2018: Red Alert and internal releases

Internal releaseTablets sold as ecstasy with logo Transformer, containing 240-296 mg MDMA.

Tablets sold as ecstasy

Internal releasePMMA in ecstasy. At several testing locations tablets sold as ecstasy with grey diamond imprint contained small amounts of PMMA.

PMMA in ecstasy. At several testing

Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

In 2018, DIMS issued no national Red Alerts but instead a regional one; in addition, several internal releases were issued, targeting only the DIMS-network and the visitors of the testing facilities.

Internal releaseLSD paper trips containing an additional LSD-like substance

Regional Red AlertRotterdam/ North Brabant Atropine found in samples sold as ketamine and cocaine.

!

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

What is DIMS?The Drugs Information andMonitoring System is a nationalnetwork of testing facilitiesthat aims at gaining aninsight into the market ofcontrolled substances.

Commissionedby the Ministry

of Health (VWS)and local

authorities

TactusVNN

Brijder

IrisZorg

Mondriaan

Novadic-Kentron

StichtingMainline

Jellinek

Youz

GGDAmsterdam

IndigoHaaglanden

Vincentvan Gogh

DIMS bureauEmbedded in

Trimbos-instituut

Activities: DIMS examines the content of drugs, its associated health-related risks, and analyses trends.

Method: DIMS monitors the market in controlleddrugs by offering consumers the possibility to have their drugs tested.

Application: The data collected are being used for education, prevention and policy interventions.

Warnings: DIMS occasionally warns on a national, regional or local level, or e.g. via social media for drugs involving extra risks.

Education: The testing facilities serve a majoreducational purpose and provide information on effects and risks of drugs.

DIMS affiliatedorganizations holdweekly consultinghours.

Here, users are able to hand in drugs foranalysis, anonymouslyand discretely.

If the sample can bedetermined, thecomposition ispassed on directly.

OPEN

If not, the sample issent to thelaboratory forfurther analysis.

A week later, thedrugs have beenanalysed and theresults arecommunicated.

Sometimes the result is so disturbing, thata warning or RedAlert is issued.

!Extra dangerous drugs

How does it work?

Drugs Information and Monitoring System (DIMS)Annual Report 2018

Most of the samples handed in involve ecstasy pills or MDMA powders, in 2018 62%

of the total.

Average price perecstasy pill: € 4.10ecstasy pill: € 4.10

Average price per gramMDMA-powder: € 20.00

Average price per

MDMA-powder: € 20.00

Ecstasy/MDMA in 2018

72% of the samples handed in at DIMS contain over 150 mgs of

MDMA, the strongest pill in 2018 contained 296 mgs of MDMA.

< 100 100-150 151-200 >200 mg

0%

25%

75%

100%

50%

2014 2016 201820172015

43

3 5 11 13 17

4447

52

3236

3330

2215 9 6

55

24

5

Average dosage of MDMA in ecstasy pills (in mgs).

0

100

200

150

50

2014 2016 201820172015

171140 147

164157

Due to a change in the calculation of the data, a few minor corrections have been made regarding the data presented in this infographic related to previous years.Wherever applicable, data in this report are calculated in base, not in salt.

Risks•Overheating•Exhaustion•Brain damage

Cutting agents•Caffeine•Amphetamine•mCPP•PMMA

Effects•Sense of intimacy•Increased energy

!

In 2018, 13,540 visitors handed in 12,634 samples for analysis. This involved mainly samples sold as ecstasy tablets andMDMA powders, andcocaine andamphetaminepowders.

11%cocaine

8%speed

4% 2C-B

4% 4-FA

1% GHB

3% ketamine

2% LSD

4% other substancesValues have been rounded off, thereforethe percent of the total adds up to less than 100%

62%ecstasy/MDMA

8%speed

In 2018, the number of samples submitted to DIMS increased again.

0

3,000

6,000

9,000

12,000

15,000

2014 2016 201820172015

Samples submitted to DIMS in 2018

In terms of number of submitted samples, cocaine is in second place

with a share of 11%.

Average price per gramof cocaine: € 49.30

Cocaine in 2018

The average percentage of cocaine in cocaine samples increased over

the last years, but decreased slightly in 2018.

0%

10%

30%

50%

70%

60%

40%

20%

2014 2016 201820172015

6559

64 67 68

Cocaine is regularly being cut with levamisole, an anthelmintic for animals. From 2015, the

percentage of levamisole in submitted cocaine samples decreases year by year.

0%

25%

75%

100%

50%

2014 2016 201820172015

65

35

26 2641

58

74 7459

42

without levamisole with levamisolesamples:

Risks levamisole•With high dose and regular

use: impairment of the immune system

•Fever and flu-like symptoms,skin eruptions

•Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting•Headache, confusion,

dizziness

!

