title: Crystals and tablets in the Spanish ecstasy market 2000-2014: Are they the same or different in terms of purity and adulteration?
abstract: Although 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has a long history in recreational settings, research on its composition (purity and adulteration) has focused only on tablets even though crystal format is readily available for users.
  
  
  
  Drug specimens collected between January 2000 and December 2014 were analyzed at Energy Control's facilities. All samples were voluntarily provided by drug users. Sample identification was made with thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, and quantification with ultraviolet spectrophotometry (only in unadulterated samples).
  
  
  
  Between January 2000 and December 2014, 6200 samples purchased as ecstasy by their users were analyzed. Crystals were the most frequent format (60.6%) followed by tablets (38.8%). During the study period, the proportion of samples containing only MDMA was higher in crystals than in tablets. Compared with tablets, adulterated crystal samples contained the same number of adulterants but more combinations of different substances. Although caffeine was commonly detected as adulterant both in crystals and tablets, other substances such as phenacetin, lidocaine, dextrometorphan or methamphetamine were detected almost exclusively in crystal samples. The amount of MDMA in crystal samples remained stable unlike tablets for which a huge increase in MDMA dose was observed since 2010.
  
  
  
  Crystal samples of ecstasy showed clear differences compared to ecstasy tablets and this must be taken into account both in research and harm reduction.
authors.affiliation: Energy Control - Asociación Bienestar y Desarrollo, Spain. Electronic address: claudiovidal@energycontrol.org.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vidal Giné
authors.affiliation: Energy Control - Asociación Bienestar y Desarrollo, Spain.
authors.forename: Mireia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ventura Vilamala
authors.affiliation: Energy Control - Asociación Bienestar y Desarrollo, Spain.
authors.forename: Iván
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fornís Espinosa
authors.affiliation: Energy Control - Asociación Bienestar y Desarrollo, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gil Lladanosa
authors.affiliation: Energy Control - Asociación Bienestar y Desarrollo, Spain.
authors.forename: Nú
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Calzada Álvarez
authors.affiliation: Energy Control - Asociación Bienestar y Desarrollo, Spain.
authors.forename: Ariadna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fitó Fruitós
authors.affiliation: Human Pharmacology and Clinical Neurosciences Research Group, Institut Hospital del Mar de Investigacions Mèdiques - IMIM, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology of Drugs of Abuse Research Group, Institut de Recerca Hospital del Mar de Investigacions Mèdiques - IMIM, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Domíngo Salvany
authors.affiliation: Human Pharmacology and Clinical Neurosciences Research Group, Institut Hospital del Mar de Investigacions Mèdiques - IMIM, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de la Torre Fornell
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization; D004340:Drug Contamination; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D013607:Tablets
chemical_list: D006213:Hallucinogens; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D013607:Tablets; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine
keywords: Adulteration; Illegal markets; MDMA; Purity