Brisbane: We Tested Your MDMA

_This article is part of the VICE MDMA Census. See the results for cities all around Australia here. _For a glossary of the different chemicals we identified, read this.

According to Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC), in the past few years it's been getting easier to get your hands on purer ecstasy-type substances in the state. But forensic testing by state police has found MDMA in Queensland is closely linked to new psychoactive substances (NPS), particularly NBOMe and the like. This is what happened in October 2016 on the Gold Coast, when one person died from a bad batch of what they thought was MDMA and scores of others were hospitalised.

I was curious to see whether what happened on the Gold Coast had filtered through to the nightlife in Brisbane. But where does one go to get cooked on a Friday night in Brisbane? Probably Fortitude Valley, literally an entire suburb dedicated to going out. If you're anything like me though, you much prefer the pre-drinks to the actual partying—where the lines are shorter and the dance floor is a little less sticky. So before heading to the Valley, I stopped by one such party to talk to Adam, who was keen to test his MDMA.

Adam's sample quickly turned a darker yellow with hints of orange.

VICE: Hey Adam, where did you get your drugs from?
Adam: I just got it from a mate of mine, I don't want to say his name or anything.

That's ok. Can I ask: how much would you say you trust your friend? Do you have any idea what the test results might be?
Well, I've known my friend for quite a few years now. So, I guess I do trust him. I'm not too sure what the results will be to be honest… I have no idea what to expect.

Okay, so the test kit has shown amphetamine, and potentially some methylone. Are you surprised?
Yeah, I think that's what I was told. I couldn't remember the name it was such a long word. Yeah, that's yeah, it rings a bell to me.

Sounds like it's going to be potent, whatever it is. How do you feel now about taking the drug?
I feel pretty happy 'cause that's what my friend said it was.

Do you think Australia should legalise professional pill testing at music festivals and other events?
I absolutely agree with a plan to legalise drug testing. People should know what they're going to be taking. It's a bit dodgy when you're going to get drugs from complete strangers. I've heard of the plan to take control of drugs legal distribution and I absolutely agree with it… Over in America, with their drug trades and their cartels, nothing ever gets solved. They're just getting larger and larger and craftier. It just seems like the best way to deal with it is to turn drugs around and make it profitable for the government.

Why do you think politicians are so averse to even trialling pill testing?
I think because there would be backlash. They want to try and keep themselves in a positive light for their adoring fans.

So what you're saying is, right now they're going with a "drugs are bad" campaign. But if drugs were made safer, and the idea behind them normalised, everything would change.
Yeah, it's kind of hard to swim against the tide with this kind of issue and truly solve it. It's an ingrained mindset. Making drugs safe would be a complicated issue in itself. Also to put something out there that's a bit daring like a drug test like this, it takes a bit of…

Time?
Yeah a long time for people to be eased into this kind of mindset. So I can see it working in the long term.

Well that's it, thank you for giving up some of your drugs for science.
Thanks, that's alright.

By the time I made it to the Valley, police were everywhere. There was a cop car on every street, at every corner there were at least five officers standing milling about. There had been a game on that night which probably explained the increased police presence. Despite knowing these EZ Tests were legal, I couldn't help but feel suss as fuck asking people if they had any drugs on them.

It was a busy night, with lines stretching out of venues and around corners. There were wasted people everywhere: crossing streets, coming out of clubs, into taxis and 7-Elevens. I was completely sober and yet, somehow, had managed to leave my ID at home.

Finally I was able to catch someone to test their drugs, a 20-something we'll call Jill. Luckily, Jill was accompanied by a friend who "desperately needed to pee and vomit." We had some difficulty finding a private place outside of a club to conduct the test. But eventually we sussed a secluded spot under some trees. Jill's friend proved to be a skilled multitasker—relieving herself at both ends, while keeping an eye out for police.

Jill's sample turned purple, indicating the presence of MDMA.

VICE: Jill, thanks for taking part. Where did you get your drugs?
Jill: Ummm… so he's a source that supplies a lot of Brisbane. I don't want to reveal too much. I rely on him and I know he tests it.

Really?
Yeah he tests it for quality and, yeah, I don't want to die.

That's really good. What do you think the results will be?
We've always known his stuff is good.

How do you feel now about taking the drug?
I'm even more happy! 'Cause I'm like, I knew it was good so I'm like yeah, it's good.

Do you think Australia should legalise professional pill testing at music festivals and other events?
Yes definitely, definitely. It will save lives.

How do you think this would change Australia's party scene?
Jill: It will make it a lot safer. Less overdoses or people taking dodgy as fuck shit.
Jill's friend: You just need a safer way to do it.
Jill: I feel like Brisbane is quite safe. I've taken drugs in Melbourne and it fucked me up. It was a lot more full on.

So I guess if we legalised testing it would mean quality over the whole country as well? Yeah I suppose so.

Why do you think politicians are so averse to trialling pill labs? The New South Wales government threatened to throw doctors in jail if they illegally tested people's drugs at music festivals.
I'm sorry, I'm too cooked to answer these questions… I guess they just don't want to support it?

Brian running his sample through the kit.

VICE: Hey Brian, where did you get your drugs?
From a mate, he got it off a dealer. I just got it off him.

Okay, is he a good friend of yours?
Yeah, yeah. He's gotten stuff for us. He's gotten good stuff before.

What do you think the results will be?
Actually, he's kind of hit and miss. Last time was alright, like it did something. But the time before that it kind of fucked me up and I wasted my money because it didn't really do anything. I honestly don't know.

Now that we've done the test. Are you surprised by the results?
I think disappointed is a better word. Surprised… I kinda had it coming.

How do you feel now knowing that it's registered as nothing or could even be just a sugar pill?
I'm not gonna take it. Actually, I might just take it

It probably has something in it.
It could have something in it.

Do you think Australia should legalise professional testing? Like the one we just did but more thorough?
Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. It will save lives.

How do you think this could change Australia's party scene?
From what I've heard. The people that have died at music festivals from drugs are people that have taken substances that aren't necessarily pure but are substances that have been poisoned by the drug makers. I feel like the pure substances aren't the substances that are killing people. Especially with ecstasy and MDMA. The pure forms of that drug aren't sending people to hospital the substances that are, are poisons that bikies and straight up criminals are putting into them.

Why do you think politicians are so averse to trialling pill labs?
They are wowsers. They are so are conservative. They're blind, they're cross-eyed.

VICE: Hey Pat, where did you get your drugs?
Pat: From a mate.

What do you think the results will be?
Uhh.. probably good, I hope it'll be good.

Okay, it looks a bit orangey-yellow, like maybe there's amphetamine or even methylone in there. Does that change how you feel about the drugs?
No, I feel good. Relaxed.

Do you think Australia should legalise professional pill testing at music festivals and other events?
Yes… I think it will encourage responsibility. Yeah, I definitely think it's a positive thing.

Why do you think politicians are so averse to trialling it?
They're old, they've never actually taken drugs, they're really conservative, and they're afraid. Maybe they have some vested interest in some capitalist thing that they've made a deal with somewhere down the line that stops them from doing it. Maybe they have ties with religious people and they're worried that they'll lose the old vote. They're just clinging to their last hopes of their old ideals.

Disclaimer: We aren't scientists. We ran a handful of tests, in a handful of cities, over the course of a few nights. These kits aren't going to identify the presence of some non-testable poison. Plus, there's no guarantee you have the same MD—drugs differ from place to place, night to night. But you already knew that.

Note: These articles were made possible by EZ Test who donated all testing kits free of charge.