Final Drug Checking Report in Boom Festival
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Final Drug Checking Report in Boom Festival This publication arises from the Nightlife, Empowerment & Well-being Implementation Project which has received funding from the European Union in the framework of the Health Programme. The Trans European Drug Information project (TEDI) is a network of European fieldwork Drug Check- ing services that share their expertise and data within a European monitoring and information sys- tem. TEDI’s chief aim is to improve public health and intervention programs. Toward this goal, TEDI has developed a laboratory with a Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and colorimetric tests in Boom 2012 Festival. The main objective is to establish contact with drug users to provide them with infor- mation about the composition of their drugs within a risk reduction strategy. TLC is a technique used to separate pure components of a sample allowing us to detect and identify most of the adulterants present in it. This kind of analysis increases a lot the interaction with the us- ers, as we're able to give them information about the expected substance that is going to be used and also, at the same time, about its adulterants. Included in the NEWIP intervention, between the 28th of July and the 2nd of August, within the Boom Festival, a Drug Checking service was performed. 426 samples were analyzed with TLC. The spectrum of substances analyzed was large. The following pie chart shows the variety of sub- stances which, in that musical event, we've received in our service: The main substance analysed was Ecstasy (MDMA) with almost half of the samples (47%). The sec- ond substance more analysed, was LSD (15%), the third one was cocaine (8%), followed by ketamine (6%), 2CB (5%) and amphetamine (5%). Besides the readily identified substances noted above, less- popular substances were analysed including: GHB, DMT, heroin, opium, Methoxetamine, Mescaline, Mephedrone, Methylone, Buthylone, 5-MeO-DALT, 5-MeO-DIPT, magic mushrooms and a liquid sold as PCP that in fact was LSD. 6% of the substances received were unknown for the users, and the main reason for it was that most of them had been found on the floor. A critical aspect of our Drug Checking service, is offering the users the possibility to identify in a very short time, the composition of these substances in order to avoid that they consume it before knowing the content. ECSTASY (MDMA) The general observation over the past few years is that MDMA’s composition tends to vary depend- ing on how it is produced, as a pill or as crystal. During the festival, 201 samples of MDMA were analysed, 173 of which were sold as crystal and 28 sold in pill form. The purity of Ecstasy crystal was the highest one compared with the other substances analysed. Of the total 173 samples of crystal analysed, 87% contained pure MDMA, with no adulterants, while 5% contained MDMA plus an adulterant. The remaining 9% did not contain any MDMA at all. When we analyse the adulterants added to crystal MDMA, we discover that the most common adul- terant detected was caffeine in the 42% of samples adulterated. Due to the fact that the most de- tected alert in the festival was a sample sold as Ecstasy with unidentified components inside, the number of unknown substances detected was high. Despite of being detected only one time each, it’s important to emphatize the presence of paracetamol and Metoclopramide as adulterants for its interactions with alcohol and other drugs. The adulteration of the pills analysed was low, 23 samples (of the 28 in total) contained MDMA without any adulterant added and 5 pills didn’t contain MDMA. Instead of ecstasy it was detected m- CPP in three pills, methylone in another one and an unknown substance in the last one. LSD 65 samples of LSD were analysed in several presentations: blotters, liquid and microdots. Most samples of LSD were free of adulteration, but in 9 samples no LSD was detected. It has appeared in our Drug Checking service, for 5 times, a blue microdot with a DOx family inside, which effects may last 24 h or more. In two different presentations (two liquids and one blotter) were detected un- known substances and in one blotter no psychoactive substance was found. Also in three samples some impurities were detected due to an unfinished synthesis. The risks associated to these impuri- ties are unknown. COCAINE Between the 28th of July and the 2nd of August, 33 cocaine samples were analysed. The adultera- tion in the cocaine samples was high and the number of samples that were pure cocaine was only 3, while 45% contained a combination of cocaine plus adulterants. Of the total, 45% contained no cocaine at all. As the festival was progressing, the number of samples