First drug-checking study at an electronic festival and fentanyl detection in the central region of Mexico
Harm Reduction Journal December 10, 2023 Silvia L. Cruz, Miguel Bencomo-Cruz, María E. Medina-Mora et al. 10 citations
At an outdoor electronic music festival near Mexico City, 40 young adults (mostly single men aged 22–48) provided 51 drug samples for voluntary, confidential testing. Most samples contained the expected drug plus adulterants such as methylene-dioxy-ethyl-amphetamine, methylene-dioxy-propyl-amphetamine, hydroxyamphetamine, and the antidepressant venlafaxine. Fentanyl was detected in 2 of 4 cocaine samples and in 14 of 22 MDMA samples. These adulterants, especially fentanyl and amphetamine-like substances, pose serious health risks. The authors urge monitoring of adulterants at festivals and call for prevention, treatment, and harm reduction policies in Mexico, including naloxone distribution and drug-assisted therapies.