The Ecstasy and related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS) is a national illicit drug monitoring system intended to identify emerging trends of local and national concern in ecstasy and related drug markets.

Each year we interview a sample of people who have experience with and use psychostimulants. To be in the survey, someone must have used psychostimulants (which includes ecstasy, methamphetamine, cocaine, and new psychoactive substance (NPS) type stimulants such as mephedrone and 2C-B) at least six times in the last six months. We only talk to people from urban areas, so the results do not tell us about psychostimulant use in regional or rural areas of Australia. Because we conduct this survey annually, we can see what’s changed over time – the preferred drug of choice, the types of drugs being used, the patterns of drug use, and perceptions about the drug market.

It is important to note that the results from the consumer surveys are not representative of ecstasy and other related drug use in the general population, but this is not the aim of these data. These data are intended to capture emerging issues that warrant further investigation.

This document summarises the preliminary 2017 EDRS findings. Results may be subject to minor change. Final figures will appear in the 2017 national and jurisdictional reports, to be released early next year. Previous years’ data are available in reports published elsewhere, and are accessible on the Drug Trends website http://www.drugtrends.org.au/.

The first section provides a narrative overview of the preliminary findings. This is then followed by detailed tables.