without cocaine was increas- ing and the substances with so different effects as ketamine were replacing it. If a user takes ketamine at the same dosage as cocaine a bad trip can emerge. In other cases, a less dangerous combination of caffeine with local anaesthetics was detected. The adulterants detected in cocaine were: caffeine, levamisole, lidocaine, paracetamol, phenacetine, procaine and tetracaine. The main adulterant was caffeine, detected only in samples with a purity of cocaine lower than 25%. KETAMINE During Boom Festival, 28 ketamine samples were analysed. The number of samples that were pure ketamine were more than the half of the total analysed (64%) but 18% of the samples were keta- mine with an adulterant added. 18% of the samples contained no ketamine at all. In two cases, a combination of caffeine with methoxetamine was detected, in other one MDMA was detected and in the two remaining it was not possible to identify the substance. In relation with the type of adulterants detected mixed with ketamine, the diuretic asozemide and the unknown substances were the ones detected more frequently. The other ones (methoxetamine, caffeine, paracetamol and MDMA) were detected replacing ketamine. 2C-B Most of the 23 samples analysed as 2C-B were in powder form, but four of them were in pill form and another one was mixed with herbs. Most of them (17) were pure 2C-B. Of the 6 samples with- out 2C-B pure, two powders didn’t contain 2C-B. Instead another substance was detected but not identified. One pill was adulterated with caffeine and an unknown substance and another one didn’t have any trace of 2C-B and an unknown substance was detected. The sample sold as herbal con- tained 2C-B adulterated with an unknown substance and another powder sold as 2C-B didn’t contain any active substance. AMPHETAMINE (SPEED) The adulteration in speed samples was also high, most of the analysed samples were adulterated and only 10% were pure amphetamine. Of these samples, 65% contained a combination of am- phetamine plus adulterants. In most of these cases, the amphetamine was mixed with caffeine. This mixture represents a classic trend that has been detected by all of the Drug Checking services for several years now. The remaining 25% of the samples didn’t contain amphetamine at all; instead we found substances such as MDMA, caffeine and unknown substances replacing any trace of am- phetamine. The main adulterant remains caffeine, which was found in a total of 57% of the analysed samples. It was also detected paracetamol in 14% of the samples and five times an unknown substance. In two samples it were detected DPIA, a residual substance from the synthesis of amphetamine. Its associ- ated risks are unknown. ALERTS Between the 28th of July and the 2nd of August, several alerts were detected and diffused throughout the festival. An alert is published when a sample is analysed, sold inside the festival, and is detected a composition that could be dangerous if no risk assessment is given. The alerts detected were the following: 1. Samples sold as MDMA that didn’t contain MDMA. It contained caffeine and an unknown substance. This alert was the one detected more times within the festival. 2. Blue microdots sold as LSD that doesn’t contain LSD. It can be DOC, DOB or DOI which ef- fects may last 24 h or more. 3. GHB samples sold with a pH 13-14. At this pH GHB is very caustic and it may cause serious burn to the throat. Before consumption it needs to be diluted in lemon juice or coca-cola. 4. Samples of ketamine with methoxetamine and caffeine. When users take methoxetamine when they believe they're taking ketamine, they often point out that the effects are more unpleasant than those related to ketamine use, including: increased psychedelic effects, in- creased feelings of paranoia and increased duration of the effects. Also several samples of ketamine with unknown substances were detected. 5. Samples of LSD with unknown substances inside. 6. One sample of mescaline with 25I-NBOMe which effects may last 24 h or more. 7. Samples of 2CB, either in powder and pill form, without this substance and with an unknown substance replacing it. 8. Pills sold as MDMA with mCPP inside. 9. Samples of cocaine without this substance inside. Some of these samples had ketamine in- side and other ones caffeine and an unknown substance. As the festival was progressing, the number of samples without cocaine was increasing and the substances with so diffe- rent effects as ketamine were replacing it. If a user takes ketamine at the same dosage as cocaine a bad trip can emerge. 10. Samples of Speed with unknown substances inside. When unknown substances are de- tected, the recommendation is not to consume these drugs in order to avoid unexpected side effects due to the unknowing content.