarily reported nasal use (47.4 percent).

Mr Whelan says the findings show the majority of people have had positive experiences using MDMA.

“Most people don’t run into problems because of their drug use, and in this case, it appears that many people think their use has positively impacted their lives,” he says.

“This indicates that many users report long-term positive impacts of their use, not just acute euphoric experiences. These results could be important for understanding potential therapeutic uses of MDMA.”

However, he was concerned about the amount of alcohol some people drank while using MDMA.

When using both drugs in the same session, the median number of standard drinks was seven to nine. About 44 per cent of people consumed six or less and 31.5 per cent 10 or more.

Mr Whelan says it is important to remind people who use MDMA that consuming large amounts of alcohol at the same time can reduce the positive effects for some people, while increasing the risk of harm.

“I would encourage people to be mindful about drinking large amounts of alcohol on top of MDMA and whether it is necessary for a good time.

“Reducing drinking when taking MDMA is unlikely to make it less fun and is likely to reduce your risk of harm whilst you save money.”

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) consumption in Aotearoa New Zealand: A quantitative survey exploration

Jai Whelan, Geoff Noller and Ryan D Ward

Drug Science, Policy and Law