The Ecstasy and Related Drug Reporting System (EDRS) is a national drug monitoring system intended to identify emerging trends of local and national concern in illicit drug markets, and form part of Drug Trends.

Benzodiazepines are a group of central nervous system depressants which induce sedation and sleep, and serve numerous medical functions. This class of drugs are also increasingly used illicitly which is a concern because deaths involving benzodiazepines have steadily increased in Australia. While it is widely known that people who use stimulants sometimes use benzodiazepines to help counter adverse drug effects, such as ‘comedowns' and insomnia, there is little published literature which explicitly explores motives for use among Australians who use ecstasy and related stimulants.

We looked at a sentinel sample of people who regularly use ecstasy and other illicit stimulants in Australia to look at reasons for benzodiazepine use.