Cutting agents•Levamisole•Caffeine•Phenacetine

Risks•Often cut with medicines•Paranoia•Damage smoking: lungs injecting: abscess snorting: nasal mucosa•Dependency•Exhaustion•Cardiovascular problems

!

Effects•Increased energy•Confident feeling

Speed in 20188% percent of all submitted samples is speed.

Average price per gram ofspeed: € 7,30speed: € 7,30

Risks•Overheating•Exhaustion•Brain damage•Paranoia•Heavy physical strain

!

Cutting agent•Caffeine

The average percentage of amphetamine in speed hardly varies from year to year.

In 2018, this average was 48%.

0%

10%

30%

50%

40%

20%

2014 2016 2018

48

20172015

49 46 45 46

Effects•Increased energy•Delays fatigueness•Inhibits appetite

4-FA (also known as 4-fluoroamphetamine or 4-FMP) currently forms 4% of all samples that are handed in at DIMS and is submitted in the form of powders, tablets, crystals and capsules.

Effects of 4-FA•Increased energy•Euphoria•Talkative•Delays fatigue

Risks•Exhaustion•Nausea, vomiting•Headache, confusion,

dizziness•Palpitations•Brain damage

!

In 2018, lab analysed samples sold as 4-FA increasingly contained only 4-FMA

(4-fluoromethamphetamine).

0

30

60

50

70

40

20

10

1

7

57

2Quarter

21

45

3

27

19

4

31

9

4-FA 4-FMA

From 2013, a sharp increase of samples sold as 4-FA was seen. Since 2017, the year in which 4-FA was banned, this

number decreased sharply.

0

300

600

900

1200

2014 2016 201820172015

457309

698

1065

684

4-FA (4-fluoramphetamine) in 2018

Of all samples handed in to DIMS, 3% percent consists of ketamine.

Average price per grampowder: € 23.90powder: € 23.90

Risks•Bad trip•Nausea, vomiting•Respiratory disorders•Muscle stiffening or paralysis

!

Ketamine in 2018

The average purity of submitted ketamine samples has fluctuated

around 75% for years.

0%

60%

100%

40%

20%

2014 2016 201820172015

80%

7678 77 74 75

Effects•Mind altering•Out-of-body experience

GHB in 2018

Risks•Addictive•Potentially life-threathening if

combined with alcohol•Risk of overdosing•Burns mouth/esophagus

!

GHB in liquid form covers around 1% of allsubstances handed in at DIMS.

We gathered too little datato give a reliable average

of price of GHB.

Effecten•Euphoria•Relaxation•Loss of control

Average amount of GHB in samples submitted as GHB (in mg/ml).

0

400

500

300

200

100

2014 2016 201820172015

461390 407

442 443

LSD in 20182% of the submitted samples consists of LSD. In 4% of the submitted LSD samples, substances other than LSD were detected.

Average price perblotter: € 6.50blotter: € 6.50

Effects•Hallucinogenic

Risks•Bad trip•Nausea•Flash backs Average dosage

86 µgs in 2018

! The average dosage of LSD varies largely over the years. In 2018, the average dosage was 86 µgs

(chart in µgs).

0

60

100

40

20

2014 2016 201820172015

80

6374

63

81 86

2C-B (4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine) is commonly handed in as a pill but sometimes as a powder as well, covering 4% of all samples

submitted in 2018. The effects strongly depend on the dose taken. 96% of the pills handed in as 2C-B contained 2C-B.

Average price per pill: € 4.20pill: €pill: € 4.20pill: € 4.204.20

Averagedosage pills11 mgs in 2018

Effects•At low dose: euphoria,

increased energy•At high dose: hallucinogenic

Risks•Bad trip•Effects stronger than

expected/overdose

!

2C-B in 2018

Average amount of 2C-B in pills submitted as 2C-B (in mg).

0

10

12

8

6

2

4

2014 2016 201820172015

119

1112 11

NPS in 2018

Number of samples related to new psychoactive substances (NPS), sold as:4-FA 2C-B Ketamine GHB Other

0

500

1,000

2,000

1,500

2014 2016 201820172015

309

153

243

47

169

698

268

361

76

246

1065

308

306

93

292

684

425

441

129

273

457

531

428

146

306

Product number: INF037Text: Daan van der Gouwe and Ruben VrolijkDesign: Rikkers Infographics

© 2019 Trimbos-instituut, Utrecht

All rights reserved. No part of this publicationmay be reproduced and / or published in anyform or by any means without prior permissionfrom the Trimbos Institute.

More information:www.drugs-test.nl

dims@trimbos.nl

Online purchases

Number of samples submitted to DIMS bought online (%).

0%

10%

8%

6%

2%

4%

2016 20182017

5.9%

660samples

659samples

716samples

5.5% 5.7%

A small but steady part of samples was bought online; more and more bought off the darknet.

Online bought samples, divided by internet source.

0

500

400

300

100

200

unknown web-shop

darknet other

2016 20

1720

18