Prevalence and Correlates of Lifetime Ecstasy/MDMA Use Among Asian American and Pacific Islander Adult Populations in the United States, 2015–2020
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs – March 03, 2025
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Over 1 in 20 Asian American and Pacific Islander adults (5.1%) have used Ecstasy/MDMA in their lifetime. Women showed 1.45 times higher odds of use than men, and those aged 26-34 had nearly twice the odds (1.99 times) compared to younger adults. Lifetime use of other substances like Cannabis (28.4 times higher odds) and Psychedelics such as LSD (3.82 times) or psilocybin (3.29 times) strongly correlated with MDMA use. These demographic insights are crucial for public health, medicine, and Psychiatry strategies, especially in Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis, and Gerontology.
Abstract
Little is known about ecstasy/MDMA use among Asian American and Pacific Islander populations. Research is important because AAPIs face unique cultural factors that may influence use. We estimated the prevalence and correlates of lifetime ecstasy/MDMA use based on a representative sample of US AAPI adults aged ≥18 from the 2015-2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. An estimated 5.1% of AAPI adults used ecstasy in their lifetime. Compared to males, females had higher odds of use (aOR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.08-1.98). Compared to those aged 18-25, those aged 26-34 were at increased odds for use (aOR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.30-3.06), while those aged ≥50 were at lower odds for use. Lifetime use of other substances including cannabis (aOR = 28.4, 95% CI: 17.1-47.2), ketamine (aOR = 10.9, 95% CI: 1.63-73.4), LSD (aOR = 3.82, 95% CI: 1.98-7.37), cocaine (aOR = 3.77, 95% CI: 2.54-5.59), psilocybin (aOR = 3.29, 95% CI: 1.75-6.16), prescription opioids (aOR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.44-4.09), and prescription stimulants (aOR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.29-2.99) were associated with increased odds of ecstasy/MDMA use. We estimated that over 1 in 20 AAPI adults have ever used ecstasy/MDMA. Variations by age, sex, family income, substance type, and mental health service utilization emphasize the need for targeted public health strategies.