Victoria Police Forensic Services Department Trends in illicit tablets

- an analytical perspective

Joanne Gerstner-Stevens Victoria Police Forensic Services Department, Sciences Group Outline Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

• Source of the data • Illicit tablet trends over time • Varying content and purity • Fentanyl and it’s analogues

Drug Database Victoria Police Forensic Services Chemical Drug Intelligence Unit Department (non evidential 80%)

100 50 0

Statistics / Trend Reports

Drug Analysis Unit (evidential 20%) Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

20.83 million 30 years ago - 1987 1987 – 30 years ago Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

16.26 million 30 years ago Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

MA & MDMA 1%

MA 16.261% million

heroin 2%

4%

THC 5%

MDMA 10% chloral hydrate 12%

no 65%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

20.83 million 20 years ago - 1997 1997 – 20 years ago Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

18.52 million 1997 - 20 years ago Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

other drugs 1% 4 other drugs 16.26 million

2%

MDMA, MDEA or MDA 14%

MA 29%

no drugs 54%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

20.83 million 10 years ago - 2007 2007 – 10 years ago Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

0.83 million 20.83 million 2007 – 10 years ago Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

paracetamol 1% 20.83 million MA 1%

other drugs 1% 19 other drugs

methorphan 3% Primary drug Primary MDA 4%

no drugs 5%

MDMA 85%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 2007 – 10 years ago Victoria Police Forensic Services Drugs detected Proportion Most common combination Department MDMA only 60.2% MDMA + 1 other 39.1% MDMA + 2 others 0.3% MDMA + MDEA MDMA + 3 others 0.2% 20.83 million MDMA + 4 others 0.2% MDA only 89.5% MDA + 1 other 9.9% MDA + MDMA MDA + 2 others 0.5% MDA + 3 others 0.1% methorphan only 73.5% methorphan + 1 other 25.2% methorphan + 2 others 0.1% Methorphan + fluvoxamine methorphan + 3 others 0.8% methorphan + 4 others 0.4% MA only 86.6% MA + 1 other 8.8% MA + 2 others 0.6% MA + BZP MA + 3 others 3.6% MA + 4 others 0.1% MA + 5 others 0.3% paracetamol only 92.3% Paracetamol + 1-4-BD paracetamol + 1 other 7.7% 2007 to 2011 Victoria Police Forensic Services Department Worldwide safrole shortages reported in 2008

20.83 million

100

80

60

40

20

(%) Percentage 0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Tablets containing ecstasy

2007 to 2011 Victoria Police Forensic Services Department Primary drug found in illicit tablets: 20.83 million 2007 89% MDMA or MDA 2008 55% MDMA, MDA or MDEA 2009 55% Caffeine 2010 60% Methorphan 2011 30% Methorphan & 26% 2C-Family (99.9% 2C-B)

2012 Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

1%

diphenhydramine 1% 20.83 million TFMPP 1%

other 2% 35 other drugs (10 NPS)

3,4 methylenedioxphenol 2%

2C-B 2%

PMMA 3% Primary drug Primary MDA 10%

no drugs 11%

MDMA 17%

methorphan 20%

MA 30%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 2012 Victoria Police Forensic Services Drugs detected Proportion Most common combination Department MA 91.5%

MA + 1 other 8.4% MA + MDMA + safrole

MA + 2 others 0.1%

methorphan only 63.2%

20.83 methorphanmillion + 1 other 2.8% Methorphan + MA + diphenhydramine methorphan + 2 others 33.9%

methorphan + 3 others 0.1%

MDMA only 88.1%

MDMA + 1 other 10.7%

MDMA + 2 others 0.9% MDMA + MA

MDMA + 3 others 0.1%

MDMA + 4 others 0.2%

MDA only 91.5%

MDA + 1 other 8.4% MDA + 2C-B

MDA + 2 others 0.1%

2C-B only 99.4%

2C-B + 1 other 0.2% 2C-B + MA + MDA

2C-B + 2 others 0.4%

TFMPP only 92.6% TFMPP + BZP TFMPP + 1 other 7.4% 2016 Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

