A clear capsule containing a white, crystalline substance sold as Molly/MDMA was sourced from West Valley, UT, but submitted from Salt Lake City. This sample tested as N-Ethylpentylone, a substituted cathinone. Little is known about N-Ethylpentylone and its effects, as its physiological and toxicological actions have not been characterized.
A capsule containing a tan, crystalline substance sold as MDMA was sourced from Ventura, CA but submitted from New York, NY. This sample tested as Methylone, a synthetic cathinone. According to the EcstasyData.org, the Marquis reagent turned yellow, the Mecke reacted a yellow/orange color, and Mandelin turned orange.
A white colored ‘Watson’ pill sold as Percocet (Oxycodone and acetaminophen) was submitted from Boynton Beach, FL but tested as U-47700 (nicknamed “U4,” “pink,” or “pinky”), a highly potent synthetic opioid that is about 7.5 times the potency of morphine.
An peach colored “Pink Bartok” tablet with was submitted from Chicago, IL. This sample was sold as Ecstasy/MDMA, but did not test as such. It was found to contain 3 (active) parts Methylsulfonylmethane (an organic sulfur-containing compound that is often take as a joint health supplement), 2 (active) parts caffeine, and 1 (active) part methamphetamine.
Nice people use drugs. Troubled people use drugs, professionals use drugs. Parents, teenagers, and government officials use drugs. Students use drugs, and professors use drugs. If you drink a cup of coffee in the morning, or unwind after work with a glass of wine or a craft beer, you use drugs. If you take Advil for pain, or use Adderall to concentrate, or Xanax to help with anxiety, you are using drugs. As history will tell it, humans have been using substances to alter their brain chemistry since the beginning of time. So why are some people who choose to...
Last week, DanceSafe began offering fentanyl testing strips for purchase on its website in response to the ever-growing number of deaths related to fentanyl, carfentanil, and other opioid analogues. While the testing strips can identify most fentanyl-related analogues, there are still limitations that every consumer and harm reductionist should be aware of, as discussed in this article by Canada’s CBC. While there is a concern that the strips could give consumers a false sense of security due to the potential of false negatives, there currently is no better alternative for people who are worried about adulterated drugs. DanceSafe’s original intent...
The International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD) is a global peer-based organization that seeks to promote the health and defend the rights of people who use drugs. In a statement released today, INPUD dubs today, July 21, a day to “remember our community members, our loved ones, our friends, and our family members who have died as a result of the so-called war on drugs.” “People who use drugs are dying in increasing numbers,” the statement continues. “There are more than 200,000 drug-related deaths a year. Overdose deaths contribute to between a third and a half of all drug-related...
