Ecstasy-related deaths are at a record high – but what can be done about it?

However, it would be wrong to dub the drug as something that solely affects female users in an extreme way. “I was talking to a father whose son had died from taking ecstasy so there are still plenty of men taking it and dying. It’s just having that balance right and for everyone knowing the right dose for them, as often quite a lot of the guys dying are smaller and slighter as well,” Measham tells me.

I spoke to 20-year-old Luke*, who suffered a partial blood clot to the brain, resulting in a mini-stroke after consuming a dangerous concoction of pills, speed and prescription medication earlier this year. Thanks to his friends at the venue he collapsed in, he was able to receive treatment quickly and made a swift recovery. Unfortunately others haven’t been so lucky.

Although more E-related deaths are being reported now, the issues we are facing with the drug aren’t new. While the strength of MDMA and the contents of pills may vary (or indeed be more powerful) from the heydays of rave, staying safe means keeping the core messages of drug safety in mind even after all these years.

Dr Winstock explains what the basic rules are: not taking pills more than 10 times a year, always test dosing, making sure you are with someone who can look after you and not starting on pills once you’re pissed. According to him, “If you follow those rules, they are a really good start, and they are things lots of people do know already.”

“If more than anything else though” he adds, “the biggest thing is just looking out for your mates. If you can’t wake a mate, you call for help.”

And with The Loop’s Twitter regularly updated with warnings and alerts, it’s easy to be proactive about your pills and powders. Checking, testing, and just being generally more aware about what you’re taking can help you stay safe and enjoy your night whether it’s spent down front or chatting shit to strangers in a smoking area.

“We really want to encourage manufacturers to do more and to be more responsible about their consumers” Measham urges. “I don’t doubt people will laugh at that and say ‘that’s a ridiculous thing to do they’re selling illegal drugs’ but manufacturers don’t want to kill their customers. So, I think the message back to manufacturers is: ‘please could you put a double score line on so people can break these things into four, and think about your customers.’”

*name has been changed

Jasmine Kent-Smith is Mixmag's Digital Intern. Follow her on Twitter