1%

25C-NBOMe20.831% million

2%

other 2% 23 other drugs (10 NPS)

methorphan 2% Primary drug Primary

no drugs 4%

MDMA 40%

MDA 48%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 2016 Victoria Police Forensic Services

Drugs detected Proportion Most common combination Department

MDA ONLY 22.3%

MDA + 1 other 46.3%

MDA + 2 others 0.5% MDA + MDMA

MDA + 3 others 30.0% 20.83 million MDA + 3 others 0.9% MDMA only 82.2%

MDMA + 1 other 8.1% MDMA + 2 others 7.0% MDMA + MA + MDMA + 3 others 1.6%

MDMA + 4 others 0.1%

MDMA + 5 others 1.0%

methorphan only 71.4%

methorphan + 1 other 5.3%

methorphan + 2 others 19.1% Methorphan + 1,4-BD + BZP + TFMPP methorphan + 3 others 3.8%

methorphan + 4 others 0.3%

methorphan + 5 others 0.1%

ethylone only 5.3%

ethylone + 1 other 94.6% Ethylone + MAPB

ethylone + 2 others 0.1%

25C-NBOMe + 1 other 13.6%

25C-NBOMe + 2 others 84.2% 25C-NBOMe + 25C-NBOMe + safrole

25C-NBOMe + 2 others 2.2% 2017 (YTD) Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

MDA 1% 20.83 million

other 1% 5 other drugs (3 NPS)

no drugs 5%

Primary drug Primary methorphan 10%

octodrine 36%

MDMA 48%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 2017 (YTD) Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

Drugs detected Proportion Most common combination 20.83MDMA million only 0.65% MDMA + 1 other 0.10%

MDMA + 2 others 0.08% MDMA + MDA + ethylone

MDMA + 3 others 99.16%

MDMA + 4 others 0.01%

methorphan only 99.9% Methorphan + 25C-NBOMe + 25I-NBOMe methorphan + 2 others 0.1%

MDA only 56.5%

MDA + 1 other 26.1% MDA + MA MDA + 2 others 7.3%

MDA + 3 others 10.1% Varying Content Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

20.83 million

MDMA Methorphan 25I-NBOMe & MDMA MDMA & methorphan Varying Content Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

20.83 million

MDMA MDA, MDMA & 4-fluoroamphetamine No drugs Varying Content Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

20.83 million

MDMA & MDEA MDMA & MA MDA & MDEA 2C-B MDMA Methorphan, BZP, TFMPP & ketamine MDA Methorphan, dimetridazole, levamisole, MA & CPCPP Methorphan, BZP, 14-butanediol, TFMPP No drugs

Varying Purity Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

20.83 million 5% MDA 4% MDMA 4% methorphan 2% MA

15% MDA 38% MDMA 27% methorphan 24% MA

44% MDA 73% MDMA 43% methorphan 77% MA

Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

20.83 million Fentanyl type substances Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

20.83 million

• Fentanyl is 50 to100 times stronger than morphine. • Due to the high potency of fentanyl type substances (FTS), exposure to very small amounts can be life threatening. • In North America, fentanyl and fentanyl analogues are commonly found to be the active ingredient in counterfeit tablets purported to contain other pharmaceutical opioids, and is often mixed with heroin.

Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

20.83 million

• The purchase of fentanyl and its analogues in various forms from online sources is relatively easy. • Since 2013, the AFP have analysed 35 detections of fentanyl type substances totalling 70.3g. These have included fentanyl, carfentanil, furanyl fentanyl, ocfentanil and butyryl fentanyl. • It is unlikely that Australia will see the use of fentanyl and its analogues reach such levels currently seen in North America.

Conclusion Victoria Police Forensic Services Department Illicit tablets: • Composition,20.83 million purity and complexity of illicit tablets has changed over the years. • Content cannot be predicted from appearance. • Large variation in purity of drugs.

Fentanyl type substances: • Since 2013, the AFP has detected 70.3 grams of FTS. • It is unlikely that Australia will see the use of FTS reach the levels currently seen in North America. Acknowledgements Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

20.83 million Drug Sciences Group staff, past and present, who have contributed to the production of the analytical results presented today.

Victoria Police Forensic Services Department

20.83 million

Thank-you