The content of ecstasy tablets: implications for the study of their long‐term effects
Addiction December 1, 2002 Jon C. Cole, Mike Bailey, Harry Sumnall et al. 149 citations
In 2001, ecstasy tablets seized in north-west England contained between 20 and 109 mg of MDMA, with most tablets averaging 60–69 mg. Some tablets also contained MDEA. The most common type, Mitsubishi tablets, spanned the full range of MDMA content. Analysis of 80 samples from a single large seizure of White Dove tablets showed low variation, indicating consistent manufacturing. Comparing these data with UK-wide analyses from 1991 to 2001 shows that the average MDMA content in ecstasy tablets has been declining over the decade. The authors argue that because the amount of MDMA per tablet is dropping, studies of long-term effects and neurotoxicity must account for actual ingested doses.