The Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS)

NDARC Staff

Louisa Degenhardt, Jennifer Stafford, Matthew Dunn and Richard Mattick

Other Investigators

Craig Fry and Jennifer Johnston (Turning Point Alcohol & Drug Centre); Raimondo Bruno, Allison Matthews and Stuart McLean (University of Tasmania); Josephine Weekley, Sophie Pointer and Robert Ali, (Drug & Alcohol Services South Australia); Francoise Chanteloup and Simon Lenton (National Drug Research Institute); Christopher Moon and Jaclyn Newman (NT Government Department of Health and Community Services); and Jane Fischer, Stuart Kinner, and Jake Najman (QADREC)

Aims

The aims of this project are:

• to describe the characteristics of a sample of current regular ecstasy users interviewed in each capital city of Australia
• to examine the patterns of ecstasy and other drug use of these samples
• to document the current price, purity and availability of ecstasy and other party drugs across Australia
• to examine participant’s perceptions of the incidence and nature of ecstasy-related harm, including physical, psychological, financial, occupational, social and legal harms
• to identify emerging trends in the party drug market that may require further investigation

Design and Method

Previously known as the PDI, the EDRS is coordinated by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, and is conducted by different research institutions in each Australian state and territory.

The EDRS uses a similar methodology to the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS). Regular ecstasy users are interviewed as they were identified as a group of drug users that are able to provide the required information on patterns of ecstasy and related drugs (ERDs) use, the current availability, price and purity of ERDs and perceived drug-related health issues associated with ERDs use. A semi-structured survey of experts in the field of ERDs (e.g. party promoters, treatment providers, law enforcement personnel) is also conducted and indicator (e.g. purity of drug seizures and overdose rates) is analysed. These data sources are examined together to identify convergent trends in ERDs use and markets.

Progress

The EDRS was conducted successfully in every state and territory in 2004. Over eight hundred regular ecstasy users were interviewed on their drug use patterns and provided information on drug markets. One hundred and thirty five key informants provided information on party drug users they had contact with. Indicator data including custom seizures, purity analysis and treatment data was examined.

Output

The results of the 2005 PDI were presented as part of the National Drug Trends Conference which was held in Melbourne in November in conjunction with the 2005 APSAD Conference. The December 2005 Party Drugs Bulletin presents a brief overview of the 2005 results. Some of the publications to arise from the project are as follows:

Breen, C., Degenhardt, L., Kinner, S., Bruno, R., Jenkinson, R., Matthews, A., & Newman, J. (2006). Alcohol use and risk taking among regular ecstasy users. Substance Use and Misuse 41, 1095-1109.

Breen C, Degenhardt L., White B., Bruno R., Chanteloup F., Fischer J., Johnston J., Kinner S., Moon C., Proudfoot P, & Weekley J. (2004). Australian Party Drug Trends 2003: Findings of the Party Drugs Initiative. Monograph No. 52. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Bruno, R. & McLean, S. (2004). Tasmanian Party Drug Trends 2003: Findings from the Party Drug Initiative (PDI).Technical Report No. 186. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Chanteloup, F. & Lenton, S. (2004). Western Australian Party Drug Trends 2003: Findings from the Party Drug Initiative (PDI). Technical Report No. 187. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Chanteloup, F. & Lenton, S. (2005). WA Trends in Ecstasy and Drug Related Markets 2004: Findings from the Party Drugs Initiative (PDI). Technical Report No. 220. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Degenhardt, L., Agaliotis, M., White, B. & Stafford, J. (2005). NSW Trends in Ecstasy and Related Drug Markets 2004: Findings from the Party Drugs Initiative (PDI). Technical Report No. 221. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Degenhardt, L., Stafford, J., Kinner, S., Johnston, J., Fry,C., Bruno, R., & Agaliotis, M. (2005). Reflections on a two-year national pilot study of the Party Drugs Initiative (PDI). Technical Report No. 236. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Fischer, J. & Kinner, S. (2004). Queensland Party Drug Trends 2003: Findings from the Party Drug Initiative (PDI).Technical Report No. 185. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Fischer, J. & Kinner, S. (2005). Queensland Trends in Ecstasy and Related Drug Markets 2004: Findings from the Party Drugs Initiative (PDI). Technical Report No. 223. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Johnston, J., Laslett, A.M., Jenkinson, R., Miller, P., & Fry, C. (2004). Victorian Party Drug Trends 2003: Findings from the Party Drug Initiative (PDI).. Technical Report No. 183. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Kinner, S. & Degenhardt, L. (2006). Reflections on the development and implementation of an early warning system for ecstasy and related drug markets in Australia. Drug and Alcohol Review 25, 445-449.

Matthews, A. & Bruno, R. (2005). Tasmanian Trends in Ecstasy and Related Drug Markets 2004: Findings from the Party Drugs Initiative (PDI). Technical Report No. 225. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Moon, C. & Newman, J. (2004). Northern Territory Party Drug Trends 2003: Findings from the Party Drug Initiative (PDI). Technical Report No. 189. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Newman, J. & Moon, C. (2005). NT Trends in Ecstasy and Related Drug Markets 2004: Findings from the Party Drug Initiative (PDI). Technical Report No. 222. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Proudfoot, P. & Ward, J. (2004). Australian Capital Territory Party Drug Trends 2003: Findings from the Party Drug Initiative (PDI).Technical Report No. 188. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Proudfoot, P., Ward, J., Buckingham, K. & Sparks, R. (2005). ACT Trends in Ecstasy and Related Drug Markets 2004: Findings from the Party Drugs Initiative (PDI). Technical Report No. 227. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Stafford, J., Degenhardt, L., Agaliotis, M., Chanteloup, F., Fischer, J., Matthews, A., Newman, J., Proudfoot, P., Stoove, M., & Weekley, J. (2005) Australian Trends in ecstasy and related drug markets 2004: Findings from the Party Drugs Initiative (PDI). Monograph No. 57. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Stoové, M., Laslett, M-A. & Barratt, M. (2005). Victorian Trends in Ecstasy and Related Drug Markets: Findings from the Party Drugs Initiative (PDI). Technical Report No. 226. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Weekley, J., Pointer, S., & Ali, R. (2004). South Australian Party Drug Trends 2003: Findings from the Party Drug Initiative (PDI). Technical Report No. 184. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Weekley, J., Pointer, S. & Ali, R. (2005). SA Trends in Ecstasy and Related Drug Markets 2004: Findings from the Party Drugs Initiative (PDI). Technical Report No. 224. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

White, B., Day, C., Degenhardt, L., Kinner, S., Fry, C., Bruno, R., & Johnston, J. (2006). Prevalence of injecting drug use and associated risk behaviour among regular injecting ecstasy users in Australia. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 83, 210-217.

White, B., Degenhardt, L., & Breen, C. (2004). New South Wales Party Drug Trends 2003: Findings from the Party Drug Initiative (PDI). Technical Report No. 182. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Funding

National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund