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Articles on Party drugs

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New research into pill testing at festivals shows not everyone reacts to a test result the way you’d expect. from www.shutterstock.com

Can a $12 pill test for ecstasy save lives? Well, it’s complicated

New research shows some festival goers are willing to take a dodgy pill regardless of the test result. So, let’s use pill testing to educate them and others about reducing their risk.
“Just say no” messages are ignored because young people want to have fun. Marvin Meyer

In debates about drug use, fun is important

People who use party drugs say it gives them energy to dance and socialise, reduces their inhibitions and enhances their feelings of connection to others.
MDMA itself isn’t a dangerous drug. But adulterants found in drugs made by at-home chemists can be deadly. from www.shutterstock.com

How does MDMA kill?

Every summer we hear of more deaths from drugs at festivals. But MDMA was originally a medicine, so how can it kill users?
Current MDMA trials could lead to the drug moving from the fringes of mainstream psychiatry to being recognised as a mainstream treatment option. AAP

Is psychiatry ready for medical MDMA?

Current trials suggest MDMA could used to treat psychiatric disorders as a prescription medicine by 2021. But there remain a number of unresolved patient / doctor issues to be considered.
The drug GHB gained notoriety during raves decades ago, but it is resurfacing again. Anthony Mooney/Shutterstock.com

The comeback and dangers of the drug GHB

The recent death of ‘Storm Chaser’ star Joel Taylor, reportedly because of his use of the GHB, is a tragic reminder of the drug’s dangerous impact.
LSD causes euphoria, increased body temperature and hallucinations where some or all of the senses are distorted. from shutterstock.com

Weekly Dose: LSD – dangerous, mystical or therapeutic?

During the 1950s and 1960s, LSD was used more for psychotherapy than recreation. Between 1950 and 1965, many were treated with LSD for alcoholism, depression, schizophrenia, autism and homosexuality.
Pills sold as ecstasy contain variable amounts of MDMA, sometimes none. AAP/Australian Federal Police.

Weekly Dose: ecstasy, the party drug that could be used to treat PTSD

Ecstasy is the street name for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, an illicit party drug that speeds up messages to and from the brain and alters the user’s perception of reality.
This has been one of the worst starts to the music festival season ever, in terms of harm from overdoses. mixtribe/Flickr

What is ‘drug checking’ and why do we need it in Australia?

Testing drugs at music festivals not only means we can assess whether they contain anything unexpected, but it’s an opportunity to try to change the behaviour of users.
Young people want better information about illicit drugs so they can make informed choices. from www.shutterstock.com

Six reasons Australia should pilot ‘pill testing’ party drugs

The death of 19-year-old Georgina Bartter at a music festival on the weekend from a suspected ecstasy overdose could possibly have been avoided with a simple harm-minimisation intervention. Pill testing…

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