Purity of UK ecstasy is at a ten-year high

The strength of ecstasy being sold in the UK is at a 10-year high. Tests made this year on pills in circulation at UK festivals and Manchester's Warehouse Project reveal that the average tablet now contains up to 100mg of MDMA.

Experts such as Fiona Measham, who is professor of criminology at Durham University, reckon a recommended dose of MDMA during a "session" is 70-75mg, leading her and other researchers to class some pills currently available on the UK market as "super strength". In layman's terms, a 100mg pill is the type that you'd be wise to take in two halves.

But while stronger pills are certainly good news for educated recreational drug takers, they have been linked to a rise in deaths thought to be caused by ecstasy. Data from the Office For National Statistics shows that there were 43 ecstasy-related deaths in 2013 compared to eight in 2010. While you can get 100mg pills in the UK at the moment, in 2009 the strongest on the market were thought to contain just 20-30mg.

Some fatalities may also be attributed to pills containing PMA, a potentially killer ingredient that appeared in numerous batches of 'ecstasy' tablets last year. As ever, we advise that if you're in doubt about the strength of pills that you've bought, be on the safe side and take them in halves, or even quarters. Check Pill Report for advice on quality and strength or buy your own pill testing kit.

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[via The Guardian]