Death rates from ecstasy (MDMA, MDA) and polydrug use in England and Wales 1996–2002
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental September 19, 2003 Fabrizio Schifano, Adenekan Oyefeso, John Corkery et al. 93 citations
Between August 1996 and April 2002, 202 deaths related to ecstasy use occurred in England and Wales, with a steady annual increase. Most victims were young men: the male-to-female ratio was 4:1, and three-quarters were under age 29. In 17% of cases ecstasy was the only drug involved; the rest involved other substances, most often alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines, and opiates. MDMA was detected in 86% of cases and MDA in 13%; MDEA and PMA caused single deaths. This is the largest sample of ecstasy-related deaths reported at the time. The authors propose possible explanations for the rising trend and a rationale for the observed polypharmacy combinations.