Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS) Interviews 2021: Background and Methods

The Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS) is the most comprehensive and detailed study of ecstasy and related drug use, market features, and harms in Australia. The trends identified in outputs have been extrapolated from interviews with people who use ecstasy and other stimulant drugs regularly, as well as other routinely collected indicator data sources. The EDRS interviews capture self-report information about drugs that are routinely used in the context of entertainment venues and other recreational locations including nightclubs, dance parties, pubs and music festivals. This includes ecstasy (MDMA, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), methamphetamine, cocaine, LSD (d-lysergic acid), ketamine, MDA (3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine), new psychoactive substances (NPS; e.g., mephedrone, synthetic cannabis) and GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate).The focus is on the capital city in each state/territory because trends in illicit drug markets are more likely to emerge in large cities rather than regional centres or rural areas. The exception to this is QLD, where data is collected in Brisbane and the Gold Coast (and the Sunshine Coast in 2014-2016).