The variability of ecstasy tablets composition in Brazil.
Journal of forensic sciences January 1, 2015 Loraine R Togni, Rafael Lanaro, Rodrigo R Resende et al. 54 citations
Ecstasy tablets sold in São Paulo, Brazil, increasingly lack the expected MDMA. Analysis of 150 different seizures by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry found MDMA in only 44.7% of samples. Twenty other active substances were identified, including caffeine, 2C-B, piperazines, amphetamines, phencyclidine, and methamphetamine (present in 22% of samples). The results demonstrate a major shift in the synthetic drug trafficking pattern, with MDMA replaced mostly by other illicit psychoactive substances, likely to evade legal restrictions. This wide variability in tablet composition raises the risk of drug poisoning.