A shortage of recreational drugs caused by the pandemic meant festivalgoers were sold fake MDMA. A new study highlighted the effect of Brexit and Covid on the trade in the illegal party drug, also known as ecstasy, amid warnings of the unknown health risks to drug users ahead of this year’s festival season.
Almost half of substances sold as MDMA at English festivals last year contained none, researchers found. The Loop, a UK drug checking charity, found that 45% of substances sold as MDMA at the festivals last year contained none – and instead contained other drugs such as caffeine or cathinones. In 2019, the comparable figure was just 7%.
The charity said it believes a combination of Brexit and Covid-19 lockdowns may have contributed to a sharp rise in “copycat” ecstasy last summer and warned of the health risks. The study, led by The Loop and including researchers from Cardiff University and the University of Liverpool, is published in the journal Drug Science, Policy and Law.
